CBT Problem Solving Maps for Individual Counseling and Behavior Intervention

Do you often have students in your office problem-solving about how the latest situation went wrong? It's helpful to have a go-to process to help them think about the situation and what they could have done differently. 

CBT Problem-Solving Maps are the perfect structure for those last-minute counseling sessions. While using the maps, students consider their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors throughout the situation. They will begin to see what strategies they could use and understand the impact, positive or negative, that their behavior has on others.

The maps show them different points in a problem where they could make a different choice. They could choose to change their thinking, their feelings, or their actions and have different consequences.

What's Included?

6 CBT Problem-Solving Maps for Counseling

1. Comparing Positive and Negative Choices: Students compare how a poorly ended situation could have gone differently if we kept our thoughts, feelings, and actions positive.
2. Changing Paths: Students see where they could change course by thinking or feeling more positively or making a positive behavior choice.
3. Changing Negative Thoughts: Students reframing negative thoughts to shift to a better path.
4. Recognizing Automatic Negative Thoughts: Additional practice determining what evidence they have for their negative thought and a possible alternative thought based on evidence
5. Coping Skills: Practice identifying what coping skills to use and when based on their thoughts and feelings.
6. Fixing Things: Students examine the impact of their actions and devise ways to repair any damage.

Supplemental Materials

• Recognizing Automatic Negative Thoughts Tips List
• Coping Skills List in picture and checklist format.
• Impact Inspector Map
• Writing an Apology Template
• Compare the Size of the Reaction to the Size of the Problem Worksheet
• Helper Squad Posters
• Maps without Characters are also included for older students.

Why CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) activities are great short-term, research based interventions for school counseling. These CBT problem-solving maps help kids practice the skills taught in counseling sessions through a concrete format with engaging skill-based characters. 

Who is this for?

This resource is perfect for school counselors and school psychologists who want to provide structure to problem solving sessions with students.