Trauma-Focused Approaches

This lesson uses a game-based approach to help two second-grade girls process trauma related to their biological parents. By engaging in a picture-based activity, the students will explore their feelings and thoughts in a safe and supportive environment. This lesson is important as it provides a gentle and interactive way for the students to express themselves and begin healing, using strategies that are accessible given their reading and spelling levels.

This two-session lesson is designed for a 13-year-old girl to explore and develop coping mechanisms after surviving trauma. The lesson aims to empower her with practical strategies to manage emotions and build resilience. Each session is 25 minutes long and includes a lesson plan, activity, and discussion to facilitate understanding and application of these vital skills.

This lesson introduces 10th grade students to grounding practices that can help manage trauma-related stress and anxiety. Through experiential learning and inquiry-based activities, students will explore techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method. This lesson is important as it equips students with practical tools to manage emotional distress, fostering resilience and emotional well-being.

This lesson aims to help 7th-grade students understand trauma and develop coping strategies. Through experiential and game-based learning, students will engage in activities that promote trauma-informed awareness and collaborative learning. This lesson is crucial for fostering resilience and emotional intelligence, equipping students with tools to manage stress and trauma effectively.

This lesson aims to help elementary teachers understand secondary trauma and provide practical strategies to manage it. Secondary trauma can significantly affect teacher well-being and their capacity to effectively support students. This brief discussion-focused lesson highlights the importance of self-care and peer support, promoting a supportive school environment.

This lesson is designed for 6th graders to help them understand and address their fears related to trauma. The objective is to provide students with strategies to manage their fears in a healthy way. The lesson will take approximately 15 minutes and includes a lesson plan, discussion, warm-up, and cool-down activities.

This lesson introduces grounding techniques to help students manage distressing emotions and memories. It is designed to support a 6th-grade boy in overcoming trauma from a robbery by teaching him practical coping strategies. The lesson is important as it empowers students with tools to handle emotional distress, promoting resilience and emotional well-being.

A focused session for students who have experienced trauma, helping them understand their emotions and reactions. This lesson is key to personal insight and emotional regulation.

In this Tier 3, single-session 60-minute lesson, teachers will guide an 11th-grade student through understanding and managing dissociation resulting from trauma. This trauma-informed session builds self-awareness, grounding skills, and coping strategies to empower the student to feel present and safe.

A 6-session, 30-minute Tier 3 support series guiding a high school female student through strategies to understand, confront, and overcome trauma-related fears. Through discussions, activities, games, and reflections, the student will build coping skills, self-awareness, and resilience to transform fear into personal strength.

In this one-on-one session, an 8th-grade student will learn healthy strategies to recognize self-harm triggers, practice coping skills, and build a personalized safety plan. This Tier 3 intervention empowers the student to manage difficult emotions and reduce self-harm urges—crucial for their well-being and resilience.

Teaching 3rd-grade students about healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress and trauma.

Educating students on the nature of trauma and its effects on victims of child abuse.

A one-on-one counseling session for 5th graders focused on identifying emotions and learning coping strategies. This Tier 3 individualized lesson empowers students to understand their feelings and practice tools for emotional regulation within 30 minutes.

This lesson plan is designed to educate teachers on the benefits of trauma-informed approaches in the classroom. By understanding and implementing these strategies, teachers can create a supportive and nurturing environment that enhances student learning and well-being. This lesson will help teachers recognize the impact of trauma on students and equip them with practical tools to foster a positive classroom atmosphere.

This lesson introduces students to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), focusing on the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Students will explore how these elements influence each other and learn practical strategies to manage stress and anxiety. This lesson is crucial for developing self-awareness and emotional regulation skills, which are essential for mental well-being and academic success.

An individualized CBT session guiding an 11th grade student through identifying and disputing core beliefs using targeted reading, worksheets, and reflection. This Tier 3 lesson deepens self-awareness and equips the student with practical CBT strategies in a single 55-minute session.

This single-session, 25-minute individual counseling lesson helps a 9th-grade student understand how trauma impacts brain function and stress responses. By simplifying complex neuroscience, it empowers students with insight into their own experiences and builds self-awareness.

This lesson aims to introduce second graders to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help them manage anxiety. Through a combination of game-based learning, experiential activities, and discussion, students will learn to identify anxious thoughts and practice calming strategies. This lesson is important as it equips young students with tools to manage their emotions, promoting emotional well-being and resilience.

