Skills for Big Feelings is a powerful guide to teach coping skills to children.

This emotional regulation activity guide book and social-emotional learning curriculum delivers an essential range of relaxation, self regulation, and emotional coping techniques for kids.

The program can be delivered in a variety of settings (individually, small group, or whole classroom) by teachers, counselors, and other mental health professionals.

I'M READY NOW!

Are You Trying to Reduce Children's Stress and Improve Their Emotional Health?

...Does Any of This Sound Familiar?

... You know you want to offer more social-emotional learning in your work with kids, but you’re simply too overwhelmed and you have no idea where to begin.

... You don’t have the time or energy to plan and design your own comprehensive social-emotional learning curriculum to help your kids with their emotional regulation difficulties.

... You’d like to increase communication with families and teach them how they can help support the social-emotional wellness of their kids at home, but you’re too busy to take on this seemingly daunting task.

How would you feel if...

The kids you worked with used simple, fun, and enjoyable strategies to cope with their emotions more effectively?

You could easily communicate to families how they can support social-emotional learning at home?

You didn’t have to scramble and spend so much time prepping, planning, and documenting your work so you could spend more time doing the parts of your job that you love?

Inside "Skills for Big Feelings" You'll Discover...

An all-in-one plan to help you do all of this and more. Specially crafted with something for you, the kids, AND their families, now you can combine every aspect of your social-emotional learning arsenal into one easy-to-manage program.

Skills for Big Feelings is Different From Other Books Because You'll Get:

A complete 12-week guide for successfully teaching relaxation, self-regulation, and coping techniques to children using CBT and mindful breathing.

A comprehensive 28-page reproducible coloring workbook for children that includes over 46 child-friendly stretches, somatic techniques, and relaxation skills.

Twelve handouts for families to help them extend and support social-emotional learning at home.

By the Time You're Done Reading You'll Have an Actionable, Easy to Follow Plan to Help Children:

Identify and Accept Their Feelings

Acknowledge Triggers

Learn and Implement Over 38 Coping Skills

Change Unhelpful Thoughts into Helpful Thoughts

Measure Challenges

Accept Mistakes

Identify Supports

Apply the Feeling-Breath-Thought-Skill Method

Utilize Skills such as Visualization, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Positive Self-Talk

... And so many more emotional regulation skills!

Who Am I?

Have we met yet? I’m Casey, your Skills for Big Feelings author and illustrator. I’m also a Mom, a School Adjustment Counselor, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, an adjunct faculty member, and a Registered Nurse.

I want to be totally transparent with you here. About eight years ago I found myself on the brink of burn-out. I never felt like I could catch up. I was constantly running around my school “putting out fires.” This reactive counseling style was not sustainable and it was fueled by a mistake I made early on in my career. When a child had a problem, I would swoop in and try to be the amazing counselor who was able to calm down and de-escalate the child. The issue was that I became their coping skill. This was problematic because it was not empowering to the child at all.

Then I made a conscious change. I shifted my focus from a reactive style to a more preventative approach. This way I could help empower all children by teaching them these important social-emotional skills. In 2013 I began the early stages of developing Skills for Big Feelings as a way to offer preventative, tier-one mental health support for my students. And it was with that pivot in approach when I began to start loving my career again. I’ve refined this program over the years and it has since been used by myself, other counselors, and teachers in small groups, whole classrooms, and individual settings. I know this program helps kids and I am so thrilled to finally share it with you!

See What People are Saying:

What's Inside this SEL Curriculum:

"Ms. Martin's Skills for Big Feelings is a book for our times. As a busy child psychiatrist fighting depression, anxiety, suicide, and delinquency I am usually asked to find a pill to make things better. But as I say often; pills are not skills. Practical, easy to learn skills like those in Big Feelings are desperately needed so medications are not left to carry the whole burden. Skills for Big Feelings is a big-hearted book full of fun mindfulness tools to help children learn to understand their feelings, manage and cope in a challenging world."

JEFF TURLEY, M.D., CONSULTING SCHOOL PSYCHIATRIST, REGIONAL PSYCHIATRIST FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES

A 12-week facilitators guide for teaching relaxation, regulation, and coping techniques to children

These sessions have been used successfully by teachers and counselors alike. These emotional regulation lessons help teach kids how to cope with their big feelings. This plan provides you with a complete blueprint which is perfect for use with individuals, small groups, and entire classrooms. Plus, with handouts, outlines, sample scripts, and emotional regulation worksheets, you’ll save hours of extra work and stress.

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Sixteen trauma-informed guided relaxation scripts

These Mindful Moments are the perfect way to start and end each session! They’re also written using trauma-sensitive invitational language and are an ideal way to teach mindful breathing to kids.

