Mental filtering worksheet

A mental filtering worksheet can be a useful tool to explain cognitive distortions to clients. 

This resource offers a clear explanation and examples of the mental filter cognitive distortion, designed to help therapists easily communicate this concept to their clients.

We’ve also included a free downloadable mental filtering worksheet to save to your electronic health record (EHR) and use in your practice. 

Mental filtering definition

Mental filtering is a type of cognitive distortion. 

Cognitive distortions, a key concept in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), are thinking errors that inaccurately add a negative bias to our perception of ourselves, others, and the world. 

The mental filter cognitive distortion is one type of distortion in which a person focuses solely on the negative aspects of a situation while filtering out the positive information. 

While anyone may occasionally experience thought distortions, some may experience repeated errors that stem from negative core beliefs, triggering an unhelpful emotional and behavioral response. 

In CBT, this process demonstrates how situational triggers activate the cognitive triangle—the interconnected relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

The mental filter cognitive distortion typically follows this pattern:

1. Situational trigger: Something happens in your environment, such as giving a presentation at work. While everyone seems impressed, one of your coworkers seems distracted, and you read that they look bored.

2. Automatic thought: Often fueled by a negative belief, this thought negatively skews your interpretation of the event. Using this example, you might think, “Oh, if they’re bored, my presentation must have been terrible.”

3. Emotional reaction: The thought triggers feelings. You might feel embarrassed, anxious, and deflated.

4. Behavior: In response to these feelings and the interpretation of events, you might sit down quietly after the meeting, leave the room, ruminate, or avoid speaking up at meetings for the rest of the week. This behavior might reinforce an underlying belief that you are incompetent or that others judge you when you give a presentation.

Repeated mental filter cognitive distortions can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being, leading to:

• Increased rumination

• Worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Low self-esteem

• Emotional dysregulation

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Mental filtering examples

Mental filtering examples might look like:

• Academic example: Scoring 90% on a test and honing in on the 10% you answered incorrectly, then telling yourself you’re terrible at the subject.

• Social example: You invited three friends out to dinner on a Saturday. Two people responded to say they had a conflict on Saturday, but could make a different date, and one friend didn’t respond. Instead of seeing that two people said they wanted to go for dinner with you, you instead focus on the person who didn’t respond and interpret the other responses as a rejection, thinking to yourself, “No one likes me because they don’t want to hang out with me.”

• Work example: Your boss gives you feedback on your recent report, commenting that your data was well presented and they agreed with your analysis overall. They made a minor improvement suggestion. However, you interpret the suggestion as your boss not liking your presentation, and think you messed up the assignment.

Tips to challenge mental filtering

With CBT techniques like the use of a mental filtering worksheet, it's possible to cognitively restructure maladaptive thinking into more helpful thoughts and behaviors.

The mental filtering worksheet guides individuals through this simple process: 

1. Identify the unhelpful thought

Review the thought leading to the intense emotion, feeling, and behavior. For example, you might reflect on feeling deflated because you’re focused on your coworker who seemed bored by your presentation.

2. Challenge your interpretation of events

You might observe that most people were engaged in the presentation because they smiled, thanked you, asked questions, and gave you positive feedback. 

3. Look for alternative explanations 

Consider other possibilities for explaining your coworker’s response. For instance, they might have been distracted, not slept well the night before, or were preoccupied with something stressful.

4. Cognitively restructure the thoughts

Reframe your interpretation of the event in a more helpful and balanced way. For example, “Most people enjoyed the presentation, and I received good feedback. If my boss asks me to present again, it's because she has confidence in my abilities.” 

When used alongside other CBT interventions, a mental filtering worksheet supports the cognitive restructuring process. Research shows that CBT techniques, such as cognitive restructuring, can be effective in alleviating symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, these methods can lead to an improvement in self-esteem.

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How to use the mental filtering worksheet

You can download and use the mental filter cognitive distortion worksheet in several ways.

For example, use the mental filtering worksheet as a psychoeducational prompt. Provide the worksheet to the client to remind them of what you discussed during therapy. 

Then, ask the client to reflect on the activity worksheet between sessions, identify examples of the mental filter cognitive distortion, and report their findings at their next therapy appointment. 

Use the handout with other cognitive distortions worksheet PDFs, like the personalization cognitive distortion worksheet or our cognitive restructuring worksheet.

In addition to client use, you might find it beneficial to share the mental filtering worksheet with supervisees, interns, or colleagues for training and professional development purposes.

Sources

• American Psychological Association. (2018). Cognitive distortion. APA Dictionary of Psychology. 

• Dumsch, A. (2018). Cognitive Distortions Create Imposter Fears. National Institutes of Health.

• Grinspoon, P. (2022). How to recognize and tame your cognitive distortions. Harvard Health Publishing. 

• Marks I, Lovell K, Noshirvani H, Livanou M, Thrasher S. (1998). Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by Exposure and/or Cognitive Restructuring: A Controlled Study. Archives of General Psychiatry.

• Schneider, B.C., Veckenstedt, R., Karamatskos, E. et al. (2024). Change in negative mental filter is associated with depression reduction in metacognitive training for depression in older adults (MCT-Silver). Scientific Reports. 

• Sokol, L., & Fox, M. G. (2020). The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. PESI.

• Wang, B., Zhao, Y., Lu, X., & Qin, B. (2023). Cognitive distortion-based explainable depression detection and analysis technologies for the adolescent internet users on social media. Frontiers in public health. 

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