Mental Health for Kids

Change the thought

100

I am bad at everything. What is a more helpful thought

I am good at math

I am good at somethings and bad at others

I am still learning

200

Things get hard over the summer- name a helpful thought

I can do this-remember all the things we learned

I can use the reminder sheet to refresh my skills

300

Thought about birthdays- What is a helpful thought about birthdays

We are all special

I am not in control of what others do for birthdays

400

Doing homework that is hard, Name a helpful thought to repeat to yourself

I can just try my best

This is hard for lots of people, I can do what I can

I can take breaks if I need to, and do a little at a time

500

It is my fault the bad things happened-change the thought

I was a kid-it was not my job to keep everyone safe

I can't change other people's behavior

Sensations

100

Name a sensation that you might feel when you are sick

achy

pain in ___

throbbing

200

Name a sensation you might feel when you are jealous

red

hot

tight

300

Name two sensations you might feel when you are feeling disappointed or worthless

heavy

down

slow moving

empty

400

Name two sensations you feel shame (thought I am bad)

Heavy

Pain

shut down

slow moving

500

Name two sensations you might feel when you are feeling safe

Relaxed mind

Calm muscles

slow heartbeat

Eyes focused

Strategy

100

Strategy where you don't want to think about something and instead think of something more pleasant

Thought stopping

200

Name the strategy that you imagine a pleasant place/memory

Safe/Happy place meditation

300

Name the strategy that includes thoughts, feelings, behaviors

Cognitive triangle

400

Name the strategy where you tighten and relax different muscles throughout your body

Tense and release

500

Name the strategy where you think about different areas of your body as you breath (like the butterfly landing on body parts)

Body scan mindfulness

Something learned from therapy

100

Something you learned about feelings

Feelings are not good or bad

Feelings has sensations that give us clues to what we feel

Feelings are information

200

Something you learned about yourself

300

Something you learned about your family/relationships

I can't control other people's thoughts or feelings

It is okay to be assertive, and set boundaries

400

Something you learned about trauma (bad, sad, scary things that happened that lead us to feel unsafe)

It is not my fault

I am not the only one who has experienced something like this

Trauma does not have to last forever/ things get better

500

Something I learned about how to calm down or feel safe?

I learned safe place

I learned to ask for help

 I learned to tell an adult rather than keep secrets

Share a memory

100

What is a fun thing we did in therapy that you remember?

Game 

Jenga

Jeopardy

Fidgets

200

Share a memory about how things were before therapy

300

Share a memory about something hard we got through together

400

Name a memory about something that has changed for you or your family since coming to therapy

500

Name a hope for the future