Twelve handouts for families to extend and support social-emotional learning at home

These handouts will help you engage families so they can reinforce the concepts at home and take an active role in their child’s emotional development. Topics include naming and accepting feelings, identifying triggers, changing thoughts, measuring challenges, flexibility, visualization, media, attentional bias, positive self-talk, mistakes, perfectionism, mindfulness, control, gratitude, sleep, movement, nutrition, caregiver mindset, and self-care.

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Surveys for children and families

These surveys will help you collect data and measure the impact of Skills for Big Feelings from both child and parent perspectives.

A data collection tool

This tool will help you progress monitor and evaluate your children’s progress. You'll be able to assess the program to see what type of changes you could make to improve your outcomes.

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A 28-page reproducible coloring emotional regulation workbook for children

Including self regulation worksheets and over 45 images of child-friendly mindful breathing techniques, somatic practices, stretches, and relaxation skills. Kids will be engaged with fun exercises including Unicorn Breath, Snowman Stress Melter Breath, and much more.

Parent letters

Communication with parents is a vital part of the process. When families, counselors, and teachers work collaboratively together children see an incredible amount of success. Plus, with these sample letters for beginning and ending the 12 sessions, you can save time while you’re at it.

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Treatment plan and IEP objective templates with examples

You'll receive 22 objectives which are S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-limited) and directly related to the content covered in the sessions.

Visuals

These visuals will help you meet the needs of a variety of different learners. You’ll receive a Visual Schedule, Self-Scan Poster, Agreements Poster, Feelings Brainstorm Poster, The Triangle Poster, and a Measuring Challenges Poster.

Implementation tips and best practices for conducting SEL and emotional regulation activities

With a wealth of helpful time-saving tips, plus useful suggestions for structuring the sessions, outlines, opening and closing practices, workbook tips, and ideas for working with children in various settings, implementation will be a breeze!

Bonus Bundle and Growing Bundle Offer

To make this incredible program even easier to implement, both in-person and in a virtual setting – I'm offering a choice of these add-on bundles at a special price for a limited time.

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12 Digital Interactive Workbooks

You'll get 150 total pages on Google Slides™, including 71 interactive pages with MP3s to listen to, self regulation strategies, drag and drop, and typing activities. 36 pages have relaxation coping skills to practice and now include videos of each of the coping skills. These are ideal for use in-between sessions to reinforce the skills or to use with distance, remote, or hybrid learning. These workbooks are best for children to use independently when they can read, type, and use a mouse. Otherwise, they may be shared by the facilitator through a screenshare.

16 Guided Relaxation MP3s

Calming trauma-informed Mindful Moments recorded by professional voice-over artist Tina Wolstencroft.

Editable Documents

Easily customizable resources suitable for a wide variety of settings, including two family letters, surveys for children and families, and a data collection tool.

45 Presentation Slides

These full-color slides of the skills and self regulation visuals are perfect for screen sharing on virtual platforms or to use in-person on smartboards.

28-Page Coloring Workbook

A fun workbook in a printable format, ideal for helping kids relax, destress, and enjoy long after they finish the program.

Monday - Friday Schedule

A 7-page document with practical guidelines for breaking down and implementing the content into a daily Monday-Friday schedule, so you can save time and always stay organized.

12 PDF Handouts for Families

33 pages of handouts which can be easily printed or emailed to families to help extend and support social-emotional learning at home. Topics covered include naming and accepting feelings, identifying triggers, changing thoughts, measuring challenges, flexibility, visualization, media, attentional bias, positive self-talk, mistakes, perfectionism, mindfulness, control, gratitude, sleep, movement, nutrition, mindset, and self-care.

Printable

Poster Pack

45 pages of full-color printable self regulation posters. These are great to hang in your classroom, use in your calming corner, or hold up.

*Bonuses are in PDF, MP3, Microsoft Word™ and Google Slides™ format

Limited Time Growing Bundle Offer

For a limited time, I am also offering EVERYTHING in the Bonus Bundle PLUS: 9 digital and printable games, the Coping Skills Craftivity eBook with 40 Coping Skills Craft Projects, 2 Bingo Games, Spinner Coping Wheels, Fortune Tellers, Dice, Mazes, and Coping Skills Cards!

And if you purchase today you lock in the price and:

future resources will be added at no additional cost to you!

Coping Skills Craftivities eBook: 40 Coping Skills Craftivity Projects with 221 pages of hands-on engaging activities to help your kids remember the strategies they've learned.

Frog's Pond Game: Digital and printable board game covers the material in Sessions 1-3 including relaxation techniques, triggers, coping skills, helpful and unhelpful thoughts, and the Feeling-Breath-Thought-Skill (FBTS) strategy.

