Emotions are part of what makes us human. From elation and excitement to sadness and shame, we experience a rainbow of emotions throughout our lives. Exploring emotions is understandably a part of many forms of therapy.

Our Basic Emotion Assessment worksheet invites clients to indicate how much they are experiencing seven basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety, excitement, pride, and shame. The flexible worksheet design lets clients mark their answers in a variety of ways, from writing in a checkmark or “X” to circling, shading, or coloring the individual scales.

The featured emotions draw on psychologist Paul Ekman’s theory of basic emotions, with some minor adjustments for greater clinical usefulness. Note that there is no theoretical consensus on which emotions should be considered “basic.”

Use this worksheet to gauge how intensely clients are feeling each of the seven emotions. Guide clients on the time frame they should consider when completing the worksheet – e.g., right now, today, this past week, etc. Consider asking clients to fill out the worksheet at regular intervals to track their emotions over time. It can also be helpful to explore the thoughts and sensations associated with the emotions clients are experiencing.