ARTHUR E. JONGSMA, JR., PhD, is Series Editor for the bestselling Practice Planners®. He has fifty years of experience providing professional mental health services to inpatient and outpatient clients. He founded and directed Psychological Consultants, a group private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan for 25 years. TIMOTHY J. BRUCE, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Dr. Bruce has received over 60 awards during his career for his work in educational administration, teaching, and the evidence-based practice of clinical psychology.

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• About the Downloadable Assignments xiiiPracticePlanners® Series Preface xvAcknowledgments xviiIntroduction 1Section 1: Anger Control Problems 4Exercise 1.A Alternatives to Destructive Anger 5Exercise 1.B Anger Journal 9Exercise 1.C Assertive Communication of Anger 12Section 2: Antisocial Behavior 14Exercise 2.A How I Have Hurt Others 15Exercise 2.B Letter of Apology 18Exercise 2.C Three Acts of Kindness 20Section 3: Anxiety 21Exercise 3.A Analyze the Probability of a Feared Event 22Exercise 3.B Past Successful Anxiety Coping 25Exercise 3.C Worry Time 28Section 4: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—Adult 30Exercise 4.A Problem-Solving: An Alternative to Impulsive Action 31Exercise 4.B Self-Monitoring/Self-Reward Program 35Exercise 4.C Symptoms and Fixes for ADHD 39Section 5: Bipolar Disorder—Depression 42Exercise 5.A Early Warning Signs of Depression 43Exercise 5.B Identifying and Handling Triggers 46Section 6: Bipolar Disorder—Mania 50Exercise 6.A Keeping a Daily Rhythm 52Exercise 6.B Recognizing the Negative Consequences of Impulsive Behavior 58Exercise 6.C What Are My Good Qualities? 62Exercise 6.D Why I Dislike Taking My Medication 66Section 7: Borderline Personality Disorder 68Exercise 7.A Journal and Replace Self-Defeating Thoughts 69Exercise 7.B Plan Before Acting 76Section 8: Childhood Trauma 78Exercise 8.A Changing From Victim to Survivor 79Exercise 8.B Deep Breathing Exercise 83Exercise 8.C Feelings and Forgiveness Letter 86Section 9: Chronic Pain 89Exercise 9.A Pain and Stress Journal 90Section 10: Cognitive Deficits 92Exercise 10.A Memory Aid—Personal Information Organizer 93Exercise 10.B Memory Enhancement Techniques 98Section 11: Dependency 101Exercise 11.A Making Your Own Decisions 102Exercise 11.B Satisfying Unmet Emotional Needs 104Exercise 11.C Taking Steps Toward Independence 107Section 12: Depression—Unipolar 109Exercise 12.A Identify and Schedule Pleasant Activities 110Exercise 12.B Negative Thoughts Trigger Negative Feelings 113Exercise 12.C Positive Self-Talk 118Section 13: Dissociation 120Exercise 13.A Describe the Trauma 121Exercise 13.B Staying Focused on the Present Reality 124Section 14: Eating Disorders and Obesity 126Exercise 14.A A Reality Journal: Food, Weight, Thoughts, and Feelings 127Exercise 14.B How Fears Control My Eating 134Section 15: Educational Deficits 137Exercise 15.A My Academic and Vocational Strengths 138Exercise 15.B The Advantages of Education 141Section 16: Family Conflict 143Exercise 16.A Applying Problem-Solving to Interpersonal Conflict 144Exercise 16.B A Structured Parenting Plan 147Section 17: Female Sexual Dysfunction 150Exercise 17.A Factors Influencing Negative Sexual Attitudes 151Exercise 17.B Study Your Body: Clothed and Unclothed 155Section 18: Financial Stress 158Exercise 18.A Plan a Budget 159Section 19: Grief/Loss Unresolved 162Exercise 19.A Creating a Memorial Collage 163Exercise 19.B Dear ________: A Letter to a Lost Loved One 166Section 20: Impulse Control Disorder 169Exercise 20.A Impulsive Behavior Journal 170Section 21: Intimate Relationship Conflicts 173Exercise 21.A How Can We Meet Each Other’s Needs and Desires? 