Skip to content
SelfImproveCoachPsychological ideas. Practical tools. Room to grow.

← Back to Free Downloads

Preview of CBT Formulation & Therapy Goals: Therapist Reference Collection

Free resource

CBT Formulation & Therapy Goals: Therapist Reference Collection

Four printable therapist guides for Five Areas and Five Ps formulation, shared problem lists and meaningful, reviewable therapy goals.

4 therapist guides · 12 pages · A4 printable PDFs · Examples, prompts and planning space

For: Therapists

Download printable PDF ↗

Free PDF · No sign-up required for these direct downloads.

Four printable references for CBT therapists developing a shared understanding of difficulties and agreeing meaningful therapy goals. Each guide includes practical prompts, examples or planning space. Choose the resource that fits the current task.

The main printable download opens Five Areas Formulation. Use the cards below to download any of the four guides. These are printable PDFs; the writing spaces are not interactive form fields.

Understanding patterns

Actual first page of Five Areas Formulation

Free · Therapist guide

Five Areas Formulation

Map a specific situation, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours. Includes collaborative prompts, a worked example and a session template.

3 pages · Printable therapist guide
Actual first page of Five Ps Case Formulation

Free · Therapist guide

Five Ps Case Formulation

Organise presenting, predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors. Includes a collaborative workflow, pitfalls and an example.

3 pages · Printable therapist guide

Agreeing goals

Actual first page of Problem Lists & Therapy Goals

Free · Therapist guide

Problem Lists & Therapy Goals

Move from the person’s own concerns to an agreed problem list, observable goals, a starting point and a practical review plan.

3 pages · Printable therapist guide
Actual first page of SMART Therapy Goals

Free · Therapist guide

SMART Therapy Goals

Develop a meaningful, manageable and reviewable goal. Includes prompts, examples, planning space and suggestions for adapting a goal that is not working.

3 pages · Printable prompt sheet

Choose the guide for the task

Use Five Areas for a recent example and links between responses. Five Ps offers a broader way to organise relevant history, current maintaining factors and strengths. The two goal-setting guides support prioritising concerns and turning a shared direction into observable steps.

Keep the formulation open to revision

The guides treat formulations as shared working hypotheses. Check the person recognises the account, invite correction and include practical circumstances, strengths and accessibility needs. A formulation is not a diagnosis or proof of a particular cause.

Use these references alongside clinical assessment, supervision and relevant service procedures. They do not replace individual assessment, risk assessment or safeguarding processes.

Related practice resources

The Behavioural Activation & Between-Session Practice collection offers a fillable client worksheet and therapist guides for planning and reviewing small actions. For automatic thoughts and balanced perspectives, explore the Thinking Patterns collection.

Use and permissions

You may print for personal use or for use with your own therapy clients, keeping SelfImproveCoach branding intact. Do not resell, redistribute the files or rebrand them.

These materials support education and reflection. They do not replace individual assessment or therapy.

Continue exploring