We want to connect with you, and give you tools for outside your sessions, too!
Outside of your sessions, it can be hard to keep up with all the coping tools. You probably have a busy schedule, and you need something to help you get through a moment of stress. Or, your child is having a particularly hard day, and you need something to calm them down. We have gathered lots of tools, resources, and print-outs from various sources and compiled them here just for you!
Printouts, Diagrams, and Guides
Emotional Flashcards to help your child identify their emotions.
Adolescents have developing brains that struggle to verbalize their emotions and thoughts in a way that is understandable and healthy to those around them. Help your child start regulating those emotions outside of therapy with this helpful printout from Speech Paths.
Do you need ideas for daily activities to help your child foster confidence and growth? The Life Skills Calendar will be enormous help to you and your family.
Do you struggle with your own feelings? Identifying our emotions can be hard, but that is why we have a Feelings Wheel from the Gottman Institute.
Journal Prompts, Coping Skills, and Self-Care
Do you struggle with intrusive thoughts that make you think of all the possible ways something could be going wrong? You need thought-challenging questions to help you break those thoughts down!
Between work, school, kids, and other obligations, setting aside time for a self-care task like a bubble bath, long walk, or reading session may not be realistic. Micro Self-Care can help you get through the tough moments of the day when you only have just that - moments.
Socratic questioning is another way to break down negative thoughts. When those random and intrusive thoughts about our relationships and our lives pop up, we have to interrogate them and see if there is any truth. (Spoiler alert: there usually isn’t any truth to those spiraling thoughts!)
Anxiety sneaks up on you sometimes, so always keep a reminder on hand about coping skills you can use during a panic attack or just heightened anxiety.
Sometimes the best way to stay on top of anxiety is to think about the things you are grateful for. You can use this daily positivity practice template to help you along the way.
Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries! Having the strength to stand up for yourself and say no is crucial to maintaining healthy relationships. How do you set them? How do you keep them? What do boundaries even mean? Learn here with a great overview of boundaries.
Additional Links and Resources
While you are on your healing journey, you might have difficulty with asking for modalities or techniques that work best for you. If you don’t have the vocabulary, try looking at this incredible glossary that will help you communicate with your provider.