Reflective Practice Log
A structured reflective practice log based on the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Guides supervisees through systematic reflection on a clinical experience — description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
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Reflective Practice Log
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Context
1. Description
What happened? Describe the event factually.
2. Feelings
What were you thinking and feeling?
3. Evaluation
What was good and bad about the experience?
4. Analysis
What sense can you make of the situation?
5. Conclusion
What else could you have done?
6. Action Plan
If it arose again, what would you do?
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When to use the Reflective Practice Log
The Reflective Practice Log is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) supervision and reflective-practice resource, designed to support therapists and trainees in developing their clinical skills rather than as a client-facing worksheet.
You can preview it in full above, then use it within your own practice, supervision or training — completing it on any device or printing it as a PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 15 minutes. It moves through six short steps:
- Context
- 1. Description — What happened? Describe the event factually.
- 2. Feelings — What were you thinking and feeling?
- 3. Evaluation — What was good and bad about the experience?
- 4. Analysis — What sense can you make of the situation?
- 5. Conclusion — What else could you have done?
Every resource in the library shares the same clean, consistent layout, works on any phone, tablet or computer, and can be completed on screen or exported as a print-ready PDF.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, the Reflective Practice Log works by noticing the links between situations, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviour — and finding practical ways to change unhelpful patterns. The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going — and practical, testable ways to change it.
Like the rest of the Formulate library it follows an evidence-based CBT structure, applied here to building and reflecting on clinical skill rather than to a specific presenting problem.
Evidence & sources
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Beck, A.T. (2005). The current state of cognitive therapy: A 40-year retrospective. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(9), 953-959. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.9.953
- Padesky, C.A. & Mooney, K.A. (1990). Clinical tip: Presenting the cognitive model to clients. International Cognitive Therapy Newsletter, 6, 13-14.
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
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