Coming to Therapy
How do you feel about therapy?
Sometimes kids feel nervous about therapy, if they haven't been before. Some kids feel excited.
Name some coping skills that you are aware of
Examples of coping skills are deep breathing, use of stress ball, talking to friends or healthy adults, taking a break, eating a snack, drinking water, count to 10, read a book, draw a picture, color, music, etc.
Someone says something rude and offensive to you. What coping skill could you use in this situation?
great idea!
Describe some typical emotions you experience
Examples of emotions could be stress, annoyed, mad, anxious, sad, happy, excited, etc.
Sad
Upset, Down, Unhappy
Do you think therapy is helping you?
Thank you for sharing! Sometimes therapy helps right away, sometimes it takes time. Talk to your therapist or parent about ways therapy can be helpful.
What is a coping skill?
A coping skill is a tool that you can use to manage emotions
You start to feel sad about a difficult situation you're going through with your friends. What coping skill can you use to feel better?
Thank you for sharing!
Why is it important to control our emotions?
So that situations don't get out of hand. Sometimes we say things we don't mean or do things that get us in trouble when we can't control our emotions.
Happy
Joyful, excited
What is your favorite part about therapy?
What is the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy coping skill?
Unhealthy coping skills provide instant relief, but have negative effects on the person or persons around them. Healthy coping skills do not always feel good in the moment, but they have positive long-lasting effects.
Your sister makes you really mad after she stole a toy from your room. What is a coping skill to use to make sure you remain calm?
Good idea!
Why do we experience emotions?
Emotions are your brain's ability to protect you. It is the way we can tell if something is good or bad for us.
Fearful, afraid
What are your goals for therapy?
Thank you for sharing!
What are some unhealthy coping tools?
hurting others, hurting yourself, yelling at others, sleeping or eating too much, breaking things
Kids on your bus ride home from school said mean things to you and made you feel left out. What coping skill can help in this situation?
Great!
How do we control emotions?
Use healthy coping skills such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, color breathing, talking to a healthy adult, friend, therapist, etc., counting to 10, taking a break or timeout, eating a healthy snack, drinking water, going for a walk, etc.
Worry
Anxiety
What do you wish was different about therapy?
Thank you for sharing!
How do coping skills work?
Coping skills are used to manage difficult emotions or life situations by creating a calming effect in your brain and body.
Your parent makes you go to your room and takes away your electronics after your sibling blamed you for something you didn't do. What is a positive coping skill to use?
Awesome!
Tell us about a time when you experienced a difficult emotion.
Thank you for sharing.
Frustrated
Annoyed