174Exercise 21.B Positive and Negative Contributions to the Relationship: Mine and Yours 179Section 22: Legal Conflicts 181Exercise 22.A Accept Responsibility for Illegal Behavior 182Exercise 22.B Crooked Thinking Leads to Crooked Behavior 185Section 23: Loneliness 187Exercise 23.A Identifying What I Value 188Exercise 23.B Mindfulness Exercises 194Exercise 23.C Letting Go of Unhelpful Thoughts 198Section 24: Low Self-Esteem 200Exercise 24.A Acknowledging My Strengths 201Exercise 24.B Replacing Fears With Positive Messages 204Section 25: Male Sexual Dysfunction 207Exercise 25.A Journaling the Response to Nondemand Sexual Pleasuring (Sensate Focus) 208Section 26: Medical Issues 213Exercise 26.A How I Feel About My Medical Treatment 214Exercise 26.B The Impact of My Illness 217Section 27: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 219Exercise 27.A Interrupting Your Obsessions/Compulsions 220Exercise 27.B Making Use of the Thought-Stopping Technique 224Exercise 27.C Reducing the Strength of Compulsive Behaviors 228Section 28: Opioid Use Disorder 232Exercise 28.A Identifying Thoughts and Emotions 234Exercise 28.B Exploring My Motivation to Change 237Exercise 28.C Living Well With Chronic Pain 240Section 29: Panic/Agoraphobia 242Exercise 29.A Coping Card 243Exercise 29.B Monitoring My Panic Attack Experiences 246Section 30: Paranoid Ideation 248Exercise 30.A Check Suspicions Against Reality 249Section 31: Parenting 251Exercise 31.A Learning to Parent as a Team 252Exercise 31.B The Two Sides of Parenting 256Exercise 31.C Using Reinforcement Principles in Parenting 260Section 32: Phase of Life Problems 263Exercise 32.A What Needs to Be Changed in My Life? 264Exercise 32.B What’s Good About Me and My Life? 267Section 33: Phobia 269Exercise 33.A Four Ways to Reduce Fear 270Exercise 33.B Gradually Reducing Your Phobic Fear 274Section 34: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 277Exercise 34.A How the Trauma Affects Me 278Exercise 34.B Share the Painful Memory 281Section 35: Psychoticism 284Exercise 35.A What Do You Hear and See? 285Section 36: Sexual Abuse Victim 287Exercise 36.A A Blaming Letter and a Forgiving Letter to Perpetrator 288Exercise 36.B Picturing the Place of the Abuse 291Section 37: Sexual Orientation Confusion 293Exercise 37.A Journal of Sexual Thoughts, Fantasies, Conflicts 294Exercise 37.B To Whom and How to Reveal My Sexual Orientation 300Section 38: Sleep Disturbance 303Exercise 38.A Sleep Pattern Record 304Section 39: Social Anxiety 307Exercise 39.A Becoming Assertive 308Exercise 39.B Restoring Socialization Comfort 312Section 40: Somatization 314Exercise 40.A Controlling the Focus on Physical Problems 315Section 41: Spiritual Confusion 318Exercise 41.A My History of Spirituality 319Exercise 41.B Your Spiritual Inheritance Inventory 322Section 42: Substance Use 326Exercise 42.A Aftercare Plan Components 327Exercise 42.B Identifying Relapse Triggers and Cues 330Exercise 42.C Relapse Prevention Planning 335Exercise 42.D Relapse Triggers 339Exercise 42.E Substance Abuse’s Negative Impact Versus Sobriety’s Positive Impact 342Section 43: Suicidal Ideation 346Exercise 43.A Journal of Distorted, Negative Thoughts 347Exercise 43.B No Self-Harm Contract 351Exercise 43.C Strategies to Resist Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings 354Exercise 43.D The Aftermath of Suicide 357Section 44: Type a Behavior 360Exercise 44.A Developing Noncompetitive Values 361Section 45: Vocational Stress 363Exercise 45.A A Vocational Action Plan 364Appendix A: Alternate Assignments for Presenting Problems 366Appendix B: Alphabetical Index of Exercises 380