Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors is on its way, and it’s full of helpful tools to make therapists feel stronger, more skilled, and more connected to
their work.
Great news for therapists and counselors! A new book is coming soon that will help mental health professionals learn, grow, and feel more confident in their work. Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors by Cassie Jewell, M.Ed., LPC, LSATP, is on its way, and it’s full of helpful tools to make therapists feel stronger, more skilled, and more connected to their work.
This workbook is for anyone working in mental health—whether you’re a student just starting out, a new therapist finding your way, or an experienced supervisor looking for fresh ideas for your students or residents and ways to reflect on your journey.
What Is This Book About?
Guiding with Purpose is not a regular textbook. It’s a hands-on workbook with simple exercises, questions, and activities that help therapists think, learn, and grow.
It will help therapists:
Build stronger relationships with clients
Improve counseling skills and techniques
Feel more confident in their work
Stop doubting themselves and overcome imposter syndrome
Avoid burnout and stress
Make better decisions in tough situations
Take care of their own mental health
Therapists spend their time helping others, but this book is here to help them. It gives professionals a chance to reflect, learn, and take care of themselves so they can continue doing their important work.
Who Is This Book For?
This soon-to-be-released workbook is perfect for:
Counseling students and new therapists
Experienced counselors looking for inspiration
Social workers, psychologists, and anyone in mental health
Clinical supervisors and teams in training
Anyone in the helping professions who wants to feel stronger and more confident
If you work in mental health or are studying to become a therapist, Guiding with Purpose will be a must-have book for your journey.
Why This Workbook Matters
Being a therapist is rewarding; it is also challenging. Many therapists feel tired, unsure, or stressed at some point in their careers. This workbook helps professionals pause, reflect, and grow, making sure they stay motivated and connected to their work.
Many counselors doubt themselves or feel like they don’t know enough. This book helps them see their strengths, build confidence, and find joy in their work again.
It’s not just about learning—it’s about feeling stronger, more balanced, and more prepared for the work therapists do every day.
About the Author
Cassie Jewell, M.Ed., LPC, LSATP, is a licensed therapist, substance abuse treatment practitioner, and clinical supervisor. She is also the creator of Mind Remake Project, a website that shares free mental health resources.
With years of experience in counseling, Cassie knows what it’s like to work in this field—the challenges, the doubts, and the joys. She has also written workbooks on grief and helping people heal after loss. Now, with Guiding with Purpose, she wants to help therapists reflect, learn, and keep growing.
When Will the Book Be Available?
The release date will be announced soon! Guiding with Purpose will be available in print and digital formats, making it easy for therapists to use. For updates and details, visit: https://www.mindremakeproject.org or email CassieJewellLPC@gmail.com.
The digital supplementary materials (discussion questions, quizzes, card decks and more can be downloaded/printed for free below, and utilized for educational, self-help, and therapeutic purposes. (Click the hyperlink after the preview to start download.)
Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors
Therapists do amazing work, but they also need time to pause, reflect, and care for themselves. Guiding with Purpose is coming soon to help professionals stay motivated, confident, and balanced in their careers.
If you are a therapist, counselor, social worker, or student, this workbook is for you! Get ready to learn more about yourself, improve your skills, and feel stronger in your work.
This free grief booklet serves as a guide for those struggling with grief and loss while incarcerated.
Free Grief Booklet: Loss Within the Walls
Loss Within the Walls: Coping with Grief While Incarcerated is a free grief booklet created especially for inmates who are struggling with grief and loss.
“Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
— Vicki Harrison
Grief can be especially difficult in a correctional setting where access to support is limited, and emotions can feel heightened.
This free grief booklet aims to guide individuals who are incarcerated through understanding their grief, expressing their feelings, and finding healthy ways to cope in a correctional setting.
Please note that this free grief booklet is meant to be a two-fold booklet. To print two-fold, use the ‘booklet’ setting in Foxit PDF Editor when printing. Otherwise, print to scale (one page per sheet).
This free grief booklet may be reproduced and distributed for personal, therapeutic, and/or educational purposes. Please link to Mind Remake Project when sharing electronic copies.
For a full workbook on grief, created for anyone who is experiencing loss (also free to download), see Free Grief Workbook PDF – mind remake project. For quotes on grief, scroll to the bottom for a printable PDF.
Mind Remake Project’s comprehensive guide for free therapy worksheets, featuring a large collection of websites offering valuable resources at no cost.
Bookmark this page! Welcome to the updated edition of Mind Remake Project’s comprehensive guide for free therapy worksheets, featuring a large collection of websites offering valuable resources at no cost for both mental health professionals and consumers.
Explore a vast assortment of free therapy worksheets, download informative mental health factsheets, and delve into supplementary and bonus materials from reputable publishers like Guilford Press and Oxford Publishing. For a deeper understanding of clinical practices, access guidelines from trusted organizations such as SAMHSA and the American Psychiatric Association.
The previous version of this post, 200+ Sites with Free Therapy Worksheets, is still available for reference, but it has been archived, as many of the featured webpages no longer exist or the once free resources are now for a fee.
The majority of sites included in this guide were carefully selected based on the following criteria:
Ease of Use: Sites with minimal ads and intuitive navigation were prioritized.
Quantity: Sites offering a substantial volume of free resources were favored.
Quality: Sites providing high-quality and informative materials were chosen.
Accessibility: Sites that did not require registration or email sign-up to access free resources were preferred.
Before downloading any resource from the sites below, please read and adhere to the site or organization’s copyrights or limitations. For example, some of the materials may only be available for personal use.
I firmly believe that mental health resources should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial constraints. However, if you are able to, please consider making a donation to the sites or organizations that generously provide free valuable materials (when applicable).
I am not benefiting financially or otherwise from the links in this post, and I am not affiliated with the companies or organizations whose links are included in this post. Also, I am not endorsing any products or services. I am simply sharing these links because I believe they may be useful to my readers; Mind Remake Project’s mission is to provide free mental health resources.
Sites with Free Therapy Worksheets
Here’s a list of sites with free therapy worksheets, guides, and other tools for mental health professionals and consumers:
ACT With Compassion ACT-based worksheets, handouts, exercises, and more for working with self-criticism and shame, as well as resources based on compassion-focused therapy, radically open DBT, and emotion-focused therapy.
Between Sessions Hundreds of free therapy worksheets and workbooks derived from evidence-based therapies, designed by experienced professionals.
Black Dog Institute | Resources Mental health resources and support tools for anxiety, depression, and more that are research-informed and recommended by professionals.
Brené Brown | Resources “A collection of tools that’ll take you deeper into our work—and help you make it your own.”
Change to Chill | Worksheets/Handouts Free therapy worksheets, coloring pages, audio files, mindfulness exercises, and more from Change to Chill, a free mental wellbeing resource site for teens and young adults.
DBT Self-Help | Diary Cards Free downloadable diary cards from DBT Self-Help, the largest free Dialectical Behavioral Therapy resource dedicated to making DBT accessible to all.