Back to the Nest Game: Digital and printable board game covers the material in Sessions 4-6 including problem-solving skills and coping skills such as measuring the size of problems/challenges and reactions, changing unhelpful thoughts into helpful thoughts, and self-awareness.

Finding Flowers Game: Digital and printable board game covers the material in Sessions 7-9 including positive self-talk, feelings identification, and relaxation coping skills.

Puddle Jumpers Game: Digital and printable board game covers the material in Sessions 10-12 including mindfulness, gratitude, identifying support systems, coping skills, and locus of control.

Feelings Identification Film Digital and Print Game: A fun self-checking emotional identification digital and printable game to enhance self-awareness. Use the feelings poster to identify various emotions in this game with 32 different scenarios aligned to Session 1.

Jolly Jellybean Helpful Thought Hunt Digital and Print CBT Game: Figure out if thoughts are helpful or unhelpful in this digital and printable game to boost positive thinking and self-confidence! This is a great introduction or review of basic CBT concepts and is aligned to Session 3.

Butterfly Thought Changer CBT Game: This digital and printable self-checking differentiated game set is aligned to Session 4 and will let kids practice changing unhelpful thoughts into more helpful thoughts.

Argh You Ready to Measure Challenges? Pirate Digital and Print Game: Learn to measure the size of challenges on a 4-point scale and practice measuring challenges with 31 different scenarios. This digital self-checking problem-solving game also comes with printable cards and is aligned to Session 5.

Bella Bird's Equal Measurements Problem-Solving Digital and Print Game: Practice matching the size of a challenge with an appropriately sized reaction for 30 different problem scenarios in this digital and printable game. Review expected behavior, decision-making, problem-solving, flexible thinking, and self-regulation skills with this fun resource aligned to Session 6.

Gumball Gratitude Digital and Print Game: Help kids choose grateful thoughts (rather than "icky sticky" thoughts) when facing disappointing situations. This activity is aligned to Session 11 and includes a game board, 60 printable cards, playing a game visual, two sorting mats, and a digital Google Slides™ game with 30 scenarios.

Donut Worry About Making Mistakes Flexible Thinking Game: Help kids develop a growth mindset and choose helpful thoughts when they make a mistake. This game is aligned to Session 10 and includes 30 printable cards, a printable board game, playing a game visual, and a digital Google Slides™ game.

2 Coping Skills Bingo Games: In both color and black and white versions - includes 70 unique Bingo Cards, Letters, Calling Cards, and Markers: games are aligned to Sessions 1-7 and Sessions 7-12.

Dice: 6 Coping skills picture dice in color and black and white versions, and 3 structured coping skills choice dice in color and black and white versions, as well as a craft for kids to create their own dice with their top 6 favorite stress-relieving skills. Each dice set is aligned to two sessions, so the dice set covers all 12 Sessions.

5 Fortune Tellers Origami Crafts: Aligned to Sessions 1-12.

6 Coping Skills Mazes: In color and black and white options: aligned to Sessions 1-12.

Spinner Coping Wheels: 6 Coping Wheels with 29 different cover options and a craft for kids to create their own dice with their top 6 favorite stress-relieving skills: aligned to Sessions 1-12.

Coping Skills Cards: In full-color and black and white versions perfect to color: aligned to Sessions 1-12.

I Can Learning Target Posters: Aligned to each of the 12 sessions

Coping Tools Tournament Bracket: Includes videos of 30+ coping tools, bulletin boards, google voting forms, printable voting forms, email templates, and more.

...And more resources will be added in the future at no additional cost to you if you purchase today! Please note, the price increases as new resources are added.

Check Out The Reviews!

"Casey O'Brien Martin’s book is a creative, comprehensive and concrete guide to helping children regulate their emotions, with special emphasis on anxiety (the most common emotional condition in the world according to reliable sources). This structured, 12-session process for teaching emotional self-regulation skills includes clear instructions combined with child-friendly illustrations. Martin’s skillful and contemporary book should be on the desks of every counselor, educator, and professional who works with children, as well as all parents who want to raise resilient children."

PAUL FOXMAN, Ph.D., AUTHOR OF THE WORRIED CHILD, DANCING WITH FEAR, AND THE CLINICIAN'S GUIDE TO ANXIETY DISORDERS IN KIDS AND TEENS

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Choose Your Edition

*Paperback price does not include shipping and handling. Sent via media mail in US only. International options digital only or paperbacks available at retailers below:

Paperback Edition Also Available at Many Retailers Including:

Is Skills for Big Feelings Right For You?

This is for you if:

You work with kids aged 6-12 in some capacity (as an educator, mental health professional, etc.)

