Downward Arrow Technique Worksheet Overview
The downward arrow technique is a CBT tool for finding the deeper belief beneath an upsetting thought. Psychiatrist David Burns made it well known in his 1980 book Feeling Good, where he called it the vertical arrow. Instead of arguing with a thought, you ask what it would mean if it were true, and you keep asking.
This worksheet shows you how the arrow works with a worked example and gives you questions to keep it going. Then it gives you space to follow your own arrow and to look at the belief you find with fresh eyes.
In this worksheet, we’ll:
- Explain how the downward arrow technique works
- Walk you through a worked example
- Give you questions to keep the arrow going
- Provide space to follow your own arrow to a core belief
- Help you question the belief and write a more balanced one
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Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. William Morrow.
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Burns, D. D. (1989). The Feeling Good Handbook. William Morrow.
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Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
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