Eppler-Wolff Counseling Center | Handouts Worksheets and handouts to help students cope with the transition from high school to college and to have a better college experience overall.
Faith G. Harper | Worksheets & Printables A modest collection of worksheets and handouts on emotions/sensations, positive psychology, solution-focused problem-solving, and more.
Good Knowledge | Good Medicine Questionnaires, information leaflets, PowerPoints, and other handouts on personal development and mental health from Dr. James Hawkins.
GoYourOwnWay | Document Downloads Handouts and tools for Veterans on various topics such as addiction, fear, spirituality, and more.
HappierTHERAPY | Mental Health Worksheets Hundreds of free therapy worksheets with a unique feature: Every downloadable worksheet includes a how-to guide for clinical use. DISCLAIMER: A drawback to using HappierTHERAPY is that the majority of the worksheets contain typos and formatting errors. While this site doesn’t meet quality criteria for selection, the worksheets can be easily edited using a program like Foxit PDF Editor.
Health Vista | Health Education Resources Free workbooks, worksheets, and handouts on a wide range of health topics including mental health issues such as addiction, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, and more.
Hoffman Institute Tools Downloadable tools to assist in discovering patterns, finding compassion and forgiveness, and creating a more empowered, fulfilled life.
Ineffable Living | Free Mental Health Worksheets-Printable PDF Library Hundreds of worksheets and journal prompts on topics such as codependency, trauma, abuse, self-love, relationships, and more. For a small fee, download all worksheet bundles and gain access to the “VIP Library.”
Inner Health Studio | Easy Relaxation Techniques Free relaxation scripts, audio and video downloads, mental health worksheets, and self-help techniques for coping with stress more effectively.
Journey to Recovery | Mental Health Worksheets 350+ therapy tools designed by a psychologist, including worksheets, journals, and lesson plans. While not entirely free, a subscription is only $10/month or $100/year.
Keeping Life Real Worksheet collections on various topics, many that were originally published by Between Sessions:
Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) | Resources A modest collection of handouts and worksheets from LLTTF; materials can be accessed through the courses. Books and additional resources can be purchased from the shop.
Mental Health Worksheets This site is similar to HappierTHERAPY in that it offers a large quantity of free worksheets, but of low quality. (HappierTHERAPY and Mental Health Worksheets are both PressPublish sites.)
Mindfulness Exercises Hundreds of free downloadable mindfulness scripts with video and/or audio guidance.
No Body’s Perfect | Worksheets Free therapy worksheets for use in the classroom or home environment, as well as worksheets for adult helpers working on their own body image and mental health.
Oklahoma TF-CBT Therapy Resources Printable trauma-focused handouts and assessments for therapists to use with children and adolescents.
Online CBT Resources Free therapy worksheets and questionnaires from Andrew Grimmer, a counselling psychologist and accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist in the UK.
PlantLoveGrow | Free Tools Free downloads and resources to assist parents, teachers, and health professionals.
PositivePsychology.com Free positive psychology worksheets, assessments, and more; browse blog posts to find and access the tools. Worksheet packets can also be purchased for $17.
PsychPoint | Mental Health Worksheets Handouts and free therapy worksheets designed by mental health professionals for clinical use. The standard worksheets can be downloaded for free after a 60-second waiting period (for each worksheet). Alternatively, a subscription is $99 for instant downloads and enables access to the full library. (Note: Only licensed clinicians in the United States can sign up.)
Telehealth Therapy Resources A collection of free therapy worksheets and resources for telehealth clinicians on anger, anxiety, goals, grief, trauma, and more.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs The VA offers a variety of different resources for Veterans, including free therapy worksheets, educational handouts, assessment tools, workbooks, manuals, and more. Several pages featuring free materials are linked to below:
Winona State University | Resilience Toolkit Reflections, exercises, videos, and other materials for developing the ability to bounce back in the face of stressful situations and inevitable setbacks.
Please note that the materials linked to below are intended for use with the book (for book purchasers). They are not standalone tools or substitutes for the book.
ACT Mindfully | Psychology Tools & Free Resources A variety of free therapy worksheets and other resources to use with Russ Harris’ self-help books: The Happiness Trap, The Confidence Gap, The Reality Slap, and ACT With Love, as well as his textbooks: ACT Made Simple, Getting Unstuck In ACT, and ACT Questions and Answers.
Guilford | Psychology, Psychiatry, & Social Work To access supplementary materials on Guilford’s site, click on any publication. Some publications offer practical tools for download, sample chapters, and/or companion websites with free materials.
New Harbinger Publications, Inc. To access the tools on this site, create a free account. (Please note that not all publications come with supplementary materials, especially the older publications.)
PESI Publishing PESI supplementary materials are available only for book purchasers in the worksheet download center. Codes or website addresses are frequently found on the back page of a publication or in the introductory chapter.
NHS Foundation Trust | Self-Help Leaflets These downloadable self-help leaflets are each between 25-40 pages, making them a more comprehensive resource than a typical factsheet. Topics include abuse, anger, sleeping problems, anxiety disorders, self-harm, and more.
Do you support Mind Remake Project’s mission to provide free mental health resources? If so, consider sharing a link to a free resource in a comment or email me directly to recommend a site.
Technology has become an essential part of our lives. We use smartphones and laptops on a daily basis to socialize, work, learn, and entertain ourselves. While technology may make our lives easier and more productive, it can also lead to “technostress,” a type of stress caused by technology.
Stress & Technology: Finding a Healthy Balance
This article will explore the causes and effects of technostress, and provide tips on how to manage it effectively and find a healthy balance with technology. It also includes two free printable handouts for healthy tech habits and stress management.
Internet usage in the United States has grown significantly over the years, with the number of users increasing from 294.53 million in 2019 to 313.6 million in 2022. Over 90% of Americans have access to the Internet today. By 2028, it is estimated that there will be over 340 million Internet users in the US.
Technology has had a profound impact on our lives in terms of communication, information access, education, work, shopping, and entertainment. When used appropriately, technology makes our lives easier. Our smartphones can help us track emails, manage our bank accounts, access the news, and complete a wide range of other tasks.
Technology has revolutionized the way we do things and has become an essential part of our day-to-day activities. However, as a result, many of us are also experiencing technology-related stress.
Technostress: A Modern-Day Epidemic
The term technostress was coined in the 1980s by Craig Brod, an American psychologist, author of Technostress: The Human Cost of the Computer Revolution. Brod originally defined technostress as a disease caused by the inability to cope with new technology.
With the advancement of technology and the invention of new devices, technostress has acquired a new meaning. It is now more broadly defined as any negative impact that the use of tech can have on a person. This can include stress caused by information overload, the constant feeling of needing to be connected, and the difficulty of keeping up with the latest technological advances.
