Table of Contents

Wiley PracticePlanners® Series Preface xvii

Acknowledgments xix

Introduction 1

SECTION 1: Academic Underachievement 4

Exercise 1.A Attitudes about Homework 5

Exercise 1.B Break It Down Into Small Steps 11

Exercise 1.C Good Grade/Bad Grade Incident Reports 15

SECTION 2: Adoption 18

Exercise 2.A Beginning a Search for Birth Parents 19

Exercise 2.B Considering a Search for Birth Parents 22

Exercise 2.C My Child’s Search for Birth Parents 26

Exercise 2.D Questions and Concerns around Being Adopted 29

Exercise 2.E Some Things I’d like you to Know … 31

SECTION 3: Anger Control Problems 34

Exercise 3.A Anger Checklist 35

Exercise 3.B Anger Control 38

Exercise 3.C Stop Yelling 44

SECTION 4: Anxiety 46

Exercise 4.A Finding and Losing Your Anxiety 47

Exercise 4.B Progressive Muscle Relaxation 50

Exercise 4.C Tools for Anxiety 54

Exercise 4.D What Makes Me Anxious 57

Exercise 4.E Worry Time 61

SECTION 5: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 63

Exercise 5.A Channel Your Energy in a Positive Direction 64

Exercise 5.B Evaluating Medication Effects 68

Exercise 5.C Getting It Done 73

Exercise 5.D Problem-Solving Exercise 78

Exercise 5.E Social Skills Exercise 82

SECTION 6: Autism Spectrum Disorder 85

Exercise 6.A Managing the Meltdowns 86

Exercise 6.B Moving Toward Independence 89

Exercise 6.C Progress: Past, Present, and Future 92

Exercise 6.D Progress Survey 95

SECTION 7: Bipolar Disorder 98

Exercise 7.A Action minus Thought Equals Painful Consequences 99

Exercise 7.B Clear Rules, Positive Reinforcement, Appropriate Consequences 102

Exercise 7.C Medication Resistance 105

Exercise 7.D Mood Disorders Symptom List 108

SECTION 8: Blended Family 110

Exercise 8.A A Few Things about Me 111

Exercise 8.B Assessing the Family—Present and Future 113

Exercise 8.C Interaction as a Family 116

Exercise 8.D Stepparent and Sibling Questionnaire 119

SECTION 9: Conduct Disorder/Delinquency 122

Exercise 9.A Catch Your Teen Being Responsible 123

Exercise 9.B Headed in the Right Direction 126

Exercise 9.C How My Behavior Hurts Others 130

Exercise 9.D Letter to Absent or Uninvolved Parent 133

Exercise 9.E Patterns of Stealing 136

SECTION 10: Divorce Reaction 138

Exercise 10.A Impact of Parents’ Separation/Divorce 139

Exercise 10.B Initial Reaction to Parents’ Separation 142

Exercise 10.C My Thoughts, Feelings, and Beliefs about Divorce 146

Exercise 10.D Stop the Fighting 149

SECTION 11: Eating Disorder 151

Exercise 11.A Body Image 152

Exercise 11.B Fears beneath the Eating Disorder 155

Exercise 11.C Plan and Eat a Meal 159

Exercise 11.D Reality: Food Intake, Weight, Thoughts, and Feelings 162

SECTION 12: Grief/Loss Unresolved 167

Exercise 12.A Create a Memory Album 168

Exercise 12.B Grief Letter 170

Exercise 12.C Honoring the Anniversary of the Loss 174

Exercise 12.D Memorial Collage 176

Exercise 12.E Moving Closer to Resolution 178

SECTION 13: Intellectual Development Disorder 181

Exercise 13.A Activities of Daily Living Program 182

Exercise 13.B A Sense of Belonging 188

Exercise 13.C Hopes and Dreams for Your Child 192

Exercise 13.D Supportive Services for Your Child 195

SECTION 14: Low Self-Esteem 198

Exercise 14.A Maintaining Your Self-Esteem 199

Exercise 14.B Recognizing Your Abilities, Traits, and Accomplishments 203

Exercise 14.C Three Ways to Change Yourself 207

Exercise 14.D Three Wishes Game 210

SECTION 15: Medical Condition 211

Exercise 15.A Attitudes about Medication or Medical Treatment 212

Exercise 15.B Coping with a Sibling’s Health Problems 215

Exercise 15.C Coping With Your Illness 218

SECTION 16: Negative Peer Influences 220

Exercise 16.A Choice of Friends Survey 221

Exercise 16.B I Want to Be Like … 226

Exercise 16.C Reasons for Negative Peer Group Involvement 229

SECTION 17: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 231

Exercise 17.A Decreasing What You Save and Collect 232

Exercise 17.B Refocus Attention Away From Obsessions and Compulsions 235

Exercise 17.C Thought Stopping 239

SECTION 18: Oppositional Defiant Disorder 241

Exercise 18.A Changing School Rules 242

Exercise 18.B Cooperative Activity 246

Exercise 18.C Filing a Complaint 249

Exercise 18.D If I Could Run My Family 252

Exercise 18.E Switching From Defense to Offense 255

SECTION 19: Overweight/Obesity 258

Exercise 19.A Developing and Implementing a Healthier Diet 259

Exercise 19.B Increasing My Physical Activity 264

Exercise 19.C My Eating and Exercise Journal 268

SECTION 20: Panic/Agoraphobia 271

Exercise 20.A Panic Attack Rating Form 272

Exercise 20.B Panic Survey 276

SECTION 21: Parenting 278

Exercise 21.A Evaluating the Strength of Your Parenting Team 279

Exercise 21.B One-on-One 282

Exercise 21.C Parenting Report Card 286