An individualized 30-minute counseling session for an 8th-grade student focusing on deep breathing and grounding techniques to manage anxiety in real time. This Tier 3 lesson equips the student with on-the-spot tools for emotional regulation and fosters self-awareness and resilience.

In this 30-minute individual session, adults will learn core Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques to manage anxiety. This lesson is important because it equips participants with practical mindfulness and defusion strategies for real-life stressors, promoting psychological flexibility and well-being.

This 6-session individual lesson for a 6th-grade female student focuses on reducing anxiety, excessive worry, and overthinking using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions. Each 45-minute session is designed to empower the student with practical skills to manage anxiety, fostering emotional well-being and resilience.

A 4-session, 15-minute individual support program for a 2nd grader with trauma-related behaviors, focusing on building trust, emotional awareness, and coping skills. Through short, engaging activities like breathing exercises, emotion identification, and role-play, this series helps the student feel safe, understood, and empowered to manage anxiety and emotional outbursts.

A one-session, 30-minute individual intervention for adults focused on supporting a stepson struggling with depression and gambling. This targeted session guides caregivers through understanding, communicating, and applying evidence-based behavioral strategies to foster hope, establish boundaries, and promote healthy coping. It equips participants with practical tools to intervene effectively and compassionately.

This lesson will help elementary teachers understand secondary trauma and provide strategies to manage it. By addressing secondary trauma, teachers can improve their well-being and efficacy in the classroom.

An individual 15-minute SEL counseling session for a 7th grader to identify stress triggers and practice quick, evidence-based coping strategies like breathing and grounding. This targeted Tier 3 intervention helps students develop self-regulation tools they can use anytime to feel more in control and resilient.

In this 25-minute Tier 3 lesson, 5- to 10-year-old children of divorced parents will learn core ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) concepts—recognizing feelings, accepting difficult emotions, and committing to value-driven actions—through art, discussion, games, and a worksheet. This targeted session helps them build emotional resilience and creative coping skills in a supportive one-on-one setting.

This lesson helps individual students understand and confront their fears through cognitive-behavioral strategies. It is crucial for building confidence and resilience, specifically designed for a 10th-grade student. The lesson is structured for a 40-minute session, focusing on school psychology.

This three-session individual counseling series for 8th graders focuses on reframing negative thinking patterns into positive ones. It's crucial for developing emotional resilience and improving mental well-being. Each session lasts 30 minutes and is designed to provide personalized support and practical strategies for managing negative thoughts.

This lesson focuses on equipping veterans and their family members with the skills to develop a personalized Crisis Response Plan for suicide prevention. By understanding the components of a crisis plan and actively engaging in its creation, participants will gain a sense of control and preparedness for potential mental health crises. This lesson is crucial as it empowers individuals with practical tools and strategies to manage crises effectively, fostering resilience and mental well-being.

This lesson focuses on building resilience in students who have experienced trauma, providing them with tools to overcome challenges and setbacks. It's crucial for helping students develop coping strategies. Designed for a 7th-grade group, this 60-minute session is part of a Tier 2 support strategy.

This lesson involves a simulation-based activity where students role-play as grief counselors and clients. Through this exercise, students will learn effective communication and empathy skills, which are crucial for interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence. The lesson includes feedback sessions to help students reflect on their performance and improve their skills, making it a valuable experience for personal and professional development.

In this 30-minute Tier 3 session, mental health practitioners will learn strategies to support an adult client with schizophrenia and anxiety coping with a difficult breakup and co-parenting challenges. This targeted lesson provides trauma-sensitive communication techniques, evidence-based coping tools, and a structured plan to foster resilience and emotional stability.

This lesson is designed for a visually impaired student experiencing low self-esteem and emotional dysregulation. Over four 20-minute sessions, the student will learn and apply positive coping skills such as 'stop and think' strategies, 'I statements', anxiety coping skills, and grounding techniques. This lesson aims to empower the student to manage overwhelming scenarios and build resilience.

This follow-up individual counseling session aims to build on the previous lesson by introducing journaling and positive self-talk as additional strategies to manage overthinking. These techniques can help the student process thoughts and emotions more effectively, leading to improved mental well-being and focus.

This lesson aims to help 9th grade female students reduce symptoms of OCD through trauma-informed teaching strategies. By focusing on mindfulness and self-awareness, students will learn techniques to manage their symptoms, allowing them to better access classroom instruction. This lesson is important as it empowers students with tools to improve their mental health and academic performance.

