Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Kids: A DBT-Based Skills Workbook to Help Children Manage Mood Swings, Control Angry Outbursts, and Get Along with Others

by Jennifer J. Solin PsyD, Christina Kress MSW, LICSW

Overview

In this much-needed guide, two dialectical behavior therapists offer an activity-based workbook for kids who struggle with anger, mood-swings, and emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Using the skills outlined in this book, kids will be able to manage their emotions, get along with others, and do better in school.

Childhood can often be a time of intense emotions. But if your child’s emotions interfere with school, homework, or tests; alienate them from their peers; make it difficult to forge lasting friendships; or cause constant conflicts at home—it’s time to make a change. You need help to calm the chaos now, rather than later.

Building on the success of Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life and Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, this is the first dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) activity skills workbook designed especially for kids. Designed for children ages 7 to 12, this essential guide will help kids manage difficult emotions and get along better with others.

If you are frustrated or worried about your emotional child, the hands-on activities in this book—including child-friendly mindfulness practices—can help. By reading this book, kids will develop their own “skills tool box” for dealing with intense emotions as they arise, no matter where or when.

This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626258617
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	07/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	5 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jennifer J. Solin, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN. She has over ten years of experience working primarily with children and families, and six years of experience working primarily with adolescents and adults. Psychological services that Solin specializes in include: behavioral therapy (BT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and ritual/response prevention (EX/RP), prolonged exposure (PE), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), individual therapy, and group skills training. Solin also supervises graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and mental health practitioners, and has presented in various conferences, in addition to having provided didactic trainings to medical and mental health staff at local hospitals in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Christina L. Kress, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in St. Paul, MN. Kress has over twelve years of experience treating young children with play therapy and CBT, along with over four years’ experience treating adults using DBT. Kress presents annually at the Minnesota Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference, has been a guest lecturer at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, MN, and provides clinical supervision to mental health practitioners through her practice.

Christina Kress, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice near Minneapolis, MN. Kress has eighteen years of experience treating children and families using play therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), along with ten years of experience treating adults and teens using dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Kress presents annually at the Minnesota Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference; has been a guest lecturer at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, MN; and provides clinical supervision to mental health practitioners through her practice.

Table of Contents

A Note to Parents

Section 1 Mindfulness Activities

Activity 1 You Have Different Types of Thoughts 2

Activity 2 Facts and Feelings Are Not the Same 6

Activity 3 People Have Different Feelings 8

Activity 4 Creating a Full Mind 10

Activity 5 Putting Your Mind in the Present Moment 15

Activity 6 Putting Mindfulness All Together 17

Section 2 Understanding Your Feelings

Activity 7 Anger 22

Activity 8 Anxiety 26

Activity 9 Envy and Jealousy 31

Activity 10 Guilt and Shame 36

Activity 11 Feeling Overwhelmed and Excited 41

Activity 12 Love 46

Activity 13 Sadness 51

Activity 14 Happiness 56

Section 3 Working with Your Feelings

Activity 15 Thoughts or Feelings? 62

Activity 16 Why Do You Have Feelings? 65

Activity 17 Does Your Feeling Fit the Facts? 68

Activity 18 Feelings Are Constantly Changing 72

Activity 19 Dear Feeling … 74

Activity 20 You Don't Have to Act on Your Urge 77

Activity 21 Situation, Feeling, Intensity Game 80

Activity 22 Your Piggy Bank of Happy Moments 86

Section 4 Creating Your Skills Toolbox

Activity 23 Planting SEEDS in Your Skills Garden 90

Activity 24 Tools to Help You Shrink Your Feelings 94

Activity 25 BRAKE! 96

Activity 26 When Your Brain Overheats 98

Activity 27 Relaxing Your Muscles: Noodles, Noodles, Noodles 100

Activity 28 DISTRACT 104

Activity 29 Deep Breathing 108

Activity 30 You Have to DEAL 111

Section 5 Taking Your Tools on the Road

Activity 31 Planning Ahead for Big Feelings-PLAN 116

Activity 32 Getting What You Need from Others-PLEASE 120

Activity 33 Nurturing Relationships with Others-CARE 124

Activity 34 Setting Limits with Others-HALT 128

Activity 35 Your Superhero and Superpower 131

Section 6 Values and Goals

Activity 36 What Are Your Values? 136

Activity 37 What Are Your Goals'? 139

Activity 38 Overcoming Obstacles to Reach Big Goals 141

Activity 39 People Have Different Values and Goals 146

A Note of Congratulations 149

Additional Resources 151

Interviews

Rothschadl resides in St. Paul, MN; Kress resides in St. Paul, MN.

Editorial Reviews

Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Kids is a simple yet comprehensive tool facilitating meaningful dialogue between parents, caregivers, family members, and children for explaining and exploring emotions. The workbook discusses a variety of emotions using language geared towards children, and provides concrete examples of what emotions ‘look’ like while giving children the tools needed to identify and communicate their emotional experiences. The exercises are designed to teach the child using easily understandable concepts and ‘kid friendly,’ concrete exercises to help guide them through each concept. The activities are designed to facilitate an enriched learning experience, uniquely applicable to each child. The workbook is well written, and the authors are clearly compassionate and dedicated to helping children recognize their emotions and how those emotions impact the world around them.”
—Julie A. Vandermay, PsyD, MA, forensic neuropsychology resident at Natalis Counseling & Psychology Solutions


“Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Kids effectively conveys useful information about the challenging emotions children face, and ways for kids to deal with them in language far more accessible than most material available on these topics. As a plus, parents who assist their children in the useful exercises provided in the book may well find themselves picking up helpful tips for managing their own emotions as well!”
—Mark Carlson-Ghost, PhD, associate professor at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University-Twin Cities Campus



“Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Kids is a great resource for children in that it provides clear explanations to help them gain understanding about what emotions are and why we have them, and it and contains both fun and educational activities to assist them in learning how to express emotions more effectively. Parents will also benefit from this workbook because it provides them with clear, straightforward, age-appropriate language they can use to talk to their children about feelings in a manner that will facilitate an open dialogue and enhance the parent-child relationship.”  
—Ilyssa Siegel, PsyD, mental health practitioner at an addiction treatment center



“Very well done! I do dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with adults, and I could easily see the transition to kid-friendly language and concepts without losing any information. I think kids will be able to dive into these concepts quickly and easily. I can see this as being very helpful in a variety of settings.”
—Reena Pathak, PsyD, licensed psychologist



“Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Kids provides an easy-to-understand and effective set of tools to help kids navigate the complexities of emotions they may be struggling with. The tools help kids learn to understand, manage, and express their thoughts and feelings in ways that will help enhance their lives and reduce turmoil they might otherwise experience. These simple yet powerful tools draw from modern-day clinical methods which are helpful in reducing distress and increasing one’s ability to interact with others in meaningful ways.”
—Robert Hoppe, PsyD, licensed psychologist



“This workbook provides an excellent tool for professionals and parents alike to skillfully empower children to learn to manage difficult emotions through practical and engaging examples and activities.”
—Megan Thumann, PsyD, licensed psychologist and mother of four boys

From the Publisher