A 2015 study found that Facebook users felt compelled to use the site frequently due to FOMO (fear of missing out) and to maintain their relationships. In 2017, research indicated that the overuse of cell phones led to technostress, with negative consequences for health, work, and personal wellbeing. And in 2019, researchers found that social media users continued to use social platforms despite experiencing technostress, exhibiting excessive and compulsive behaviors, the same way someone with an addiction continues to use despite negative consequences.
What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic has normalized remote work, which has led to an increase in the use of tech devices at home. A 2022 research study indicated that during the enforced remote work period, the use of technology for both work and personal purposes resulted in technostress.
How to Tell If You’re Experiencing Technostress
Technostress can have a significant impact on a person’s physical, cognitive, and emotional health. While the severity of symptoms will vary from person to person, common signs include:
Technology-induced stress often coexits with other work-related problems, such as “workaholism” and burnout. It can also negatively impact work through decreased motivation and increased absenteeism. In its advanced stages, technostress can cause memory impairment.
Additionally, technostress can cause problems at home. In relationships, it can lead to conflict and disconnection because people with technostress may be irritable, withdrawn, and less likely to engage in social activities.
Technostress & the Importance of Balance
When is the last time you switched your cell phone to “off”? This “always on” culture and the overconsumption of digital media have led to problems such as Internet addiction and issues with work-life balance.
Think of the times when, instead of spending quality time with our loved ones or enjoying a well-deserved break, we’re glued to our phones, checking emails or scrolling mindlessly through our social media feeds. And with the shift to remote working, the line between work and life has blurred, giving our minds less time to rest.
Even kids and teens are significantly exposed to digital technology, which can lead to overstimulation and stress. This highlights the need for a healthy balance when using tech.
4 Strategies for Finding Balance in a Digital Age
To combat technology-induced stress and find a healthy balance, try these techniques:
1. Digital Detox
Being exposed to too much information can be stressful, especially if you’re using your devices the majority of the time. Taking a break from technology for a few days can help reduce stress and provide other benefits, such as improved sleep and mental health.
Here are a few tips to help you take a break:
Identify what you want to detox from: This could be certain devices, apps, websites, or activities. For example, you might want to reduce your use of social media or stop playing games on your phone.
Schedule a time away from screens: This could be for a few days, weeks, or even just a few hours each day. If you can’t be away from your devices for work, try to set aside specific times when you won’t use them, such as during lunchtime, after work, and before bed.
Turn off notifications: Notifications from your smartphone can distract you from your work, personal time, or sleep. Turning them off can help you focus on other tasks or get the rest you need.
Limit app usage: If you find yourself checking certain apps too often and want to break the habit, use your phone’s settings to limit your usage time.
Inform your family and friends: If you decide to do a digital detox, tell your family and friends beforehand so they know to contact you on your preferred channels.
2. Mindfulness & Relaxation Techniques
Many of us spend too much time scrolling mindlessly through our social media feeds, putting off other tasks for later. We do this for many reasons, including procrastination, FOMO, or lack of self-control.
Unfortunately, aimless scrolling can make us feel stressed and anxious, especially if we consume negative or distressing content. Additionally, scrolling for large amounts of time can lead to burnout. Instead, we can choose to be mindful of the media we consume. This means slowing down and being intentional about what we search for.
Young people who are affected by technostress can also utilize stress management techniques to improve their mood. If you have children and teens, ask them to practice these strategies on a regular basis to help center themselves.
For example, if they are suffering from information overload, they can try guided imagery, a type of meditation where they visualize a peaceful place to calm their minds. They may also benefit from using stress management handouts and worksheets, such as the ones below, to learn how to manage and reduce stress.
If you find yourself overusing your devices every day, causing you to neglect other tasks, consider developing your time management skills. Here are some tips:
Identify your time usage: Track how much time you spend on each activity, including work, house chores, hobbies, rest, and technology use. You may find that you’re spending too much time on your devices.
Set boundaries between work and personal life: This means defining your work hours and reserving time for personal tasks, such as social media use. Avoid checking work emails or messages outside of work hours unless absolutely necessary.
Eat the frog: Prioritize the “frog,” the most important or challenging task on your to-do list. Completing this task first will help you avoid procrastination and free up your energy for other tasks.
4. Healthy Tech Habits
Establishing healthy tech habits can help you avoid technostress. You and your family will benefit from these; it’s a good idea to practice them often.
Identify tech-free zones: Designate certain areas in your home as “tech-free” spaces, such as the dinner table, bedroom, and bathroom.
Set aside technology-free time: Schedule tech-free activities throughout the week, such as playing sports, visiting the park, or spending time with family. This will help you reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Avoid bringing your phone to bed: Using your smartphone before bed can disrupt your sleep. Choose relaxing activities leading up to bedtime instead, such as taking a bath, journaling, or drinking lavender tea.
The Rewards of a Balanced Life
When we use technology wisely, it can benefit us in many ways, such as improving communication, providing easy access to information, making shopping convenient, enabling collaborative learning, and creating opportunities for remote work.
Finding a healthy balance when using technology can improve our quality of life and help us avoid physical and mental health problems, such as technology-induced stress. Additionally, being in control of our tech usage can help us achieve work-life balance, giving us more time for family, hobbies, relaxation, and self-care.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, technology is a powerful tool that can be used to enrich our lives and make them easier. However, it is important to use technology in a healthy and balanced way. The overconsumption of digital media can have negative consequences for our physical and mental health, as well as our relationships and work-life balance.
Finding a healthy balance with technology starts with being mindful of how we use our devices. By following the strategies in this article, we can develop a healthier relationship with technology and use it to enhance our lives, not detract from them. This way, we can enjoy the benefits of technology without letting it control us.
About the Author:
Michael is a licensed clinical social worker with a private therapy practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He specializes in helping children and teens with mental health concerns. He is passionate about providing effective and compassionate care. He is an advocate for mental health awareness, and is the founder of Mental Health Center Kids, a website that provides resources and support for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals who care for children and teens.
Examples of dialectics, two things that seem contradictory, but are both still true. A therapy tool for clinicians, includes free PDF download.
This is a list of examples of dialectics: two things that seem opposite – and are at the same time true. A therapy resource for clinicians or counseling students.
This is a list of 20 check-in ideas for therapists to use in individual counseling sessions.
This is a resource list for mental health clinicians with 20 check-in ideas for therapy.
How do you start a counseling session? For example, my go-to check-ins for gauging where the client is are: “How has your day been?” and “How are you feeling ?”
Checking in helps to assess for mood and can create a focus for the session. Check-ins can also help to increase the client’s comfort level and create a safe space for sharing and healing.
We all need somewhere where we feel safe.
Emma Thompson
Check-In Ideas for Therapy Sessions
1) I’m glad you’re here! What brings you in? (For initial session)
2) Good to see you! How was the drive?
3) What are you hoping to get out of our session today?
4) What are your goals for today?
5) What would you like to focus on today?
6) Where would you like to start?
7) Would you like to start by reviewing the homework session?