This lesson focuses on helping a 4th-grade boy with trauma learn to manage his emotions through game-based learning and trauma-informed teaching. By using a video and interactive activities, the lesson aims to teach the student how to identify emotions, think about coping skills, and practice these skills in a supportive environment. This approach is crucial for building emotional resilience and providing the student with tools to handle challenging situations.

Single 30-minute Tier 2 small-group session on identifying and addressing the subtle, indirect harms of cyberbullying—such as exclusion, rumor-spreading, and online isolation. Participants will reflect, discuss real-world scenarios, and develop concrete strategies to promote inclusion and digital wellbeing.

This lesson introduces 7th graders to the concept of trauma and its somatic symptoms, focusing on PTSD. Using a video and guided discussion, students will explore how trauma affects the body and mind. This lesson is crucial for building awareness and empathy, helping students recognize symptoms in themselves or others, and encouraging them to seek help if needed.

In this high school lesson, students will explore the concept of trauma, distinguishing between what trauma is and what it is not, and learn how to apply trauma-informed practices while maintaining expectations. This lesson is crucial for fostering empathy and understanding in students, equipping them with the skills to support peers and themselves in a compassionate manner. The lesson will be conducted in one 45-minute session and is designed for a classroom-wide audience.

This lesson plan is designed to educate teachers about trauma-informed education, focusing on understanding trauma's impact on students and implementing supportive teaching strategies. Through discussion, experiential learning, and video segments, teachers will gain insights into creating a safe and supportive learning environment. This lesson is crucial for fostering empathy and understanding in educational settings, ultimately benefiting students who have experienced trauma.

Over 10 weeks of 30-minute one-on-one sessions teaching a 5th grade student CBIT strategies to manage Tourette’s and co-occurring ADHD. This Tier 3 plan provides personalized support, self-awareness tools, habit-reversal techniques, and relaxation methods from the Tourette Association of America.

A one-session, 30-minute individual counseling lesson for 6th graders focused on mental health counseling and building personal coping strategies. This Tier 3 lesson helps students identify emotions, learn coping tools, and practice self-talk to manage stress and anxiety.

A 30-minute individual support session guiding 8th graders through understanding and coping with grief. This session helps students recognize grief emotions, learn healthy coping strategies, and create personal action plans for emotional support. Appropriate for Tier 3 one-on-one counseling.

This lesson is designed for 1st to 3rd grade students with special needs and behavior challenges. The objective is to engage students in a fun, collaborative, and hands-on activity that helps them understand the connection between helpful and unhelpful thoughts and their feelings and behaviors using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. The lesson is designed to be completed in 15 minutes.

An individualized 30-minute session for a 9th grade student focused on identifying personal risk factors, protective factors, and triggers, culminating in a personalized safety plan. This Tier 3 counseling intervention helps students gain self-awareness and equips them with tools to manage crises.

This lesson aims to provide middle school students with a supportive environment to process emotions after witnessing a traumatic event. It incorporates trauma-informed teaching strategies to help students feel safe and understood. The lesson includes a brief discussion, a reading, and a video to introduce coping mechanisms and emotional management.

In this 30-minute individual session, the student will learn strategies to recognize and manage anger using relatable soccer metaphors and interactive exercises. This lesson is crucial for helping the student process trauma, build emotional regulation skills, and feel empowered to 'score' positive reactions instead of frustration.

This whole-class lesson explores how trauma affects behavior and learning, helping students recognize responses and build empathy. It's crucial for creating a trauma-informed classroom climate. Audience: 6th grade, 1 session (45 minutes).

A three-session individualized coaching program guiding a overwhelmed mother with bipolar disorder to actively listen to her child’s feelings and manage her mental health. This Tier 3 intervention focuses on practical skills, self-care strategies, and communication exercises to strengthen the parent-child bond and support emotional well-being.

In this detective-themed individual counseling session, a 5th grade student will track anxious thoughts like clues and learn strategies to ‘catch’ and challenge them. This 45-minute Tier 3 activity helps build coping skills and self-awareness in a personalized, engaging format.

This lesson focuses on helping students manage their responses to social and environmental triggers through cognitive exposure and practice. By using trauma-informed teaching, active learning, and project-based learning strategies, students will engage in activities that promote self-regulation and safe behavior responses. This lesson is crucial for developing emotional intelligence and resilience, enabling students to navigate challenging situations effectively.

Dive into identifying common triggers and practicing targeted coping tactics through interactive scenarios, paving the way for proactive behavior management in a one-on-one setting with a 6th grade student. This Tier 3 behavioral support lesson helps students recognize personal triggers and apply coping strategies, fostering self-awareness and goal-oriented behavior over a 55-minute session.

