Weekly mood tracker worksheet
This article provides an overview of how to create a support system using a support system worksheet as well as tips for therapists to share social support worksheets with clients.
We’ve included a free downloadable support system worksheet to save to your electronic health record (EHR) and use in your therapy practice.
Social support significantly enhances mental and physical health, highlighting the importance of developing a strong social community and developing supportive networks through the use of a support system worksheet.
What is a support system?
A support system is a network of people you can lean on for emotional, practical, spiritual, or religious support.
Research shows that having a support network is associated with improved health and well-being and several other benefits (called protective factors), including:
Helping to navigate difficult emotions or situations
Feeling connected and a sense of belonging
Making complex decisions
Protecting against developing trauma-related conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Recovery from mental health or physical health conditions, such as trauma or surgery
Building resilience and provides emotional regulation to help cope with stressors
Reducing the risk of engaging in risky behaviors
Perceiving that you have social support and that you’ll have help if needed is also linked to positive health outcomes.
A lack of social support, however, is associated with increased physical illness and mortality.
One study found men and women without a social network were 1.9 to 3 times more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases compared to those with more social contacts.
Support people might include family, friends, mentors, coworkers, neighbors, careworkers, therapists, counselors, the local community, or support groups. The support system worksheet will help you identify who fills these roles in your life.
Types of support include:
Emotional support: Providing comfort, encouragement, empathy, safety, security, and listening to someone share their problems and challenges
Informational support: Offering advice, feedback, and guidance
Esteem support: Increasing the person’s sense of self and their abilities
Practical support: Childcare, running errands, financial assistance, transportation, and providing meals
Tips to build a support system
Our support network worksheet can help your clients create their support system.
The support system worksheet guides clients through the following steps:
1. Identify support networks
When building a support network, think about two types of support:
Buffering support: These people can help at times of high stress, such as therapists, counselors, or coaches, who can provide perspective, strategies, and nonjudgmental space.
Main support: These are people who are available most of the time, such as friends, family members, coworkers, etc.
2. Start with who you know
Complete the support system worksheet to identify people in your life who are supportive, whom you might reach out to for advice, and who are reliable.
It might be helpful to remember that people may not know you would like connection and support unless you tell them.
3. Reach out regularly
Stay in touch, even with a brief text message, to check in and see how they are or to share a local event they might be interested in.
Make time for small interactions, such as meeting for a coffee, going for a walk together, or talking on a phone call, and list these in your social support worksheet.
4. Join groups or communities
Look for interest-based groups, clubs, or support groups (online or in-person), and write those down in the social support worksheet.
This might include:
Volunteering at local organizations, like food banks, shelters, or neighborhood cleanups
Community events to meet people that you can connect with
5. Be a supportive friend
Ask them how they would like to receive support.
Listen actively and be present without constantly trying to “fix” things or tell them what they need.
6. Know when to ask for help
For example, someone might express: “I’m struggling—can I talk to you?” or “I’m having surgery in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you’d be able to help me with a few practical things, like taking out the trash?”
Remember that people often appreciate being trusted and appreciated enough to help.
How to use the support system worksheets
You can download and use the social support worksheet in several ways.
For example, print or screen share the social support worksheet to provide psychoeducational information about the benefits of a social network on mental health and resilience.
Share the support system worksheet with the client to remind them of what you discussed during therapy.
Work on filling out the “My support system” worksheet with the client during the session. They can then take it home as a visual reminder.
Ask the client to complete the building a support system worksheet between sessions and report their progress at their next therapy appointment.
Sources
Drageset, J. (2021). Social support. In G. Haugan & M. Eriksson (Eds.), Health promotion in health care – Vital theories and research (Chap. 11). Springer.
Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress: from neurobiology to clinical practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), 4(5), 35–40.
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.