8) Let’s begin with a short meditation. [Guide client through meditation or imagery exercise]
9) Last week we left off on [topic or themes from previous session]. Where do you want to pick up today?
10) How is your mind?
11) Where are you at today?
12) Rate your mood on a scale from 1-10.
13) What are some things you’re feeling good about?
14) What’s been going well this week?
15) What’s something positive that’s happened since we last met?
16) Anything new or exciting since we last met?
17) What’s new in your world?
18) What are some highs and lows you’ve experienced?
19) What’s been working for you and what have you found challenging?
Resources for anger management, including free printable worksheets and handouts
(Updated 9/22/22) This resource list for anger management includes 75+ articles/guides; free anger assessments (both interactive and PDF formats); free printable workbooks, manuals, handouts, and worksheets; treatment planning resources; research articles/dissertations; and recommended mobile apps.
Please share this resource with anyone you think would benefit!
Anger Management: Client Handbook Series (Source: Carleton University, Criminal Justice Decision Making Laboratory, & Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, 13 pages)
A resource list for grief and loss for mental health professionals and consumers
(Updated 10/29/25) This resource guide for grief & loss is for mental health professionals as well as for anyone who is grieving. This grief & loss guide includes a list of recommended books (for both adults and children); free printable PDF workbooks and handouts; and links to education and support sites.
Recommended Books for Grief & Loss
Disclaimer: This section contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief (2000) by Pauline Boss, Ph.D. (176 pages)
Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief (2017) by Joanne Cacciatore, Ph.D. (248 pages)
The Grief Club: The Secret to Getting Through All Kinds of Change (2006) by Melody Beattie (368 pages)
Grief Day by Day: Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living with Loss (2018) by Jan Warner (272 pages)
The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses including Health, Career, and Faith (2009) by John W. James & Russell Friedman (240 pages)
How to Survive the Loss of a Love (2006) by Melba Colgrove, Ph.D., Harold H. Bloomfield, MD, & Peter McWilliams (208 pages)
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief & Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand (2017) by Megan Divine (280 pages)
I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One (2008) by Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D. (292 pages)
No Time for Goodbyes: Coping with Sorrow, Anger, and Injustice After a Tragic Death, 7th ed. (2014) by Janice Harris Lord (240 pages)
Permission to Mourn: A New Way to Do Grief (2014) by Tom Zuba (121 pages)
Resilient Grieving: Finding Strength and Embracing Life After a Loss That Changes Everything (2017) by Lucy Hone, Ph.D. (256 pages)
Unattended Sorrow: Recovering from Loss and Reviving the Heart (2019) by Stephen Levine (240 pages)
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (2016) by Pema Chodron (176 pages)
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief (2015) by Francis Weller (224 pages)
Recommended Books for Children & Adolescents
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages (1982) by Leo Buscaglia (32 pages, for ages 4-8)
Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids: 100 Practical Ideas (Healing Your Grieving Heart Series) (2001) by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. (128 pages, for ages 12-14)
Healing a Teen’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers (Healing a Grieving Heart Series) (2001) by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. (128 pages)
The Invisible String (2018) by Patrice Karst (40 pages, for ages 4-8)
The Memory Box: A Book About Grief (2017) by Joanna Rowland (32 pages, for ages 4-8)
Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss (2005) by Pat Schwiebert & Chuck DeKlyen (56 pages, for ages 8-12 years)
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death (Dino Tales: Life Guides for Families) (1998) by Laurie Krasny Brown (32 pages, for ages 4-8)
When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief (1996) by Marge Heegaard (32 pages, for ages 9-12)
When Something Terrible Happens: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief (1992) by Marge Heegaard (32 pages, for ages 4-8)
Recommended Books for Clinicians
Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children (2006) by Liana Lowenstein (205 pages)
Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy, Fifth Edition: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner (2018) by William Worden, Ph.D. (352 pages)
Grief Counseling Homework Planner (PracticePlanners) (2017) by Phil Rich (272 pages)
GRIEF RECOVERY TOOLKIT: A COMPREHENSIVE MANUAL FOR CLINICIANS (2025) by Cassie Jewell (181 pages)
In the Presence of Grief: Helping Family Members Resolve Death, Dying, and Bereavement Issues (2003) by Dorothy S. Becvar (284 pages)
Version 1.0.0
Transforming Grief & Loss Workbook: Activities, Exercises & Skills to Coach Your Client Through Life Transitions (2016) by Ligia Houben (264 pages)
Treating Traumatic Bereavement: A Practitioner’s Guide (2014) by Laurie Anne Pearlman, Ph.D., Camille B. Wortman, Ph.D., Catherine A. Feuer, Ph.D., Christine H. Farber, Ph.D., & Therese A. Rando, Ph.D. (358 pages)
Free Printable Workbooks & Handouts for Grief & Loss
These unique 250 art exercises increase self-esteem, self-awareness and a feeling of success in artistic expression and communication, allowing clients to engage in therapeutic exercises without judgment. Using simple materials like paper, pencils and markers, these techniques can be immediately implemented in your practice.
Using a generous mix of humor and self-disclosure, Gorski describes different levels at which relationships operate. He explains seven characteristics of addictive intimacy and why they feel so good in the short run and hurt so badly in the long run. He gives hope by describing characteristics of healthy intimacy and provides guidelines for relationship building and transforming in recovery.
Attached guides readers in determining what attachment style they and their mate (or potential mate) follow, offering a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections with the people they love.
This book lays bare the logic of forgotten abuse. Psychologist Jennifer Freyd’s breakthrough theory explaining this phenomenon shows how psychogenic amnesia not only happens but, if the abuse occurred at the hands of a parent or caregiver, is often necessary for survival. Freyd’s book will give embattled professionals, beleaguered abuse survivors, and the confused public a new, clear understanding of the lifelong effects and treatment of child abuse.
Beyond Addiction goes beyond the theatrics of interventions and tough love to show family and friends how they can use kindness, positive reinforcement, and motivational and behavioral strategies to help someone change. Drawing on forty collective years of research and decades of clinical experience, the authors present the best practical advice science has to offer.
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.
Will the person you love ever get better? Chances are you’ve grappled with the question. With care and support from their families, people with schizophrenia can and do make vast improvements. Noted therapists Kim Mueser and Susan Gingerich deepen your understanding of the illness and cover a wide range of effective treatments. Based on decades of research and experience, they offer pragmatic suggestions for dealing with depression, psychosis, and other symptoms. They show you how to prioritize needs, resolve everyday problems, and encourage your loved one to set life goals. Plus, individual sections highlight special issues for parents, children, siblings, and partners. Whether you’re facing schizophrenia for the first time or you’ve dealt with its impact for years, you’ll discover innovative ways to handle challenges that arise over the course of treatment, from reducing the chances of relapse to making friends and finding work. Recovery isn’t an endpoint–it’s a lifelong journey. With love, hope, and realistic optimism, striving for it can lead to a richer, more rewarding life for your entire family.
