The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults: 170 Tools for Coping with Stress, Building Healthy Habits & Navigating Adulthood

As young adults strive to create their own identities, they need to learn how to express themselves in meaningful ways, form relationships, adjust to changing situations, and persevere in the face of challenges. When this transition to adulthood is coupled with mental health issues, it becomes even more important for individuals to have strategies they can use to tackle life’s major hurdles and regain control.

In The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults, you’ll find 170 solution-focused exercises to help this critical age group build greater independence, harness their unique strengths, and learn healthy ways to adapt to their changing worlds. Grounded within a cognitive behavioural approach, the easily reproducible and ready-to-use tools inside will allow clients to:

• Build resiliency
• Manage their moods
• Communicate effectively
• Set boundaries
• Reframe faulty thoughts
• Express empathy
• Self-advocate
• Develop healthy work habits
• Enhance time management and budgeting skills
• Set and achieve realistic goals
• Thrive as they enter adulthood

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Adulting

• Clinical Tools for Getting Started
• Client Session Agenda 6
• Clinician Session Agenda 7
• What's in Your Coping Toolbox? 8
• How's It Going? Coping Check-In 9
• Personal Case Management 10
• Rapport Building
• The Real Me Resume 11
• Would You Rather? 12
• Five-Star Review 13
• Quick Start 14
• What's App? 15
• Transitions and Identity
• New Transitions Checklist 16
• Defining Adult 19
• Past and Present 20
• Core Values 21
• Examining Why 22
• Message in a Bottle 23
• Healthy Habits
• Adulting Bingo 24
• Must-Dos 25
• Setting Limits 26
• Daily Schedule 27
• Weekday Wellness 28
• Menu Planner Part 1 29
• Menu Planner Part 2: Balanced List 30
• Financial Responsibility
• What You Want vs. What You Need 31
• Weekly Spending 32
• Saving and Spending: Monthly Budget Tool 33
• Housing Plans 35
• Roommate Classifieds 36
• Roommate Interview 37
• Setting and Achieving Goals
• Assets and Improvement 38
• Goal Builder 39
• Mini Goals 40
• Be a SMART Goal Setter 41
• Weekly Accountability 42
• Monthly Accountability 43
• Yearly Accountability 44
• Achieved! Goal Reflection 45

Chapter 2 Anxiety

• Symptoms and Impact
• Getting Acquainted: Calm and Worry 48
• Energy Connections 50
• Worry Pyramid 51
• Worry Levels and Reactions 52
• Worry Log 53
• Cognitive Refraining
• Recognizing Faulty Thinking 54
• Should or Could 55
• Helpful Reframe 56
• Sorting Thoughts 57
• Expectations of Control 58
• Self-Blame 59
• Resiliency Building
• Workable Worry 60
• Guilt-Free "No" 61
• Take Action 62
• Parking Lot Thoughts 63
• Parking Lot Manager 64
• Social Confidence Scale 65
• Social Confidence Tracker 66
• Visualize Confidence 67
• Mindful Learning
• Positive Reload 68
• Be Kind to Yourself 69
• Music Moves 70
• Graceful Sailing 71
• Gratitude Grounding 72
• Body Scan Meditation 73

Chapter 3 Depression

• Understanding Mood
• Highs and Lows Part 1: Feeling Good 76
• Highs and Lows Part 2: Feeling Low 77
• Highs and Lows Part 3: Feeling in Between 78
• Mood Shifts 79
• Daily Mood Journal 80
• Cognitive Reframing
• Automatic Thoughts Overview 81
• Exploring Distortions 82
• Thought Patterns 83
• Crush Those Automatic Thoughts 84
• Half-Empty or Half-Full? 85
• All-or-Nothing Thinking 86
• Thought Tracker 87
• Reframing Practice 88
• Coping Strategies
• Future Focus 89
• Turn It Up 90
• Worst Day Rewind 91
• Meal Tracker 92
• Get Up and Move 93
• Connection Plan 94
• Get Your Rest 95
• Positive Mindset
• Positive Affirmations 96
• 10-Day Positivity Challenge 97
• Soothe Your Soul 98
• Good Day Diary 99

