Orient & ground
Name 5 things you see, 4 you can feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste. Then notice where your body is supported by the chair or floor.
MENTAL HEALTH TOOLKIT
Practical tools for between-session support
A practical library of skills, guided practices, videos, apps, and worksheets you can return to between sessions.
How to use this page
Choose one resource that matches what you are working on rather than trying to do everything. These resources can complement therapy but are not a substitute for individualized care or crisis support.
START HERE
Quick skills for difficult moments
Lengthen the exhale
Try a comfortable inhale and a slightly longer, unforced exhale for several rounds. Stop if breath-focused practice makes you feel worse.
Make room, then choose
Notice the thought or feeling, name it without arguing with it, and ask: “What small action would move me toward the person I want to be right now?”
Respond differently to yourself
Notice the struggle, remember that difficulty is part of being human, and try one sentence you would genuinely offer someone you care about.
GUIDED PRACTICES
Listen, practice, and experiment
Self-Compassion Guided Practices
Guided exercises and meditations from Dr. Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion site.
Open guided practices →UCLA Free Guided Meditations
Beginner-friendly mindfulness practices from UCLA Mindful.
Open UCLA meditations →Internal Family Systems (IFS): A Step-by-Step Guide
A client-friendly overview of the IFS process for noticing parts, creating space, and approaching inner experiences with curiosity.
Open Internal Family Systems guide →Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT): Free Resources
Client-friendly ACT exercises, videos, worksheets, and practical tools from Dr. Russ Harris.
Open Acceptance & Commitment Therapy resources →SKILL VIDEOS
A few short videos—not an endless library
These are intentionally limited to a small set so the page stays usable. Your therapist may point you to a specific one.
DBT: Mindfulness
A brief introduction to mindfulness as a DBT skill.
DBT: DEAR MAN
A practical interpersonal-effectiveness framework for asking, saying no, and communicating clearly.
Breathing: Humming Bee Breath
A guided breathing practice. Use only if breath-focused exercises feel comfortable for you.
Psychoeducation: Trauma & the Body
Bessel van der Kolk discusses how traumatic experiences can affect the body and nervous system.
WORKSHEETS & SELF-GUIDED TOOLS
Practical materials for between-session work
CCI Self-Help Workbooks
Free structured materials on worry, panic, perfectionism, procrastination, self-compassion, self-esteem, sleep, distress tolerance, and unhelpful thinking styles.
Browse CCI self-help resources →Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Toolkit
A practical collection of ACT-oriented tools, exercises, and worksheets.
Open Acceptance & Commitment Therapy toolkit →Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Handouts
Practical DBT worksheets covering mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Open DBT handouts →Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Handouts
CBT worksheets for identifying thinking patterns, examining thoughts, and practicing behavioral strategies.
Open CBT handouts →Serena Quick Guides
Brief, practical handouts you can save or print and return to when you need a specific skill.
Browse Serena guides ↓SERENA QUICK GUIDES
Brief tools for real-life situations
Short, practical handouts designed to be easy to use in the moment and easy to revisit between sessions.
Grounding & Reset
Orient to the present, settle your system, and choose one next step.
Download PDF →Loneliness: Small Steps Toward Connection
A low-pressure plan for moving from isolation toward meaningful contact.
Download PDF →Before, During & After a Social Situation
A practical guide for reducing avoidance and post-event overthinking.
Download PDF →Long-Distance Relationship Check-In
Simple ways to protect connection, expectations, and repair across distance.
Download PDF →Assertive Communication
A quick formula for saying what you need clearly without becoming aggressive or disappearing.
Download PDF →Conflict Reset & Repair
What to do when a conversation gets heated and how to come back to it more effectively.
Download PDF →APPS
Simple tools you can carry with you
UCLA Mindful
Free guided mindfulness practices from UCLA Health, including beginner meditations, body scans, and other guided practices.
How We Feel
A free emotional well-being journal for identifying emotions, spotting patterns, and practicing regulation strategies.
Finch
A self-care app that uses small goals, routines, reflection, and coping activities to support daily follow-through.
A note about outside resources
External websites, apps, and videos are provided for education and convenience. Serena Counseling does not control their content, privacy practices, availability, or future changes. Use what is helpful and discuss questions with your therapist.