It was love at first sight. The beads of moisture on a chilled bottle. The way the glasses clinked and the conversation flowed. Then it became obsession. The way she hid her bottles behind her lover’s refrigerator. The way she slipped from the dinner table to the bathroom, from work to the bar. And then, like so many love stories, it fell apart. Drinking is Caroline Kapp’s harrowing chronicle of her twenty-year love affair with alcohol.
Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about.
In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
What transforms this book from words on a page to effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living. The guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives and families, they also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way.
The message of Hold Me Tight is simple: Forget about learning how to argue better, analyzing your early childhood, making grand romantic gestures, or experimenting with new sexual positions. Instead, get to the emotional underpinnings of your relationship by recognizing that you are emotionally attached to and dependent on your partner in much the same way that a child is on a parent for nurturing, soothing, and protection. Dr. Johnson teaches that the way to enhance or save a relationship is to be open, attuned, and responsive to each other and to reestablish emotional connection.
One of the most directly helpful books on the subject of loss ever written, the first edition of this comforting and inspiring book, published in 1976, sold nearly two million copies. This completely revised and expanded edition encompasses not only the medical and psychological advances in the treatment of loss, but also the authors’ own experiences.
Borderline personality disorder accounts for almost 25 percent of psychiatric hospitalizations in this country. Lost in the Mirror takes readers behind the erratic behavior of this puzzling disorder, examining its underlying causes and revealing the unimaginable pain and fear beneath its surface.
Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with the latest discoveries on the human microbiome, a practical guide in the tradition of Wheat Belly and Grain Brain that conclusively demonstrates the inextricable, biological link between mind and body.
While many desperately need the help of the 12-step recovery program, the traditional AA model’s focus on an external higher power can alienate people who don’t connect with its religious tenets. Refuge Recovery is a systematic method based on Buddhist principles, which integrates scientific, non-theistic, and psychological insight.
Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.
Finally, a psychology-based approach to recovery that doesn’t require faith in a god or supernatural being. This book will guide you through a series of 12 steps designed to free you from the patterns that keep you stuck in your addictive cycle. These 12 steps are developed to be workable whether you are currently in a traditional 12-step program or not.
In clear language, this much-praised and important book describes the nature, causes, symptoms, treatment, and course of schizophrenia, and explores living with it from both the patient’s and the family’s point of view. This new, completely updated seventh edition includes the latest research findings on what causes the illness, as well as information about the newest drugs for treatment, and answers the questions most often asked by families, consumers, and providers.
This practical workbook is designed to be used to accompany a person or group in their addiction recovery process. Therefore, it is also recommended for counselors, clergy, sponsors, or anyone else serious about helping others. The workbook is unique in that it can be applied to any addiction, whether it be chemical dependency, sex, eating, spending, working, or gambling, just to name a few. It contains over 101 practical exercises and leaves no stone unturned in helping the workbook user uncover and deal with the issues they encounter while in recovery.
If you struggle with addiction, seeking treatment is a powerful, positive first step toward eventual recovery. But gaining an understanding of the causes of addiction—such as feelings of helplessness or loss of control—is also crucial for recovery. In this book, addiction expert Suzette Glasner-Edwards offers evidence-based techniques fusing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based relapse prevention to help you move past your addictive behaviors.
Get the tools you need to recover from alcoholism and other forms of addiction. This substance abuse workbook equips you with actionable strategies and coping techniques to succeed in recovery when faced with daily challenges, stressors, and triggers.
Developed from years of experience working with complex and challenging clients, Daniel Fox, PhD has created the ultimate workbook to effectively treat clients with antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic and borderline personality disorders.
Living with anxiety, panic disorders, or phobias can make you feel like you aren’t in control of your life. Tackle the fears that hold you back with this go-to guide. Packed with the most effective skills for assessing and treating anxiety, this evidence-based workbook contains the latest clinical research. You’ll find an arsenal of tools for quieting worry, ending negative self-talk, and taking charge of your anxious thoughts.
Learn practical strategies for identifying anxiety triggers, challenging the thoughts and beliefs that lead to distress, safely facing feared situations, and truly loosening anxiety’s grip – one manageable step at a time. Updated throughout, the second edition includes evaluation exercises that help you get to know your anxiety; up-to-date information about panic attacks, social anxiety, and other topics; additional graphics; and new troubleshooting tips and tools for success.
Attachment theory explores the different ways we develop connections with others. If you’re searching for a way to create stronger, healthier, and more authentic relationships with the people you love, The Attachment Theory Workbook can help. It’s your guide to understanding your own attachment style and exploring actionable exercises to improve honesty, intimacy, and communication with your partner, family, or close friends.
Many tens of thousands of mental health and health care professionals have used this essential book – now significantly revised with 70% new content reflecting important advances in the field – to develop and sharpen their skills in motivational interviewing (MI). Clear explanations of core MI concepts are accompanied by carefully crafted sample dialogues, exercises, and practice opportunities. Readers build proficiency for moving through the four processes of MI – engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning – using open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries (OARS), plus information exchange.
Designed for mental health clinicians, coaches, and clients alike, The CBT Toolbox is a go-to resource for addressing unhelpful thinking patterns and implementing practical, proven, action steps to achieve goals and live life more intentionally. Dr. Riggenbach is legendary for providing evidence-based strategies that actually work, all in the form of his signature “tools.”
Anxiety and panic are intense emotions, and in the moments that you experience them it may seem like you are powerless, but nothing could be further from the truth. This workbook offers a practical program that you can use on your own, or with a therapist, to take back that power and conquer your anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely used treatment for depression for one simple reason: it works. The CBT program in this workbook has helped thousands of readers defeat the depressive thoughts and beliefs that keep them from enjoying life and feeling like themselves. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression delivers evidence-based tools you can confidently use to start feeling better.
In The Complex PTSD Workbook, you’ll learn all about C-PTSD and gain valuable insight into the types of symptoms associated with unresolved childhood trauma. Take healing into your own hands while applying strategies to help integrate positive beliefs and behaviors.
Featuring more than 225 user-friendly handouts and worksheets, this is an essential resource for clients learning dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills, and those who treat them. All of the handouts and worksheets discussed in Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition, are provided, together with brief introductions to each module written expressly for clients. Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT has been demonstrated effective in treatment of a wide range of psychological and emotional problems. No single skills training program will include all of the handouts and worksheets in this book; clients get quick, easy access to the tools recommended to meet their particular needs.
This comprehensive resource provides vital tools for implementing DBT skills training. The reproducible teaching notes, handouts, and worksheets used for over two decades by hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been significantly revised and expanded to reflect important research and clinical advances. The book gives complete instructions for orienting clients to DBT, plus teaching notes for the full range of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills.
From the best-selling author, Mary Ellen Copeland, comes the Second Edition of The Depression Workbook. Learn to practice the latest research-based self-help strategies to relieve depression and address other mental health issues.
