Taking the Escalator Articles

Every group includes participants with different personalities, comfort levels, life experiences, and readiness to share. Some enjoy speaking openly, while others need more time before they feel comfortable participating. One of the challenges of group facilitation is creating meaningful conversations without making participants feel pressured to disclose more than they are ready to share. Choose Your Depth was created to address that challenge. CLICK FOR VIDEO INTRODUCTION R

A counselor once asked a group a simple question: "What is the difference between going for a walk when you're stressed and having a drink when you're stressed?" The group quickly pointed out the obvious answer: one is healthy and one is unhealthy. But there was another answer hiding underneath. Both are distractions. Both help a person temporarily escape emotional discomfort. The real difference is what happens afterward. When people feel anxious, angry, lonely, stressed, bo

Trouble sleeping. Difficulty concentrating. Feeling overwhelmed. Low motivation. Many symptoms can have more than one cause. Click for Video Introduction For example, trouble sleeping might be related to anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, stress, or something else entirely. The symptom may look the same, but the story behind it can be very different. Understanding the difference has become increasingly important. As awareness of mental health, trauma, addiction, and

What would you be willing to pay for the life you want? Imagine you are given the opportunity to bid on some of life's biggest dreams and desires. A guaranteed soulmate. Perfect health. A long life. Fame. Financial wealth. A happy family. A meaningful purpose. You cannot buy everything. You must choose. That is the premise behind Dreams for Sale, a new interactive group activity designed to help participants explore what matters most to them while having fun in the process. A

One of the most important lessons we learn in behavioral health is that appearances can be deceiving. The person who seems calm may be battling severe anxiety. The person who looks successful may be carrying overwhelming shame. The individual who appears strong and independent may be struggling with loneliness, grief, depression, cravings, trauma, or self-doubt. Many of life's hardest battles are invisible - CLICK FOR VIDEO INTRO People often become remarkably skilled at hidi

At Taking the Escalator, some of our favorite ideas come directly from the creativity and feedback of our members. Recently, a member reached out looking for more art therapy-style activities that could still connect meaningfully to emotional insight, recovery, mental health, and group discussion. We appreciated the suggestion and decided to challenge ourselves to create something original in response. That led to the development of The Mansion of Emotion. CLICK FOR VIDEO INT

Sometimes the best group discussions do not start with the words addiction, mental health, or treatment. Sometimes they start with something much more relatable: Staying up too late Buying something you never use Saying “starting Monday” for the tenth time Feeling emotionally exhausted That is the idea behind “Been There, Done That” which is an interactive early intervention group activity designed to gently increase self-awareness while reducing defensiveness and shame Why

Most people only see part of who we are. They see the version we show publicly, how we act around others, what we post online, our routines, personality, humor, appearance, or the role we play in everyday life. But behind the scenes, many people carry stress, insecurities, fears, painful memories, pressure, loneliness, or emotions that others may never fully understand. VIDEO INTRO LINK - https://youtube.com/shorts/vDQY8X-B1mE?si=Rg5HnUXLoy1fxpl4 This worksheet uses the relat

While it is important not to push clients too hard or too fast, meaningful change and deeper conversations also do not usually happen through complete passivity. Sometimes progress requires gently moving the conversation forward and carefully exploring areas clients may naturally avoid. In this video, Ken uses a boxing analogy to explain this balance. Instead of going for the “knockout punch” too early, effective engagement often involves gentle “jabs”, small, thoughtful step

Most people don’t struggle with making decisions because they don’t know what to do. They struggle because they’re hearing multiple “voices” at the same time, each pulling them in a different direction. VIDEO INTRO - https://youtube.com/shorts/C93Lu37q2XQ?si=SPqwAwo16xFFELBO One voice pushes for immediate relief. Another warns about consequences. Another brings up fear, doubt, or past experiences. This new worksheet, Voices and Choices, helps break that process down in a way

Premium Members: Don’t overlook one of the most valuable tools available to you on the Premium Resource Hub. Along with your worksheets, you also have access to Facilitator Guides designed to help you run them more effectively in real clinical settings. These aren’t just instructions—they include: Practical ways to structure sessions Strategies to improve engagement Clinical insights grounded in evidence-based approaches (MI, CBT, harm reduction, and more) The goal is simple:

Not every group is ready for deep insight right away. Some groups are quieter, less engaged, or just not connecting with traditional ways of talking about addiction. This worksheet was created with that in mind. It breaks addiction down into something simple and non-threatening: how the brain can get “tricked.” Why This Worksheet Works This isn’t heavy or clinical. It’s designed to: Feel approachable and easy to understand Use real-life examples people relate to Open up discu

What Research Teaches Us About Behavior Change ▶️ Watch the short video intro here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o-r6PhWNb4U What do dogs, marshmallows, monkeys, and classroom studies have to do with real-life change?...More than you might think. Some of the most well-known experiments in psychology and behavioral science actually map closely onto the same struggles people deal with every day—feeling stuck, giving in to urges, comparing ourselves to others, or getting thro

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on building tools that make your job easier in real, practical ways—not just more content, but better ways to use what’s already there. Two new features are now live, and both are designed to help you think more clearly, move faster, and feel more confident in your clinical decisions. For Members: The Worksheet Recommendation Tool If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through worksheets thinking “I know there’s something perfect f

Ever have the thought: “If people really knew me… they wouldn’t think I’m doing this well.” That’s imposter syndrome—and it shows up more often than we think. In work. In relationships. Even in recovery. What This Covers This worksheet helps break it down in a real, usable way: Where it shows up What’s underneath it (comparison, perfectionism, self-doubt) Where it comes from How to challenge those thoughts and build something more accurate Including a simple but powerful refr