Something a lot of my clients struggle with is thought stopping. Thought stopping refers to shutting down a thought that is unpleasant, distressing, or uncomfortable. We are all constantly thinking, all the time, without even trying. Sometimes when a thought is upsetting, it can be hard to let it go.
Kids sometimes have trouble understanding that they could have a thought that they don’t want to have because thinking often feels deliberate, so I use this activity to help them see that thoughts can be automatic and not intentional. Then I use a mindful visualization activity to help them replace a “bad” thought with something calming or enjoyable.
You can create your own template or use the one I created below!