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, a collaborative effort from three esteemed authors, offers evidence-based, step-by-step exercises for learning these concepts and putting them to work for real and lasting change. Start by working on the introductory exercises and, after making progress, move on to the advanced-skills chapters. Whether you’re a mental health professional or a general reader, you’ll benefit from this clear and practical guide to better managing your emotions.
If you have an anxiety disorder or experience anxiety symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life, you can benefit from learning four simple skills that therapists use with their clients. These easy-to-learn skills are at the heart of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a cutting-edge therapeutic approach that can help you better manage the panic attacks, worries, and fears that limit your life and keep you feeling stuck.
With this powerful and proven-effective workbook, you’ll find practical exercises for overcoming trauma using mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. You’ll learn how to be present in the moment and identity the things that trigger your trauma. You’ll also find activities and exercises to help you cope with stress, manage intense emotions, navigate conflict with others, and change unhealthy thought patterns that keep you stuck. Finally, you’ll find practical materials for review and closure, so you can take what you’ve learned out into the world with you.
Trauma can turn your world upside down; afterward, nothing may look safe or familiar. And, if you are a woman, studies show that you are twice as likely than your male counterparts to suffer from the effects of a traumatic event sometime during your life. Whether the trauma is physical, sexual, or emotional, these events can overwhelm you, destroying your sense of being in control and altering your attachments to others. If left unaddressed, the resulting psychological trauma can lead you to a wide range of destructive symptoms like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, phobias, personality disorders, flashbacks, emotional numbing, and nightmares. This book offers proven-effective, step-by-step exercises you can use to work through and minimize the consequences of a traumatic event.
In The PTSD Workbook, Third Edition, psychologists and trauma experts Mary Beth Williams and Soili Poijula outline techniques and interventions used by PTSD experts from around the world to conquer distressing trauma-related symptoms. In this fully revised and updated workbook, you’ll learn how to move past the trauma you’ve experienced and manage symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, and flashbacks.
What are the ingredients of a successful and enduring relationship? Love, passion, and commitment are all vital―yet without certain basic skills, even the most devoted partners can find themselves descending into arguments, power struggles, and disillusionment. With The Relationship Skills Workbook, Dr. Julia Colwell presents a practical guide for building a conscious partnership based on cooperation and trust―offering relationship-saving techniques and on-the-spot conflict resolution tools for disarming the explosive clashes that most commonly break couples apart.
With this second edition of The Self-Esteem Workbook, you’ll learn to see yourself through loving eyes by realizing that you are inherently worthy, and that comparison-based self-criticism is not a true measure of your value. In addition to new chapters on cultivating compassion, forgiveness, and unconditional love for yourself and others—all of which improve self-esteem—you’ll find cutting-edge information on brain plasticity and how sleep, exercise, and nutrition affect your self-esteem.
If you are shy or socially anxious, you may dread going to parties, speaking in front of crowds or people you don’t know, going to job interviews, and other critical life situations. You aren’t alone. In fact, studies show that millions of people suffer from a social anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, you can’t hide from some social situations—no matter how much you wish you could. But you don’t have to go on suffering silently. The good news is there are proven-effective techniques you can start using right away to help ease your anxiety or shyness and start living the life you were meant to live: a life where fear doesn’t get in the way of reaching your goals.
Wellness and health are interrelated, but distinct concepts. Health is considered free from disease. Wellness is much more complex. Optimum wellness balances five basic dimensions: physical, career, emotional, social, and spiritual. In this wellness workbook you will find a wellness scale in each chapter, and wellness worksheets that are printable and reproducible. This wellness workbook, written for practitioners to use one-on-one or with groups, contains five sections to help participants learn more about themselves and their lifestyles. It also includes a bonus section on life skills.
For more than thirty years, John W. Travis, M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan have taught hundreds of thousands of people a practical whole-self approach to wellness and healthy living.
Harvard addiction and trauma expert Lisa M. Najavits offers this step-by-step program to help women overcome the often-overlooked problems associated with their drug and alcohol addictions, such as body image, trauma and violence, relationships, stress, and thrill-seeking. She explores how women differ from men in their addiction and recovery, and adapts this information to help you embark on your journey to healing. A chapter on co-occurring emotional problems allows you to evaluate whether you have any of the key disorders common among women with addiction, such as depression, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, or phobias.
86 T.I.P.S. (Treatment Ideas and Practical Strategies) for the Therapeutic Toolbox features dozens of reproducible handouts, experiential activities, exercises, self-discovery tools and more. The topics covered are perfect for individual clients or in group therapy settings. Within the T.I.P.S. approach, each of the 86 activities, handouts or strategies is broken down even further into T.I.P.s (Theory, Implementation and Processing). This unique approach makes every TIP easy to understand and put to practice.
127 More Amazing Tips and Tools for the Therapeutic Toolbox is Judy Belmont’s third Tips and Tools book in PESI’s bestselling series that has offered thousands of clinicians practical “hands on” strategies to help clients reach therapeutic goals. Judy Belmont’s newest Tips and Tools addresses today’s evolving needs, using techniques from CBT, DBT and positive psychology to help their clients and their practice.
Judith Belmont, M.S., has gathered this collection of T.I.P.S. (Treatment Ideas and Practical Strategies) from more than 30 years of clinical experience coupled with her passion for “hands-on” mental wellness education. These are straightforward and universally relevant “how to” exercises and all the TIPS are geared to helping participants take a proactive approach – and experience change, not just talk about it. Within the T.I.P.S. approach, each of the 103 activities, handouts or strategies is broken down even further – into T.I.P.s (Theory, Implementation and Processing). This unique approach makes every TIP easy to understand and put to practice. You will find blueprints for group success in icebreakers, role plays, mindfulness, stress resiliency, communication skills, imagery, personal growth, group cohesiveness and skill building.
Bestselling author Judith Belmont has created another treasure chest of hands-on and easy-to-use handouts, activities, worksheets, mini-lessons and quizzes that help clients develop effective life skills.
Energize, empower and educate your group participants with these 100 interactive activities designed for clients dealing with mental health and substance abuse recovery issues.
This is the workbook that all mental health professionals wish they had at the beginning of their careers. Containing over 100 approaches to effectively deal with trauma, this workbook pulls together a wide array of treatments into one concise resource. Equally useful in both group and individual settings, these interventions will provide hope for the client, as well as expand and solidify the professional’s expertise.
Simple, attachment is the way that we connect to each other. Without attachment, people feel alone to deal with challenges they face, which leads to distress, dysfunction and mental health disorders. It is possible to repair dysfunctional attachment, but first it is necessary to recognize attachment style, unhealthy relationship patterns, and the impact they are having.
Guidelines are presented for evaluating information from multiple sources, constructing a wide-ranging differential diagnosis, creating a safety hierarchy, and using decision trees to derive a valid working diagnosis. The book addresses specific issues in diagnosing the conditions most often seen in mental health practice, with an emphasis on how diagnosis informs effective treatment. More than 100 vivid vignettes illustrate the diagnostic process and allow readers to practice their skills.
