This card can have a list of three to 10 coping skills that they can use when they are struggling. Examples could be breathing, counting, calling a friend, calling a hotline, listening to a song, or pausing. Our article on Self-Esteem Therapy provides more ideas to improve self-esteem and growth activities that can be applied to both individual and group therapy sessions. According to Alan Wolflet (2004), group activities for grief and loss should help members with the six needs of mourning.
Evidence-Based CBT Worksheets
Cognitive restructuring can help with a wide variety of symptoms and diagnoses, including anxiety and depression (Santos et al., 2024; Stevenson et al., 2019). These problems are often driven by unconscious beliefs that hold us back or cause us harm, and cognitive restructuring helps us identify and replace those dysfunctional beliefs. In short, regularly engaging in mental health activities as shared above can enhance emotional regulation, boost mood, and build resilience to life’s challenges.
- Members can share their responses with the group and reflect on what they learn about themselves and from one another.
- Behavioral activation encourages breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps, making it easier to start and complete activities, thereby boosting motivation and productivity.
- These include acknowledging the reality of death, moving toward the pain of loss, remembering the person who died, developing a new identity, searching for meaning, and continuing to receive support from others.
Worry vs. Anxiety: The Difference & Why It Matters
Looking after ourselves prevents temporary problems from becoming long-term sources of stress. View and share this Psych2Go video with clients who could benefit from building daily habits that provide a solid foundation for psychological flourishing. Decatastrophizing interrupts this process by evaluating the likelihood of a fear coming true and one’s ability to cope if it does. Each guide includes examples, illustrations, and straightforward instructions to encourage application in daily life. You’ll also find therapist guidance, providing background information, aims, uses, and references. To get a free copy of the 90 page Think CBT Workbook and Skills Primer, click on the download button and save the PDF document to your personal drive or device.
How Does Cognitive Reframing Work?
- Consulting a therapist is beneficial for personalizing the approach and ensuring effectiveness.
- Establishing clear objectives enables you to actively address and overcome challenges, fostering a structured and systematic approach to personal growth.
- Expressive art storytelling can be made into a group activity by having members take part in expressive art together.
- This card can have a list of three to 10 coping skills that they can use when they are struggling.
- Some of your clients are likely to be very well informed and will benefit more from mental health activities like mindfulness skills training than basic psychoeducation.
- Research has shown that CBT worksheets can be an effective adjunct to traditional therapy, and can even be used as a standalone treatment for some individuals 1.
This heightened awareness is a key step in the CBT process, empowering you to intervene in real-time, modify detrimental thought patterns, and ultimately cultivate a more positive and adaptive mindset. This FREE CBT worksheet helps elementary students identify rigid “should” thinking patterns! Students read sentences and determine whether each represents flexible or inflexible thinking. A perfect introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy concepts for grades 2-5. We also have a range of training templates offering ready-made educational resources for workshops and groups. Mental health activities include practices, exercises, worksheets, interventions, and tools that can be used for psychoeducational purposes to improve mental health awareness, manage stress, and enhance resilience.
Treatments for Insomnia
Your clients can use this worksheet to identify their automatic negative thoughts and the context or events that trigger them, as well as to develop new, more positive thoughts to replace them. In the Getting Rid of ANTS worksheet, clients are presented with an opportunity to identify and reframe automatic negative thoughts (cognitive distortions). ” Bias worksheet will help your clients change their perspective on some of the most common situations they encounter or think about.
Finally, our Shake It Off worksheet describes an emotional regulation technique commonly used by somatic experiencing therapists to help clients self-soothe (Kuhfuß et al., 2021). These exercises explore coping strategies for managing the negative thoughts and emotions that drive self-sabotaging behaviors and undermine mental health. First, ensure mental health activities are age-appropriate, especially with children and younger people. You can customize the worksheets to ensure they use age-appropriate language, as some of the exercises aimed at children might also be useful for teenagers.
Without them, we would have to approach every problem as a brand-new one, with no preexisting experiences, problem-solving techniques, or lessons learned to draw from. Group therapy is most effective and enjoyable when members connect and collaborate. Creating a supportive environment and keeping group members engaged with the specific topic and with one another makes group sessions fun. The particular psychotherapeutic conditions a group provides are ideal for creating personal growth and improving self-esteem.
Q: Can I use CBT worksheets on my own, or do I need a therapist?
Ultimately, this process contributes to improved emotional regulation, enhanced problem-solving, and a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy more positive overall mindset. Tracking mood is a crucial aspect of CBT, as it serves as a valuable compass for self-discovery and therapeutic progress. Monitoring fluctuations in mood provides you with insight into the dynamic interplay between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This awareness enables a more nuanced understanding of how certain situations or thought patterns impact your overall well-being.
It helps individuals with ADHD develop skills to manage symptoms like inattention and impulsivity. For an in-depth understanding of the benefits and applications of CBT, refer to this comprehensive overview of cognitive behavioral therapy on Wikipedia. This resource provides additional context for those interested in exploring these techniques further. While CBT exercises can be practiced independently, the guidance of a therapist may enhance the process. Professional support helps tailor techniques to individual needs, ensuring the most effective strategies are employed. A therapist can also monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan.

