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Psychosis (CBTp)~20 min

Voice Power Differential Worksheet

Examine beliefs about the power of voices — challenging omniscience, omnipotence, and the need to comply.

Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed

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Distress from voices is often related to beliefs about how powerful they are, not the voices themselves. This worksheet helps you examine your beliefs about the voice's power, knowledge, and control — and test whether these beliefs are accurate.

Live preview — type in any field to try it. Nothing is saved here.

Beliefs About the Voice

No powerSome powerAll-powerful
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NothingSome thingsEverything
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NoneSomeComplete
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Not at allSometimesAlways
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Testing These Beliefs

Revised View

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Try it here — nothing you type is saved. Sign up to assign it and let clients complete it on any device.

When to use the Voice Power Differential Worksheet

The Voice Power Differential Worksheet is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet, most often used in CBT for psychosis.

It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device — or download it as a print-ready PDF.

How it works

Most people work through it in around 20 minutes. It moves through three short steps:

  1. Beliefs About the Voice
  2. Testing These Beliefs
  3. Revised View

Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.

The CBT approach behind it

In common with other CBT methods, the Voice Power Differential Worksheet 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.

Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.

Evidence & sources

This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:

  • Chadwick, P. (2006). Person-Based Cognitive Therapy for Distressing Psychosis. Chichester: Wiley.
  • Morrison, A.P. (2001). The interpretation of intrusions in psychosis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 29(3), 257-276. doi:10.1017/S1352465801003010

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:

  • Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
  • Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
  • SANEline: 0800 689 5555 — 4:30pm–10:30pm, every day

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