With more questions and answers than any other edition, the Encyclopedia of Counseling, 4th Edition, is still the only book you need to pass the NCE, CPCE, and other counseling exams. Every chapter has new and updated material and is still written in Dr. Rosenthal’s lively, user-friendly style counselors know and love. The book’s new and improved coverage incorporates a range of vital topics, including social media, group work in career counseling, private practice and nonprofit work, addictions, neurocounseling, research trends, the DSM-5, the new ACA and NBCC codes of ethics, and much, much more.
Showing how to weave assessment into all phases of therapy, this indispensable text and practitioner guide is reader friendly, straightforward, and practical. Specific strategies are provided for evaluating a wide range of clinical issues and concerns with adults, children and adolescents, families, and couples. The authors demonstrate ways to use interviewing and other techniques to understand both individual and relationship functioning, develop sound treatment plans, and monitor progress. Handy mnemonics help beginning family therapists remember what to include in assessments, and numerous case examples illustrate what the assessment principles look like in action with diverse clients.
Utilizing pedagogical tools such as call-out boxes, Test Yourself questions, and case studies, the author provides step-by-step guidelines for effective planning, goal setting, and evaluation, along with tips for giving constructive feedback and applying coaching strategies to motivate supervisees. She also clearly explains how to manage paperwork and describes specialized techniques, such as using video in supervision. This informative text also includes a special section on ethics authored by a leading expert in the field.
Providing immediately useful group counseling suggestions and tips for addictions counselors, Group Exercises for Addiction Counseling offers powerful techniques that can be adapted to any clinical practice.
Now in a fully rewritten fourth edition, this is the authoritative presentation of motivational interviewing (MI), the powerful approach to facilitating change. It has been updated and streamlined to be even more user-friendly as a practitioner guide and course text. MI originators William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick elucidate the four tasks of MI – engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning – and vividly demonstrate what they look like in action. A wealth of vignettes and interview examples illustrate the dos and don’ts of successful implementation in diverse contexts. The book reviews the evidence base for the approach and covers ways to assess the quality of MI. The companion website provides reflection questions, annotated case material, and additional helpful resources.
Providing tools to enhance treatment of any clinical problem, this book shows how integrating motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can lead to better client outcomes than using either approach on its own. The authors demonstrate that MI strategies are ideally suited to boost client motivation and strengthen the therapeutic relationship, whether used as a pretreatment intervention or throughout the course of CBT.
Courtney Armstrong’s The Therapeutic “Aha!” explores the thrilling and rare moment when a client reaches an elusive realization, allowing them to make meaningful change. In 10 straightforward strategies, this practical book demonstrates how to shake things up in therapy when a client is stuck or stalled to jumpstart progress. Readers will learn how to spark the “emotional brain”―the part of the brain that houses automatic, unconscious patterns―and create new neural pathways that engage and advance the healing process.
The latest research from neuroscience and psychotherapy has shown we can rewire the brain to facilitate trauma recovery. Trauma Treatment Toolbox teaches clinicians how to take that brain-based approach to trauma therapy, showing how to effectively heal clients’ brain with straightforward, easy-to-implement treatment techniques.
A group therapy resource guide with recommended books, topic ideas, group activities, practical tips, and more.
Initially, the idea of group therapy terrified me. What if I can’t “control” the group? What if I can’t think of anything to say? And the overly dramatic, What if everyone gets up and walks out?
Group facilitation wasn’t always comfortable, and I made many mistakes, but I grew. I realized it’s okay to be counselor and human; at times, humans say dumb stuff, hurt each other’s feelings, and don’t know the answer.
This resource guide provides practical information and tools for group therapy for mental health practitioners.
Group therapy is an evidence-based treatment for substance use and mental disorders. An effective group calls for a skilled clinician to meet treatment standards.
Professional associations, such as the American Group Psychotherapy Association, have developed best practice guidelines based on scientific data and clinical research. The Association for Specialists in Group Work created best practice guidelines for group work and guiding principles.
Fun Facts: My favorite icebreaker activity involves passing out blank slips of paper to each group member and instructing them to write a “fun fact” about themselves, something no one else in the group would know.
Depending on the crowd, you may want to tell clients not to write anything they wouldn’t want their peers to know. (I adopted this guideline after a client wrote about “sharting” himself.) Once everyone has written something, have them fold their papers and place in a container of some sort (a gift box, paper bag, plastic bowl, etc.) Group members take turns passing around the container (one-at-a-time) and picking a slip to read aloud. They must then guess who wrote it. (Give them at least three guesses before turning it over to the rest of the group.)
Icebreaker Question Cards: A similar but more structured activity is to write out questions ahead of time and have clients take turns drawing and answering the questions. Questions can be silly, thought-provoking, or to illicit a strong emotional response (depending on audience and goals).
People Search: This activity utilizes a list of traits, feats, talents, or experiences. Each client receives the list and is given x amount of time to find someone in the group who is a match; that individual will then sign off. The first person to have their list completely signed sits down; they win.
(Prizes optional, but always appreciated.) During the debriefing, it’s fun to learn more (and thereby increase understanding and compassion).
First Impressions: This works best with group members who don’t know each other well. It’s important for group members to at least know each other’s names (or wear name tags). Each group member has a sheet of paper with various “impressions.”
Clients write other group members’ names for each impression. In addition to enhancing a sense of community, this activity provides an avenue for discussing harmful stereotypes and stigma.
Affirmations Group: Affirmations groups can be powerful, generating unity and kindness. The effect seems to be more pronounced in gender-specific groups. There are a variety of ways to facilitate an affirmations group, ranging from each person providing an affirmation to the client on their right to individuals sharing a self-affirmation with the group to creating a self-affirmation painting.
Another idea is to give each client a sheet of paper. (Consider using quality, brightly-colored paper/posterboard and providing markers, gel pens, etc.) Clients write their name on it and then all the papers are passed around so each group member has the opportunity to write on everyone else’s sheet. Once their original paper is returned to them, they can read and share with the group. This can lead to a powerful discussion about image, reputation, feeling fake, etc.
Most Likely & Least Likely to Relapse: This activity works best with a well-formed group and may require extra staff support. It’s good for larger groups and can be highly effective in a therapeutic community.
Clients receive blank pieces of paper and are tasked to write the names of who they think is most likely and least likely to relapse. After writing their own name on the sheet, they turn it in to staff (effectively allowing staff to maintain a safe and productive environment). Staff then read each sheet aloud (without naming who wrote it). If they choose, clients can share what they wrote and provide additional feedback. (Most do.) Clients selected as “most likely” (in either category) have the opportunity to process with other group members and staff.
Access more group therapy worksheets and handouts here.
In need of fresh material? It can be easy to fall into a rut, especially if you’re burnout or working with a particularly challenging group. The following three PDF downloads are lists of ideas/questions for groups.