You work with some kids who need help developing emotional regulation, relaxation, and coping skills

You want to help kids learn how to accept and cope with their feelings more effectively

You want to save time on planning and prepping sessions

You want a program that is structured and all laid out for you, or one that can also be used flexibly

This is not for you if:

You only work with very young children, older teens, and adults

You don’t believe in social-emotional learning

You don’t believe in the power of preventative mental health and wellness programs for children

You don’t subscribe to the basic values behind cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness

You want a magic wand and don't believe in the power of building relationships first

Here’s why you need to get started with Skills for Big Feelings today:

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First,

You have the option to add on the BONUS bundle OR the GROWING bundle for a special limited-time only price.

Second,

With the current state of the world, social-emotional learning is more important than ever before for our children.

Third,

Research demonstrates that social-emotional learning has NUMEROUS benefits. Just check out these two meta-analyses from 2011 and 2017 to see what I mean!

Can I use this program if I’m not a mental health professional? (I’m a teacher, coach, mentor or paraprofessional etc.)"

Absolutely yes! I wrote this as a skills-based book to be implemented on a wider level with more children. It is not just for mental health professionals. This is not a clinical guidebook.
What ages is this good for?

Since each child is so developmentally different, it’s hard to put an exact age range, but I have successfully worked with children aged 6-12 years old with this program. Of course, if a child is younger, you may need to scaffold, simplify, and adjust your language to meet their unique needs. I have been told teens would benefit from this program but I have not personally used it with teens yet. Adults have shared with me that they have benefitted from learning the techniques in Skills for Big Feelings as well! In terms of the digital workbooks offered in the bonus bundle, if you want children to use them independently, then these are ideal for older children that know how to read, type, and navigate a mouse, otherwise you can consider using them through a screen-share feature.
I'm a parent. Can I use this for my own kids?

As a Mom, I know that sometimes children are more responsive when working with people other than their own parents! The content could be adapted and used by parents to work with their own children but please keep in mind the book was originally written for educators and mental health professionals, as it is a 12-week curriculum. Alternatively, you could also consider purchasing this program and donating to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or school psychologist! The program works best when parents and facilitators work collaboratively together to use and reinforce the same language, techniques, and skills.
How long do the sessions take to implement?

I’ve done the sessions in as few as 30 minutes but the typical time frame is 45 minutes – 1 hour per session. HOWEVER, the content can also be broken down by going through a little bit each day, or if you are stretched for time you can give part of the activity to do at home. Some teachers that I've worked with prefer doing a little bit each day as part of their routine (such as during morning meeting), so in my BONUS OFFER I’ve included a guide with a breakdown and suggestions for how to spread the sessions out over a week.
What format are the bonus bundle and growing bundle offers in?

The bonus bundle offers are in PDF, MP3, Google Slides™, and Microsoft Word™ formats.
Does a child need a diagnosis or need to be on an IEP or 504 Plan to benefit from this?

No! ALL children can benefit from learning these important life-skills.
Can this be done remotely or through telehealth?

YES! I have implemented Skills for Big Feelings during distance learning and in my bonus bundle I have added resources to help with this transition, such as the 12 Digital Workbooks and the presentation slides. I suggest having the children mute themselves and giving them the option to turn off their cameras if they want to during the Mindful Moments.
What type of settings can this be used in?

Skills for Big Feelings can be implemented in a variety of settings including small group, whole classroom, individual, home, inpatient, outpatient, day treatment, partial hospitalization, group homes, community centers, after school programs, and day cares.
Can I use this with kids younger than 6 years old?

This wasn't developed for very young children. For children under 6 years old, I recommend starting by teaching them to name their feelings and taking 3 deep breaths. Once they have learned and are practicing that, you can consider teaching them a few of the basic skills one at a time until they have mastered them (like Gorilla Hug and Smell the Flower.) The F-B-T-S framework and some of the weekly workbook activities will be too complex for young chidren.
What if I have another question not listed here?

Kindly reach out to me at casey (at) wholechildcounseling.com and I'll be happy to answer your question!
Can I purchase this as a Donor's Choose Project?

Please check out this website about doing a Special Request Project through Donor's Choose: https://help.donorschoose.org/hc/en-us/articles/202002143-Who-can-submit-a-Special-Request-project-
Can my school use a purchase order (PO) to buy this?

Schools can submit purchase orders and payment is accepted from schools by credit card, check, and paypal. Please reach out to casey (at) wholechildcounseling.com for more information and include your name, email address, and your organization’s Tax Exempt ID and Exemption Certificate, if applicable.

Get Started Now!

Help children learn these vital life-skills!

If you want to help children develop their emotional skills, save time, involve families, and spend more time doing the parts of your job that you love, then Skills for Big Feelings is the answer. This complete, comprehensive, all-in-one program provides you with all the essential skills and tools you need to improve the lives of children by empowering them to learn coping skills.

I'm Ready Now!