Reproducible Assessments and Activities
Written for practitioners working with individuals and groups.
Teen years can be extremely difficult, even in the best of circumstances. During these years emotions can be intense, and changes in mood occur very rapidly. Some of these feelings will be positive. One the other hand, some may also be negative and bring forth feelings of sadness, restlessness and irritability. It is usual to feel these types of negative feelings every now and then, but when these moody feelings last for weeks, months, or even years, it is a sign of a more serious mood issue. When teens find themselves taking little joy in activities they have previously enjoyed, appearing increasingly more irritable, and feeling fatigue and a general loss of energy, they may be experiencing symptoms of more serious problems that require assessment and treatment by a medical professional.
In order to help teens successfully deal with moodiness, it is extremely helpful for facilitators to have a variety of appealing, user-friendly assessments and activities to help teens open-up and begin to feel as if their moods are less intense and more balanced, and that they are not alone.
The Managing Moods Workbook for Teens provides assessments and self-guided activities to help teens reduce the intensity of moodiness and begin living more effective and fulfilling lives. The five chapters include: How Moody Are You?, Effects of Moodiness, Mood Triggers, Roller Coaster Moods, and Erasing the Stigma of Moodiness.
All worksheets and handouts are reproducible.
Ester R.A. Leutenberg has worked in the mental health field for many years as a publisher, author and advocate for those suffering from loss. She personally experienced a devastating loss when her son Mitchell, after struggling with a mental illness for eight years, died by suicide in 1986. Soon after, as a way of both healing and helping others, Ester co-founded Wellness Reproductions & Publishing with her daughter Kathy Khalsa and began developing therapeutic products that help facilitators help their clients. Ester is the co-author of the SEALS series for teen-agers, Life Management Skills series for adults and Meaningful Life Skills for older adults, as well as a variety of other therapeutic card games, board games and posters. Ester has co-written three books on GriefWork, as well as Creating a Healthy Balanced Life, The Complete Caregiver Guide, Motivation, and Veterans Surviving and Thriving, and now a new series, Transitional Life Skills for Teens.
John J. Liptak, EdD , frequently conducts workshops on assessment-related topics. He has written three books on career-related topics and these books have been featured in numerous newspapers including The Washington Post, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Associated Press. His work has also been featured on MSNBC, CNN Radio and on the PAX / ION television series, Success without a College Degree. John has many years of experience in providing counseling services to individuals and groups in a variety of settings including job training programs, correctional institutions, and colleges and universities. In addition, John has about ten years of teaching experience as an assistant professor. With Kathy Khalsa and Ester Leutenberg, he has written three other comprehensive books for teachers and counselors to use with their students and clients: The Self-Esteem Program, The Social Skills Program and The Stress Management Program: Inventories, Activities & Educational Handouts. Ester and John have co-written the Mental Health & Life Skills Workbook Series, the Teen Mental Health & Life Skills Workbook Series, Coping Workbook Series, Mind-Body Wellness Series, and the new Erasing the Stigma of Mental Health Issues Through Awareness series.
