Think good, feel good

Think Good – Feel Good

A Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Workbook for

Children and Young People

Age – from 7 years upwards (into secondary school)

What is Think Good, Feel Good?

Think Good – Feel Good is a collection of materials that have adapted the concepts and strategies of CBT for use with children and adolescents. Through three main characters, the Thought Tracker, Feeling Finder and Go Getter, children and young people are helped to understand the cognitive behavioural framework, to explore and test their cognitions and to learn alternative cognitive and behavioural skills. The characters may be of more interest to younger children, who may find it easier to think about and describe thoughts and feelings through a third party

Pupils to target

A CBT workbook for young people to help cope with low mood and anxiety. It starts by introducing readers to the origin, basic theory, and rationale behind CBT and explains how the workbook should be used. Chapters cover elements of CBT including identifying thinking traps, core beliefs, controlling feelings, changing behaviour, and more.

Programme format

It incorporates ideas from CBT therapies of mindfulness, compassion focused therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. It also includes a practical series of exercises and worksheets that introduce specific concepts and techniques.

Think Good – Feel Good is not intended to be delivered systematically as a package. It does not represent a standardized 10-session course, nor is it a comprehensive CBT programme.

Instead, it provides a range of materials that can be used flexibly depending on the needs of the child and the nature of their difficulties. The materials provide examples of how the concepts of CBT can be conveyed in an enjoyable, simple and understandable way.

Here are a list of the 12 units which each have numerous sessions and activities:

1. Be Kind to Yourself

2. Here and Now

3. Thoughts, Feelings, and What You Do

4. Automatic Thoughts

5. Thinking Traps

6. Balanced Thinking

7. Core Beliefs

8. Controlling your Thoughts

9. How you Feel

10. Controlling your Feelings

11. Changing your Behaviour

12. Learning to Problem-Solve

Session format: key points

• Ideally, the sessions should run on a 1:1 basis or in a group of of no more than 4

• If in a group, carefully consider that all the pupils will benefit from sessions they will receive

• 30 or 60 minute sessions weekly

• Run the sessions for a half term before reviewing how effective they have been

• Overview of session visible on a whiteboard to reduce pupil anxiety

• Foster a group identity - developing a sense of belonging in this social group is crucial. You could use a group name, and have a poster, logo and even a password.

Who can deliver the sessions?

Teachers, support assistants, learning managers or parents.

Where to purchase this resource

Directly from Amazon for £20: