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Books published by publisher Instant Help

  • The Teen Girl's Survival Guide: Ten Tips for Making Friends, Avoiding Drama, and Coping with Social Stress

    Lucie Hemmen PhD

    Paperback (Instant Help, Nov. 1, 2015)
    As a teen girl, you are likely feeling pressure and stress from every direction. Having good, healthy relationships with friends you can count on makes all the difference. In this guide, psychologist and teen expert Lucie Hemmen offers ten tips to guide you toward creating and maintaining the social life you want. Even better, the real experts that make this guide special are older teen girls who have recently been where you are now—and have plenty to say about it. As you move through this fun and engaging guide, you will get a sense of who you are as a friend, appreciate authentic qualities you can share with others, and get moving toward expanding the quality and quantity of your social connections. Before you know it, small steps will lead to big changes and you will find yourself more confident, connected, and happy. Grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the ten tips guide you in developing yourself in both simple and significant ways. You will engage in thought-provoking exercises and take fun quizzes spaced between tips to get you thinking more deeply about yourself and others. If you’re ready to get going on your social life, this book will show you the way.
  • Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Helping You Manage Mood Swings, Control Angry Outbursts, and ... with Others

    Sheri Van Dijk MSW

    Paperback (Instant Help, March 1, 2011)
    Let's face it: life gives you plenty of reasons to get angry, sad, scared, and frustrated-and those feelings are okay. But sometimes it can feel like your emotions are taking over, spinning out of control with a mind of their own. To make matters worse, these overwhelming emotions might be interfering with school, causing trouble in your relationships, and preventing you from living a happier life. Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens is a workbook that can help. In this book, you'll find new ways of managing your feelings so that you'll be ready to handle anything life sends your way. Based in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of therapy designed to help people who have a hard time handling their intense emotions, this workbook helps you learn the skills you need to ride the ups and downs of life with grace and confidence. This book offers easy techniques to help you: •Stay calm and mindful in difficult situations •Effectively manage out-of-control emotions •Reduce the pain of intense emotions •Get along with family and friends
  • Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens: A Workbook to Break the Nine Thought Habits That Are Holding You Back

    Mary Karapetian Alvord PhD, Anne McGrath MA

    Paperback (Instant Help, July 1, 2017)
    You aren’t what you think! For teens with negative thinking habits, a licensed psychologist and a health journalist offer cognitive restructuring—a simple and effective cognitive behavioral approach to help you break free from the nine most common negative thinking habits that typically result in feeling sad, worried, angry, and stressed.This workbook offers a powerful technique called cognitive restructuring to help you reframe your thoughts, regulate your emotions, become a more flexible thinker, and stop letting your thoughts define who you are and how you feel. You’ll learn to target the nine specific kinds of negative thinking habits that can cause you to worry or feel bad, such as the I can’t habit, the doom and gloom habit, the all or nothing habit, the jumping to conclusions habit, and more!Each chapter will walk you through simple explanations of each kind of negative thought, and offers real-life examples—as well as the sorts of behaviors, emotions, and bodily sensations that might be expected. You'll also gain an understanding of unhelpful or unrealistic thoughts, how to challenge them, how to replace them with more realistic and helpful thoughts, and an action plan for moving forward.By recognizing these negative thinking habits, you’ll feel more in control and less anxious and sad. Most importantly, you’ll be able to see yourself and the world more clearly. Your thoughts don’t have to define who you are and how you experience life. The transdiagnostic approach in this book will show you how to kick negative thinking habits to the curb for good!This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.
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  • The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Build Confidence and Achieve Your Goals

    Lisa M. Schab LCSW

    Paperback (Instant Help, June 1, 2013)
    Named in Tutorful’s Best Child Self-Esteem Boosters/Resources 2018 As a teen, it is incredibly important to have self-confidence, especially when you consider societal pressures about appearance and grades. Just growing up is difficult in and of itself, and in the midst of all this life-related stress, you may not be seeing yourself clearly. In fact, you may be magnifying your weaknesses and minimizing—or even ignoring—your true assets.Psychologists believe that low self-esteem is at the root of many emotional problems. When you have healthy self-esteem, you feel good about yourself and see yourself as deserving of the respect of others. When you have low self-esteem, you put little value on your opinions and ideas, and may find yourself fading into the background of life. Without some measure of self-worth, you cannot accomplish your goals.In The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens, you will learn to develop a healthy, realistic view of yourself that includes honest assessments of your weaknesses and strengths, and you will learn to respect yourself, faults and all. You will also learn the difference between self-esteem and being self-centered, self-absorbed, or selfish. Finally, this book will show you how to distinguish the outer appearance of confidence from the quiet, steady, inner acceptance and humility of true self-esteem.The book also includes practical exercises to help you deal with setbacks and self-doubt, skills for dealing with criticism, and activities that will aid in the development of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-worth. With the right amount of self-confidence, you will have the emotional resources you need to reach your goals.
  • The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens: A Non-Diet, Body Positive Approach to Building a Healthy Relationship with Food

    Elyse Resch

    Paperback (Instant Help, April 1, 2019)
    A new, non-diet approach to adopting healthy eating habits! Drawing on the same evidence-based practices introduced in Intuitive Eating, this workbook for teens addresses the ten principles of intuitive eating to help you listen to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. Do you struggle with stress eating, overeating, emotional eating, or binge eating? You aren’t alone. Sometimes, when we’re not feeling so good, food can seem like a great comfort. The problem is that over time, overeating can lead to several physical health problems, as well as depression and lowered self-esteem. So, how can you put a stop to unhealthy eating behaviors before they become ingrained, lifelong habits?With this breakthrough workbook, you’ll learn to notice and respect your body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, find real eating satisfaction, cultivate body positivity, and build a profound connection to your mind and body for years to come. Each chapter includes an important principle of intuitive eating, and includes worksheets and activities to help you connect with and deepen your skills.Whether you’re a teen, a parent, a clinician, or a certified intuitive eating counselor, this proven-effective workbook is an essential resource.
  • The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens: CBT and ACT Skills to Help You Build Social Confidence

    Jennifer Shannon LMFT, Doug Shannon, Christine Padesky

    Paperback (Instant Help, June 1, 2012)
    Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just flick a switch and make your shyness go away? No more worrying about what others think about you, no more embarrassment in front of other people. You could just relax and feel comfortable and confident, the way you probably think everyone else feels. If you struggle with shyness, you’re all too familiar with the feeling of not knowing what to do or say, and you’ll do anything to avoid feeling that way. But, most likely, you also know that you’re missing out on a lot―friendships, potential relationships, and fun. You’ve chosen this book because you’re ready to stop hiding behind your shyness and start enjoying everything life has to offer. The worksheets and exercises in The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens will help you learn to handle awkward social situations with grace and confidence, so you can make real connections with people you want to get to know. Based in proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the skills you learn will also help you speak up for yourself when you need to and stop dreading class projects that put you on the spot. Actually, there’s no aspect of your life that this workbook won’t help. So why let shyness rule your life one day longer? Let this workbook guide the way to a more confident, outgoing you.
  • The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity

    Rylan Jay Testa PhD, Deborah Coolhart PhD LMFT, Jayme Peta MA MS, Arlene Istar Lev LCSW-R CASAC, Ryan K Sallans MA

    Paperback (Instant Help, Dec. 1, 2015)
    This one-of-a-kind, comprehensive workbook will help you navigate your gender identity and expression at home, in school, and with peers. If you are a transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) teen, you may experience unique challenges with identity and interpersonal relationships. In addition to experiencing common teen challenges such as body changes and peer pressure, you may be wondering how to express your unique identity to others. The Gender Quest Workbook incorporates skills, exercises, and activities from evidence-based therapies—such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—to help you address the broad range of struggles you may encounter related to gender identity, such as anxiety, isolation, fear, and even depression. Despite outdated beliefs, gender no longer implies being simply male or female, but rather a whole spectrum of possibilities. This fun, engaging workbook is designed specifically for teens like you who want to explore the concept of gender and gender identity and expression—whether you already identify as TGNC or are simply questioning your gender identity. The activities in this book will help you explore your identity internally, interpersonally, and culturally. And along the way, you’ll learn how to effectively express yourself and make informed decisions on how to navigate your gender with family, friends, classmates, and coworkers. The book also includes chapters on sex and dating, balancing multiple identities, and how to deal with stressful challenges when they arise.The Gender Quest Workbook also features a brief downloadable guide for clinicians that explains ways professionals can better serve gender-expansive youth. The guide will address ways to help youth working with gender identity build resilience against gender minority stress, among other topics.This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.
  • Just As You Are: A Teen’s Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem

    Michelle Skeen PsyD, Kelly Skeen

    Paperback (Instant Help, July 1, 2018)
    Stop comparing yourself to others—you’re special just as you are! In this fun, practical guide, you’ll learn how to silence your nit-picky inner critic, cultivate self-compassion, and discover what really matters to you.If you’re like many teens, you probably feel pressured to live up to the impossible standards set by our culture, the media, and even by your peers. After all, everyone wants perfect hair, a perfect body, cool friends, and good grades. But while it’s okay to strive to be your best, it’s also easy to get caught up in a never-ending comparison game that can feed your inner critic and rob you of your happiness. So, how can you break free from negative self-criticism and learn to appreciate your strengths?In Just As You Are, psychologist Michelle Skeen and her daughter, Kelly Skeen, offer simple tips to help you overcome feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, stop comparing yourself to others, and be more open and accepting of all aspects of who you are. You’ll also learn how to be more aware of your thoughts and feelings in the moment using powerful mindfulness tools, and build a plan of action for the future based on your values.Sometimes it’s hard to see yourself with clarity and kindness. With this important guide, you’ll learn to move past your faults, celebrate your true strengths, and discover what really matters in your life. What are you waiting for?
  • I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Mad: A Workbook to Help Kids Control Their Anger

    Lawrence E. Shapiro PhD, Zack Pelta-Heller, Anna F. Greenwald

    Paperback (Instant Help, June 1, 2008)
    Most children learn to stop throwing temper tantrums, talking back, and refusing to go to bed or take a bath at an early age. But some children have trouble with impulsivity and self-control. Left unaddressed, these issues can lead to some very serious problems in adolescence and adulthood. Anger control problems are the number one reason that children are referred for therapy, affecting children as young as three years old. Since anger problems in children may indicate other significant concerns, it pays to address anger in kids as soon as possible. If a child in your life has an anger problem, you need the friendly, effective activities in this book.I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Mad contains forty activities for issues such as recognizing anger triggers, better problem solving, and communication tips for defusing conflict before it gets out of hand. The workbook explores common lifestyle issues such as lack of sleep that can make anger problems worse. These fun activities will help kids talk about their feelings and learn to control them.
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  • Stuff That Sucks: A Teen's Guide to Accepting What You Can't Change and Committing to What You Can

    Ben Sedley PhD

    Paperback (Instant Help, March 1, 2017)
    Sometimes everything sucks. This unique, illustrated guide will help you move past negative thoughts and feelings and discover what truly matters to you.If you struggle with negative thoughts and emotions, you should know that your pain is real. No one should try to diminish it. Sometimes stuff really does suck and we have to acknowledge it. Worry, sadness, loneliness, anger, and shame are big and important, but they can also get in the way of what really matters. What if, instead of fighting your pain, you realized what really matters to you—and put those things first in life? If you did that, maybe your pain wouldn’t feel so big anymore. Isn’t it worth a try?Stuff That Sucks offers a compassionate and validating guide to accepting emotions, rather than struggling against them. With this book as your guide, you’ll learn to prioritize your thoughts, feelings, and values. You’ll figure out what you care about the most, and then start caring some more! The skills you’ll learn are based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Yes, there are a few written exercises, but this isn’t a workbook. It’s a journey into the stuff that sucks, what makes that sucky stuff suck even more, and how just a few moments each day with the stuff that matters will ultimately transform the stuff that sucks into stuff that is just stuff. Make sense?Maybe you want to be more creative? Or maybe you simply want to do better in school or be a better friend? This book will show you how to focus on what you really care about, so that all that other sucky stuff doesn’t seem so, well, sucky anymore.
  • The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness and Compassion Skills to Overcome Self-Criticism and Embrace Who You Are

    Karen Bluth PhD, Kristin Neff PhD

    Paperback (Instant Help, Dec. 1, 2017)
    Your teen years are a time of change, growth, and—all too often—psychological struggle. To make matters worse, you are often your own worst critic. The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens offers valuable tools based in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you overcome self-judgment and self-criticism, cultivate compassion toward yourself and others, and embrace who you really are.As a teen, you’re going through major changes—both physically and mentally. These changes can have a dramatic effect on how you perceive, understand, and interpret the world around you, leaving you feeling stressed and anxious. Additionally, you may also find yourself comparing yourself to others—whether its friends, classmates, or celebrities and models. And all of this comparison can leave you feeling like you just aren’t enough. So, how can you move past feelings of stress and insecurity and start living the life you really want?Written by psychologist Karen Bluth and based on practices adapted from Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer’s Mindful Self-Compassion program, this workbook offers fun and tactile exercises grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you cope more effectively with the ongoing challenges of day-to-day life. You’ll learn how to be present with difficult emotions, and respond to these emotions with greater kindness and self-care. By practicing these activities and meditations, you’ll learn specific tools to help you navigate the emotional ups and downs of the teen years with greater ease.Life is imperfect—and so are we. But if you’re ready to move past self-criticism and self-judgment and embrace your unique self, this compassionate guide will light the way.
  • The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed World

    Julia V. Taylor PhD, Melissa Atkins Wardy

    Paperback (Instant Help, Dec. 1, 2014)
    Like most teens, you want to feel good about the way you look. But what happens when the way you look just doesn’t feel good enough? Whether it’s online, on TV, or in magazines, images of impossibly perfect―and mostly Photoshopped―young women are everywhere. As a result, you may feel an intense pressure to look a certain way. Your friends feel the pressure too, which often creates a secret comparison competition that can make you feel worse about yourself. So how can you start feeling good about who you are, as is? In The Body Image Workbook for Teens, you’ll find practical exercises and tips that address the most common factors that can lead to negative body image, including: comparison, negative self-talk, unrealistic media images, societal and family pressures, perfectionism, toxic friendships, and a fear of disappointing others. You’ll also learn powerful coping strategies to deal with the daily, intense pressures of being a teenage girl. Being a teen girl in today’s world is hard, and no one knows that more than you. But if you are ready to stop comparing yourself to others, silence your inner critic, and build authentic, lasting self-confidence―this book is your go-to guide.