Welcome to Groups

If you’re looking for something meaningful, easy to use, and grounded in solid research, here’s a great free tool you can introduce in group. This packet includes three printable, evidence-based exercises drawn from The Happiness Toolbox by Jonah Paquette, PsyD:

✨ Three Good Things (Gratitude Practice)A daily 10-minute reflection designed to shift attention away from negativity bias and increase positive emotion. Great for mood regulation and reframing.

🧘 Everyday Mindfulness A flexible, sensory-based activity that helps participants practice being present during simple daily routines—perfect for clients who need beginner-friendly mindfulness.

🐢 Slow and Steady Wins the Race (Optimism Practice)A goal-setting exercise that teaches how breaking big goals into smaller steps builds confidence and decreases pessimism.

These tools work well in psychoeducational groups, skills-based sessions, or as take-home practice to reinforce coping and wellness.

Feel free to use, print, or share in your groups!

Substance Use Disorder Criteria (DSM-5 Based)**

Understanding the underlying patterns of substance use is essential for building insight and motivation. This free worksheet provides a clear, evidence-based overview of the 11 DSM-5 criteria for Substance Use Disorders, complete with everyday examples to help group members connect the material to real life.

What This Worksheet Covers

Participants review each DSM-5 symptom area, including:

• Loss of control

• Unsuccessful attempts to cut down

When emotions run high, it helps to have practical ways to stay centered. This new resource from La Cheim Behavioral Health Services highlights 30+ evidence-based grounding and self-regulation techniques—simple actions like anchoring your body, making a self-hug, breathing deeply, or imagining peaceful scenes that can calm the nervous system and restore balance.

Perfect for group sessions or individual practice, these tools draw from somatic, CBT, and mindfulness approaches to help people reconnect with the present moment and regain a sense of control.

PDF DOWNLOAD:

Feeling emotions is one thing but then knowing what to do with them is another. This free worksheet offers a clear, practical framework for understanding and managing emotions instead of avoiding or reacting to them.

Help your clients move beyond emotional avoidance with this practical, easy-to-use worksheet. It guides them through observing, naming, and understanding their emotions then choosing healthy, values-based ways to respond.

Perfect for sessions focused on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, or self-awareness.

This Life Compass from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a great tool for helping clients clarify their core values and assess how closely their actions align with what truly matters. It’s simple, insightful, and easy to integrate into individual or group sessions focused on motivation, direction, or personal growth.

📎 Free PDF:

This week’s free worksheet focuses on two important tools: The ACE Score and Resilience Questionnaire — to help explore how early experiences and protective factors shape health, recovery, and growth.

These are great for group discussions on trauma awareness, self-reflection, and building resilience.

📄 Download it now -

Packed with 105 pages of clear, actionable content, this workbook provides handout-ready materials covering an extensive range of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy concepts for both learning and teaching

Free PDF Link -

https://www.lc-bhs.org/_files/ugd/6862c5_041b9e3eee9e42198824bf48c25c51f1.pdf

Looking for something simple and effective to help clients manage anger in the moment? This short, easy-to-use worksheet from the Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute offers practical tools like deep breathing, grounding, and positive self-talk.

👉 Download the PDF here

Cassie Jewell, a longtime friend and supporter of Taking the Escalator, is excited to share her new 12-Week Bereavement Group Curriculum, now available for purchase.

I’m excited to share my Coping with Loss: A 12-Week Bereavement Group Curriculum.

This comprehensive program is designed for counselors, therapists, social workers, and facilitators who want a structured yet flexible way to support people through grief. It includes:

• Weekly facilitator scripts and session outlines

• Participant workbook with activities, journaling prompts, and handouts

• Evidence-based tools for processing loss and building resilience