Adolescent Psychotherapy Homework Planner

ARTHUR E. JONGSMA, Jr., PhD, is Series Editor of the bestselling PracticePlanners®. He has over five decades experience providing mental health services to inpatient and outpatient clients. He has authored or co-authored over fifty books.

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

WILLIAM P. McINNIS, PsyD, is a private practitioner with Aspen Psychological Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is co-author of the Adolescent Psychotherapy Treatment Planner.

About the Downloadable Assignments

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: Bullying/Aggression Perpetrator        110

Exercise #.A        Apology Letter for Bullying           111

Exercise #.B        Bullying Incident Report 113

Exercise #.C        Factors Contributing to Bullying

SECTION 10: Bullying/Aggression Victim 110

Exercise #.A        Calm Response to Verbal Bullying              111

Exercise #.B        Effective Ways to Manage Cyberbullying               113

Exercise #.C        Identify the Impact of Bullying

SECTION 11: 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 12: Depression-Unipolar             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

SECTION 13: 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 14: 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 15: Gender Dysphoria

Exercise ##.A     Exploring Development of Gender Identity ###

Exercise ##.B      Current Experience of Gender Identity ###

Exercise ##.C      Gender Identity: Future Me        ###

SECTION 16: 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 17: 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 18: Loneliness

Exercise 14.A  What Do I Value?

Exercise 14.B   Practice Being Mindful

Exercise 14.C.  Fusing And Defusing: What?

SECTION 19: 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 20: 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 21: 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 22: 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 23: Opioid Use ###

Exercise ##.A     How My Thoughts And Feelings Link ###

Exercise ##.B     Am I Ready For A Change?###

Exercise ##.C      How Do I Live With Chronic Pain?###

SECTION 24: 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 25: 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 26: Panic/Agoraphobia                271

Exercise 20.A      Panic Attack Rating Form              272

Exercise 20.B      Panic Survey      276

SECTION 27: 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 28: 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 29: 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 30: 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 31: 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 32: Schizophrenia Spectrum      343

Exercise 25.A      Describe Your Hallucinations       344

Exercise 25.B      My Irrational Thoughts  347

Exercise 25.C      Recognizing Early Warning Signs                350

SECTION 33: 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 34: 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 35: 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 36: 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 37: 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 38: Sleep Disturbance ###

Exercise ##.A     Sleep Assessment ###

Exercise ##.B     My Plan For Better Sleep###

Exercise ##.C      Maintaining My Therapeutic Gains###

SECTION 39: 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 40:  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 41: 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 42: 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

 

 

 

APPENDIX A:  Alternate Assignments for Presenting Problems     525

APPENDIX B:  Alphabetical Index of Exercises       541

TIMOTHY J. BRUCE, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.