This 2-session individual Tier 3 lesson helps second graders recognize and name stress and fear—especially in situations like moving or immigration—and practice two key coping strategies (deep breathing and talking through worries). Learners will engage with an illustrated story, guided discussions, role-play, and drawing activities in two 15-minute sessions.

This lesson aims to equip 10th-grade students with practical strategies to cope with anxiety. By engaging in a discussion, watching a video, and participating in an activity, students will learn to identify anxiety triggers and apply coping mechanisms. This lesson is crucial as it empowers students to manage their mental health effectively, fostering resilience and emotional well-being.

Identify personal emotional triggers and learn strategies to cope with them. This lesson is essential for developing personalized emotional regulation techniques.

A guided individual counseling session using open-ended questions and reflective exercises to help a student articulate and manage emotions. This Tier 3 session is designed for an 8th grade student and takes 30 minutes, focusing on individual counseling techniques to foster self-awareness and emotional regulation.

This lesson introduces 4th graders to the concept of intrusive thoughts and how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help manage them. Through experiential learning and collaborative activities, students will explore examples of intrusive thoughts and discuss strategies to cope with them. This lesson is important as it helps students understand their thoughts and emotions, promoting mental health awareness and emotional regulation.

This lesson aims to build on the impulse control strategies previously learned by focusing on emotional resilience and self-regulation. The student will engage in activities that promote understanding and managing emotions, including a video discussion, a role-playing exercise, and a reflective worksheet. This lesson is important as it helps the student develop a deeper understanding of their emotions and equips them with tools to handle challenging situations more effectively.

This 50-minute one-on-one counseling session helps a 10th grade student explore feelings of being stuck, identify personal barriers to motivation, and craft actionable strategies for forward momentum. It’s designed as an intensive Tier 3 intervention to empower individual growth and goal achievement.

This lesson is designed for a one-on-one counseling session with a 4th-grade student. The focus is on helping the student identify five coping strategies they can use when experiencing heightened emotions. This lesson is important as it equips the student with practical tools to manage their emotions, promoting emotional regulation and resilience.

A 60-minute individual counseling session for a 6th grader focused on self-regulation through guided relaxation and visualization. In this Tier 3 intervention, the student will learn to use a personalized Calm Circle diagram to calm their mind and body, promoting emotional awareness and coping skills.

This lesson is designed to provide middle school students with a safe space to discuss and understand the impact of parent addiction. Through trauma-informed teaching and active learning strategies, students will engage in a discussion, activity, and reading to explore their feelings and learn coping strategies. This lesson is crucial in helping students process their emotions, build resilience, and develop a supportive community among peers.

This lesson focuses on teaching students emotional regulation strategies through a combination of video content and interactive discussion. By understanding and practicing these strategies, students can better manage their emotions in various situations, leading to improved mental health and interpersonal relationships. This lesson is crucial as it equips students with tools to handle emotional challenges effectively, fostering resilience and emotional intelligence.

Mindful Moments guides a small group of 4th graders through simple, 25-minute mindfulness exercises each session to help manage anxiety and improve focus. This Tier 2 counseling & therapy intervention equips students with tools they can use both in and out of the classroom, fostering self-regulation and emotional awareness.

An individualized 25-minute session for an 11th-grade student using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy techniques to strengthen present-moment focus and acceptance. This Tier 3 lesson provides a structured worksheet for prompts, a reflective journal, and a guided script for one-on-one coaching to support mindful awareness.

This lesson explores the role of counseling services in shaping students' identities and experiences in public schools. It is designed for adults, focusing on how counseling can support the development of well-rounded individuals in a diverse society. The session will last 30 minutes and is crucial for understanding the integration of counseling in educational settings.

A 90-minute individual Tier 3 session designed for a 7th-grade student with autism focusing on reducing profanity, spitting, and disrespectful behavior by building self-control, empathy, and understanding the impact of actions on others—especially his pregnant mother.

This series of play therapy lessons is designed for second-grade students to explore emotions, build social skills, and enhance self-awareness through play. Each session incorporates experiential learning, trauma-informed teaching, and collaborative learning strategies to create a safe and engaging environment. These lessons are crucial for fostering emotional resilience and promoting positive interactions among students. Trauma-informed practices are integrated to ensure a supportive and healing environment, focusing on safety, trust, and empowerment.

Equip students with emotional coping skills for when they encounter personal challenges. They will learn practical strategies for immediate emotional support, fostering resilience and a positive mental health framework.