Labeling cognitive distortion worksheet
A core goal of many treatment plans is to support clients in strengthening their coping strategies, empowering them to use these skills to deal with overwhelming emotions and stressful situations.
Inspired by coping cards, this article provides a coping skills guide that can help clients with life’s challenges. We’ve included a free downloadable pocket support worksheet to create with clients and save to your electronic health record (EHR) for repeated use in your practice.
What is a pocket support worksheet?
A pocket support worksheet is a self-help reference list of coping strategies, much like coping cards, that reminds clients of all the ways they can take care of themselves in challenging situations.
Think of the pocket support worksheet as a coping skills guide that contains:
Inspiring quotes, mantras, or affirmations
Reminders of things you’ve overcome
Distress tolerance skills
Mindfulness tools, like short meditations or grounding exercises
Journal prompts
Boundary reminders
Supportive people to call
These support guides can help clients with anxiety, depression, worry, panic disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorder, and people working on anger management.
Example coping skills
Examples of practical coping skills to include in a coping skills guide or pocket support worksheet include:
Positive self-talk coping cards
Affirmations and mantras can be helpful for clients during heightened emotions and times of stress, such as:
This feeling will pass.
I can do this.
I can feel anger, sadness, and upset without acting on them.
I am safe.
I am not in danger.
I have overcome challenging things.
While this feels uncomfortable right now, it is only temporary.
I do not need to respond while feeling hurt.
Journal prompts for managing stress
What am I feeling right now?
Where do I notice this feeling or emotion in my body?
On a scale of one to ten, how intense is this feeling?
What happened leading up to this feeling?
Are there any thoughts or feelings exacerbating this?
Are those thoughts true? Do I have evidence to justify them?
What boundary has been crossed?
Is there an underlying need here?
What can I control in this situation?
How can I support myself through this?
What small action can I take right now to reassure or soothe my feelings?
Distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills
Deep breathing: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and breathe out for four seconds. Repeat five times or until feeling calmer.
5-4-3-2-1: Have clients name five things they see, four things they can touch, three things they hear, two things they smell, and one thing they taste.
Physical movement: Suggest two minutes of quick movement, like jogging on the spot or doing jumping jacks, to help discharge pent-up physical stress.
Emotional awareness: Encourage clients to get curious about their feelings. Using tools like an emotion faces card or emotions wheel can help identify where the feeling resides in the body and what it might be communicating.
Virtual boundary reminders: Help clients set up digital boundary cues—such as custom screen-time limits, calendar alerts, or automated lock-screen notes—before opening messaging apps or contacting stressful individuals.
Support people: Work together to identify three trusted individuals (friends, family members, or a partner) they can reach out to in times of distress.
Mood-boosting activities: Help clients build a list of enjoyable activities to draw from when they need an emotional lift, such as walking in nature, engaging in creative hobbies, or attending a meditation class.
How to use the pocket support worksheet
You can download and use the pocket support worksheet PDF in several ways:
Use the worksheet to provide psychoeducation about triggers and coping skills.
Complete the worksheet collaboratively in session and give the client a copy to take home.
Ask the client to reflect on the pocket support worksheet, complete the reflection questions between sessions, and report their findings at their next therapy appointment.
Use the worksheet as a coping skills guide in group therapy to encourage clients to share more about how they cope in different situations and to remind them of their strengths.
Combine this worksheet with other mental health worksheets, such as our daily mood chart, sleep diary template, behavior chart template, and CBT thought record.
Share the worksheet with coworkers or leave copies in your office.
Use this worksheet to provide training to interns or supervisees.
Sources
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Tips and strategies to manage anxiety and stress.
Pombo, E. (2019). Self-help techniques for coping with mental illness. National Alliance on Mental Illness.
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). I’m so stressed out fact sheet.
Montana School of Public Instruction. (n.d.) Mental Wellness Coping Statement Cards. Now is the Time Technical Assistance Center.
University of California, Santa Cruz. (n.d.). Coping cards for anxiety and difficult emotions.
Vivyan, C. (2011). Positive self-talk/coping thoughts worksheet.
How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice
SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.
If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.
Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.