Exercise 21.D Parents Understand the Roots of Their Parenting Methods 289

Exercise 21.E Transitioning from Parenting a Child to Parenting a Teen 293

SECTION 22: Peer/Sibling Conflict 296

Exercise 22.A Cloning the Perfect Sibling 297

Exercise 22.B How Parents Respond to Sibling Rivalry 300

Exercise 22.C Negotiating a Peace Treaty 303

Exercise 22.D Why I Fight With My Peers 306

SECTION 23: Physical/Emotional Abuse Victim 310

Exercise 23.A Identify the Nature of the Abuse 311

Exercise 23.B Letter of Empowerment 315

Exercise 23.C My Thoughts and Feelings 319

Exercise 23.D Self-Esteem Before, During, and After Abuse 322

Exercise 23.E Take the First Step 325

SECTION 24: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 330

Exercise 24.A Describe the Trauma and Your Feelings 331

Exercise 24.B Describe Your PTSD Symptoms 335

Exercise 24.C Effects of Chronic or Long-Term Trauma/Stress 338

Exercise 24.D Impact of Frightening or Dangerous Event 341

SECTION 25: Psychoticism 343

Exercise 25.A Describe Your Hallucinations 344

Exercise 25.B My Irrational Thoughts 347

Exercise 25.C Recognizing Early Warning Signs 350

SECTION 26: Runaway 353

Exercise 26.A Airing Your Grievances 354

Exercise 26.B another Place to Live 357

Exercise 26.C Describe Life on the Run 360

Exercise 26.D Home by another Name 363

Exercise 26.E Undercover Assignment 366

SECTION 27: School Violence 368

Exercise 27.A Plan and Evaluate a Family Activity 369

Exercise 27.B Reasons for Rage 372

Exercise 27.C School Violence Incident Report 376

SECTION 28: Sexual Abuse Perpetrator 379

Exercise 28.A Celebrity-Style Interview 380

Exercise 28.B Evaluating My Treatment Progress 383

Exercise 28.C Getting Started 387

Exercise 28.D Negative Effects of the Abuse 391

Exercise 28.E Your Feelings and Beyond 395

SECTION 29: Sexual Abuse Victim 399

Exercise 29.A Denial within the Family 400

Exercise 29.B Letter of Forgiveness 403

Exercise 29.C My Story 407

Exercise 29.D Perpetrator Apology to the Victim 410

Exercise 29.E You Are Not Alone 415

SECTION 30: Sexual Identity Confusion 419

Exercise 30.A Disclosing Homosexual Orientation 420

Exercise 30.B Parents’ Thoughts and Feelings about Son’s/Daughter’s Sexual Orientation 424

Exercise 30.C Unsure 428

SECTION 31: Sexual Promiscuity 431

Exercise 31.A Connecting Sexual Behavior with Needs 432

Exercise 31.B Looking Closer at My Sexual Behavior 436

Exercise 31.C Pros and Cons of Having Sex 439

SECTION 32: Social Anxiety 441

Exercise 32.A Developing Conversational Skills 442

Exercise 32.B Greeting Peers 445

Exercise 32.C Observe Positive Social Behaviors 448

Exercise 32.D Show Your Strengths 452

SECTION 33: Specific Phobia 454

Exercise 33.A Finding a Strategy to Minimize My Fear 455

Exercise 33.B Gradual Exposure to Fear 458

Exercise 33.C School Fear Reduction 462

SECTION 34: Substance Use 465

Exercise 34.A Keeping Straight 466

Exercise 34.B Saying Goodbye to My Drug 469

Exercise 34.C Taking Your First Step 472

Exercise 34.D The Many Changes Necessary for Recovery 477

Exercise 34.E Welcome to Recovery 480

SECTION 35: Suicidal Ideation 483

Exercise 35.A No Self-Harm Contract 484

Exercise 35.B Painful Effects of Suicide 489

Exercise 35.C Past and Present Hurt—Hope for the Future 493

Exercise 35.D Symbols of Self-Worth 497

SECTION 36: Unipolar Depression 499

Exercise 36.A Bad Thoughts Lead to Depressed Feelings 500

Exercise 36.B Becoming Assertive 504

Exercise 36.C Home, School, and Community Activities I Enjoyed 508

Exercise 36.D Overcoming Helplessness and Hopelessness 512

Exercise 36.E Surface Behavior/Inner Feelings 516

Exercise 36.F Three Ways to Change the World 520

Exercise 36.G Unmet Emotional Needs—Identification and Satisfaction 523

APPENDIX A: Alternate Assignments for Presenting Problems 525

APPENDIX B: Alphabetical Index of Exercises 541

About the Downloadable Assignments 545

About the Author

ARTHUR E. JONGSMA, JR., PHD, is the Series Editor for the bestselling PracticePlanners®. Since 1971, he has provided professional mental health services to both inpatient and outpatient clients. He was the founder and director of Psychological Consultants, a group private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for twenty-five years. He is the author or coauthor of over fifty books and conducts training workshops for mental health professionals around the world.

L. MARK PETERSON, ACSW, is Program Manager for Bethany Christian Services' Residential Treatment and Family Counseling programs in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

WILLIAM P. McINNIS, PsyD, is in private practice with Aspen Psychological Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is coauthor of the bestselling The Child Psychotherapy Treatment Planner and The Adolescent Psychotherapy Progress Notes Planner.