Free therapy tool Greenwich · Soho · Online

This resource is provided by Bohangar Hypnotherapy, a London practice offering appointments in Greenwich, Soho and online. It may also be used between therapy sessions as part of agreed practice or homework.

If you are not currently a client and would like to discuss whether this approach could be useful for you, you can book a short discovery call or contact the practice.

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Free CBT thinking-pattern exercise

Cognitive Distortions Quiz: Identify Common CBT Thinking Traps

Cognitive distortions are recurring thinking patterns that can make a situation feel more threatening, certain or personally significant than the available evidence supports. This interactive CBT-informed quiz helps you notice which patterns you have been using recently.

If you are searching for a cognitive distortions quiz, CBT thinking traps, or examples of patterns such as catastrophising, mind reading, all-or-nothing thinking and fortune telling, rate the statements below and then practise a more balanced response.

Interactive CBT self-reflection

Which thinking traps have shown up for you recently?

Think about the last week. Rate how often each statement resembles your thinking. This is a reflection tool, not a diagnostic test.

Around 3–5 minutes 10 common thinking patterns No sign-in

Rate each item: 0 = not at all · 1 = occasionally · 2 = often · 3 = very often

Optional CBT practice

Test one automatic thought more carefully.

The goal is not to replace a negative thought with a positive one. Try to produce a response that is more specific, evidence-based and useful.

Questions that can help

What facts support this thought, and what facts do not?
Am I treating a possibility as though it is certain?
What is another plausible explanation?
What would I say to someone else in the same situation?
What response would help me act effectively now?

Examples and definitions

Common cognitive distortions in CBT.

All-or-nothing thinking

Seeing performance in extremes: success or failure, perfect or useless. A more flexible question is: where does this actually sit on a 0–100% scale?

Catastrophising

Treating the worst possible outcome as though it is the most likely or as though you could not cope with it. Separate possibility, probability and coping.

Mind reading

Assuming you know what another person thinks without enough observable evidence. Distinguish what you know from what you are inferring.

Fortune telling

Treating a prediction as a fact: “I know this will go badly.” Ask what evidence would genuinely update the prediction.

Overgeneralising

Taking one event and turning it into a broad rule: “This happened once, so it always happens.” Bring the thought back to the specific situation.

Mental filter

Giving disproportionate attention to what went wrong while overlooking neutral or positive data. Deliberately include the full evidence set.

Disqualifying the positive

Explaining away positive evidence as luck, politeness or something that “doesn’t count.” Treat positive information as data too.

Labelling

Turning a behaviour or mistake into a global identity judgement: “I made an error” becomes “I’m an idiot.” Describe the behaviour rather than defining the person.

Personalisation

Taking excessive responsibility for events that have multiple causes. Generate other contextual explanations before assuming you caused the outcome.

Should statements

Rigid rules such as “I should never struggle” or “They must understand.” Ask whether the rule is useful, realistic and flexible enough for the situation.

How this fits a cognitive behavioural approach

A simplified CBT sequence is: situation → interpretation → emotion and body response → behaviour. Cognitive distortions are not “bad thoughts”; they are patterns of interpretation that may become useful targets when they repeatedly amplify threat, self-criticism or avoidance.

The purpose of cognitive restructuring is therefore not forced positive thinking. It is to examine the interpretation, consider evidence and alternatives, and develop a response that supports more effective behaviour.

How to use the result

Focus on one or two higher-rated patterns rather than trying to eliminate all of them.
Notice the pattern in a real situation before challenging it.
Write a more balanced interpretation, not an artificially positive statement.
Pay attention to what you do differently after changing the interpretation.

What the quiz cannot tell you

It does not diagnose anxiety, depression or any other condition.
A higher rating does not prove that a thought is inaccurate.
Some negative predictions are realistic and need practical action rather than reframing.
Context matters; the same thought can be reasonable in one situation and distorted in another.

Important: this tool is for general self-reflection and education. It is not a validated diagnostic assessment and does not replace individual formulation or treatment. If your thoughts are causing persistent or substantial distress, a fuller assessment may be more useful than repeatedly checking for thinking distortions.

Bohangar Hypnotherapy is a London practice offering appointments in Greenwich, Soho and online.

We work with anxiety and stress, sleep and insomnia, procrastination and performance, public speaking, and workplace burnout using cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy and practical between-session tools where appropriate.

These free tools are intended as practical resources and may also be used between therapy sessions as part of an agreed programme of work.