Practical Tips for Psychoeducation & Process Groups
As a group facilitator, consider incorporating some sort of experiential activity, quiz, handout, game, etc. each group to engage clients and keep them engaged.
Handout review (clients take turns reading) (5-10 minutes)
Group discussion/processing (10-15 minutes)
Restroom/smoke break (5 minutes)
Roleplay or short video clip (to visually present what was covered in the handout/discussion) (5-10 minutes)
Facilitator summarizes and asks group members how they will incorporate what they learned or how they’re feeling (5 minutes)
Group members have the opportunity to respond (5-10 minutes)
If an experiential or interactive exercise isn’t feasible, provide coffee or snacks; sitting for 45 minutes is difficult for some, and 90 minutes can be unbearable.
Another idea is to have a “fun” or “free” group. Ideas include going bowling, having a potluck, Starbucks run, game group, escape room, nature walk, etc.
Dealing with Challenges
Clients are not always willing therapy participants; some are court-ordered to attend or there to have privileges restored. Some attendees may be there “voluntarily,” but only to save their marriage or keep a job, not believing they need help. In residential treatment, clients attend mandatory groups as part of the daily schedule.
Even when attendance is truly voluntary, a group member may be in a bad space. Maybe they’re stressed about the rent or just got into a fight with their significant other. Or what if the AC is broken and the group room is 80 degrees?
Anticipating challenges is the first step to effectively preventing and managing them.
Click here for a helpful article from Counseling Today that addresses the concept of client resistance.
Tips for Dealing with Challenges
1. If possible, co-facilitate. One clinician leads while the other observes. The observer remains attuned to the general “tone” of the group (e.g., facial expressions, body language, etc.)
2. Review the expectations at the beginning of every group. Ask clients to recall the guidelines (instead of you telling them). This promotes a collaborative spirit.
3. After guidelines are reviewed, explain that while interrupting is discouraged, there may be times when you interject to maintain the overall wellness and safety of the group. (Knowing this, a client is less likely to get angry or feel disrespected when/if it happens.)
4. And if during group you must interrupt, apologize and explain the rationale.
5. Avoid power struggles at all costs, especially when a client challenges the benefits of treatment. Challenging the efficacy of treatment (or you as a clinician) is a defense mechanism. If the group is relatively healthy, you may want to illicit feedback from other group members before responding. Sometimes, the best response is simply “okay,” or none at all… and keep moving to avoid the group becoming a complaint session. You could also acknowledge the client’s perspective and ask to meet with them after group to discuss.
6. If a client becomes angry or tearful, give them time to vent for a moment or two (don’t “Band-Aid”); they may be able to self-regulate. (If they do self-regulate, share your observations and offer praise.)
7. If a client’s anger escalates to a disruptive level, ask them to take a break. At this point, their behavior is potentially triggering other group members. Don’t raise your voice. Stay calm and be respectful but firm. Direct them to step out and ask them to return when they’re ready.
8. If a client is disrespectful (cursing at you or another client, name-calling, insulting, etc.) while escalated, let them know it’s not okay, but don’t attempt to provide feedback. (A simple, “Hey, that’s not okay,” will suffice.) Bring it up with the client later when they’re able to process.
9. Once the escalated client exits the room, acknowledge what happened and let the group know you intend to follow up with that person. If a group member wants to talk about it, ask them to limit their share to how it made them feel, but stress that it’s not okay to talk about an absent group member. (“How would you feel if we talked about you when you weren’t here?”) Strongly suggest that they wait until the person returns (and is open) to have a group discussion (if appropriate).
10. After a major blow-up (and once everyone is calm), it can be beneficial for the group to process it with the person who escalated. Group members can empathize/relate, share their observations and/or how it made them feel, and offer feedback.
11. If other disruptive behaviors occur in group (side conversations, snoring, etc.) address them in the moment objectively (without shaming). Point out the behavior and explain how it’s disruptive to the group. Refer back to the group guidelines. Ask group members to comment as well. If you let a behavior persist, hoping it will eventually stop, you’re sending the message that it’s okay, not only to the person who is disruptive, but to the entire group. This impacts the integrity of the group and opens things up for additional disruptive behaviors.
12. For clients who monopolize, are constantly joking, or who attempt to intentionally distract by changing the topic, objectively point out your observations. When appropriate, ask other group members to comment on your observations and provide feedback to their peer.
13. If, on the other hand, one or several clients seem disengaged or unmotivated, consider asking why, privately or in the group, whichever is clinically appropriate.
14. If there’s a general level of disengagement, bring it up in the group. Remain objective and state your observations.
15. Anticipate that at times, people may not have much to say. (Consider that while there’s always something to learn or process, that doesn’t mean someone is ready to or has the emotional energy to.) Maybe they’re distracted or tired or feeling “talked out.” It’s good to have backup plans: watch a psychoeducational film, take a walk in the park, listen to meditations or music, provide worksheets, education reading material, or coloring sheets.
16. Always keep in mind a client’s stage of change, their internal experiences (e.g., hearing voices, social anxiety, paranoia, physical pain, etc.), external circumstances (e.g., recent medication change, loss of housing, conflict with roommates, etc.), and history of trauma. What looks like resistance may be something else entirely.
Adverse Outcomes in Group Psychotherapy | Roback, H. B. (2000). Adverse outcomes in group psychotherapy: Risk factors, prevention, and research directions. The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 9(3), 113–122.
Differences that Make a Difference | Change-Caffaro, S., & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 00: 1-15.
Group Interventions| Ezhumalai, S., Muralidhar, D., Dhanasekarapandian, R., & Nikketha, B. S. (2018). Group interventions. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(Suppl 4), S514–S521.
Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders | Wendt, D. C., & Gone, J. P. (2017). Group therapy for substance use disorders: A survey of clinician practices. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 12(4), 243–259.
Modeling Cohesion Change in Group Psychotherapy | Tucker, J. R. (2016). Modeling cohesion change in group psychotherapy: The influence of group leader behaviors and client characteristics. Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 15175.
Effective Group Therapy | (2023) Putting together a successful group involves thinking not only about the structure of the group but about the interactions between group members and how those interactions can support the therapeutic process. (Source: American Psychological Association)
Center for Group Studies | The Center provides a unique method of group training. Principles and techniques are based on the theory that the group is a powerful agent of change.
Group Dynamics | This blog provides some links and book chapters on various topics related to the study of groups. You can also find teaching resources related to group dynamics.
Management Library | This site provides free resources for managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Much of the content on facilitation and teams is applicable to group facilitation.
My Group Guide | A great tool for those who do not have the time to find worksheets/handouts for their clients, group activities, and other resources.
Resources in Group Psychotherapy | Helpful resources and links for group psychotherapy from the Sacramento Center for Psychotherapy, including an online forum.
Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute | SCTRI is an non-profit organization with members from all around the world that supports training and research in the systems-centered approach.