Chapter 4 Traumatic Stress

• Personal Experiences
• Emotional Explorer 102
• Memories and Experiences 103
• My Experience 104
• Memories and Mood 105
• Safe Feelings and Responses 106
• Cognitive Reframing
• Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions 107
• Shaping Thoughts and Feelings 108
• Bad News Filter 109
• Partly Cloudy 110
• Resiliency Building
• Neutral Zone 111
• Stress Continuum 112
• Stress and Me Recorder 113
• Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Calm Feelings 114
• Coping Strategies for Stressful Feelings 115
• Stressful Reflection 116
• Wave Rider 117
• Feeling and Being 118
• Self Care
• Love, Me 119
• Fill Your Bucket 120
• Shield of Self-Belief 121
• 10 Mindful Steps 122

Chapter 5 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Focused and Distracted 124
• Quick Thinking and Impulsivity 125
• Inattention Tracker 126
• Restlessness Tracker 127
• Positive Reframing
• Focused on Strength: Defining Strengths 128
• Focused on Strength: Supporting Strengths 129
• Positive Altitudes 130
• Cheer Me On! 131
• Resiliency Building
• Post It, Hold It, or Delete It 132
• Thinking It Through 133
• Self-Monitoring Intervals 134
• Fidget Plan 135
• Mindful Movement Breaks 136
• Remind Me 137
• Weekly Warrior 138
• How Long Will It Take? 139
• On Time 140
• Chunk It 141
• Mindful Living
• Schedule a Test Drive 142
• Mindful Workspace 143
• A Place for Everything 144
• A Place for Everything Practice 145

Chapter 6 Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Self-Awareness
• Cover Letter 148
• Thriving Thinker 149
• Thriving Thinker: Needs and Reminders 150
• Sensory Profile 151
• Relationship Coaching
• Social Comfort Scale 152
• Social Schedule 153
• Social Activity Log 154
• Social Reminders 155
• Confidence in Real Life 156
• Confident Communicator 157
• Communication Limits 158
• Resiliency
• I Noticed… 159
• Choices 160
• My Go-To 162
• My Responsibility Reminder 163
• Adjusting to Expectations 164
• Sticky Situations 165
• Pocket of Sunshine 166
• Mindful Adaptations
• Next Steps 167
• Settings and Strategies 168
• Change of Plans! 169

Chapter 7 Anger and Related Behavior Disorders

• Range of Feelings
• Getting Acquainted: In Control vs. Out of Control 172
• Detecting Differences 174
• Frustrated Feelings and Responses 176
• Anger and Frustration Log 177
• Relationship Coaching
• Power of Empathy 178
• Family, Friends, and Colleagues 179
• Admit and Act 180
• My People 181
• My Apologies 182
• Resiliency Building
• Check Engine 183
• Warning Signs and Responses 184
• Before It's Too Late 185
• Success Planning 186
• Beneficial Behaviors 187
• Defusing Angry Energy 188
• Patient Response 190
• Mindful Learning
• Anger Outlets 191
• Get Grounded 192
• Follow Your Arrow 193
• Kudos! 194

"Once again, Dr. Phifer takes us from why and gives us the how. The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults provides a ready and valuable resource for the early career to advanced practitioner."
- Eric Rossen, PhD, NCSP, psychologist and author of Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals, 2nd edition.

"The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults is a must-have! The skill-building activities provide clinicians with tools to capitalize on clients’ strengths. Dr. Weed Phifer’s latest toolbox will not disappoint."
- Jessica Dirsmith, EdD, NCSP, clinical assistant professor, licensed psychologist, and co-author of Assessment and Identification of Students with Emotional Disturbance and Behavioral Needs

"The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults is essential for everyone coaching young adults towards their next steps in life. The activities are thoughtfully designed and scaffolded to promote consistent skill growth and foster independence. This affirming lens ensures that activities can be tailored to the unique profile of each individual. I am excited to incorporate these essential tools in the future."
- Laura K. Sibbald, MA, CCC-SLP, ASDCS, CYMHS, associate director of Disability Resources and Neurodiversity Initiatives at Chestnut Hill College, and co-author of Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Toolbox for Children & Adolescents and Parenting Toolbox.

"The CBT Toolbox for Young Adults provides functional activities to help prepare youth for adulthood. It includes easy-to-use tools for both clients and clinicians."
- Bethany Demers, MA, CAS, mental wellness specialist

"As a parent of two teenagers, I find this workbook incredibly helpful in teaching our kids healthy habits to manage the excitement and stress that comes with independence."
- Erika Dronen, parent