Skills for Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): A Workbook for Tweens and Teens is a research-informed, practical graphic novel workbook designed to help kids understand and manage intense emotional reactions to rejection, criticism, and social stress.

This emotional regulation workbook and graphic novel translates neuroscience into developmentally appropriate language and teaches concrete coping skills that support nervous system regulation, cognitive skills, and self-compassion.

Help tweens and teens build the emotional skills they need to navigate rejection, criticism, and social stress with greater confidence with this book. This resource can be integrated into therapy sessions, counseling groups, or used independently.

You'll get a PDF printable eBook that comes in both a full color and black and white version.

---

This Workbook Walks Kids Step by Step Through: ✨

✔ Understanding The Brain’s Rejection Alarm

• How the rejection alarm works
• Why rejection feels so intense
• How an ancient survival system shows up in modern social situations

✔ Recognizing Triggers and Patterns

• Identifying rejection triggers
• Noticing body signals
• Understanding thoughts, feelings, and reactions
• Responding instead of reacting

✔ Nervous System Regulation Skills

• 7 Breathing techniques including reset breath and foghorn breath
• 14 Coping skills including grounding strategies

✔ Cognitive Strategies

• Thoughts versus facts
• Stepping back from unhelpful thinking
• Flipping negative thoughts
• Thought Distancing

✔ Building Self-Compassion

• Creating an inner encourager
• Practicing self-compassion
• Identifying supports
• Replacing harsh self-talk
• Strengthening resilience skills

✔ Repairing and Reflecting

• What to do after the alarm goes off
• Repairing relationships
• Learning from emotional moments

---

Do Any Of These Sound Familiar? ✨

... You support a tween or teen who falls apart after small criticisms or social misunderstandings.

... You see how deeply rejection affects them, but you're unsure how to help in the moment.

... You're looking for a clear, structured way to build resilience without dismissing their very real pain.

... You want practical tools to teach emotional regulation, not just reassurance.

---

How Would You Feel If... ✨

✔ The kids you support could recognize when their rejection alarm was going off and use simple, effective strategies to regulate?

✔ You had common language and a structured regulation roadmap to follow, so you no longer felt unprepared to support kids navigating emotional spirals?

✔ The kids you support understood their brains and stopped believing something was wrong with them or that they're “too sensitive?

---

How Skills for Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is Different From Other Books: ✨

• Grounded in research on RSD, social pain, ADHD, and nervous system regulation for tweens and teens

• Visual comic-style storytelling helps kids understand complex neuroscience concepts without feeling overwhelmed

• Structured, step-by-step workbook that teaches practical nervous system regulation and cognitive tools

---

This Workbook is For: ✨

✔ Tweens and teens who experience intense emotional reactions to rejection or criticism

✔ Neurodivergent youth with ADHD

✔ Highly sensitive adolescents

✔ Therapists, mental health professionals, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and educators supporting kids with emotional regulation

---

This Workbook Is For You If: ✨

➜ You support a tween or teen who has intense emotional reactions to rejection or criticism

➜ You want structured, research-informed tools grounded in neuroscience

➜ You value compassionate, shame-reducing language that validates emotional intensity

➜ You're a counselor, social worker, psychologist, occupational therapist, BCBA, or other educator who is working on teaching emotional regulation skills to kids

➜ You're a teacher or parent who wants to enhance emotional intelligence by teaching tools for managing feelings and rejection sensitivity