Thinking Matters Facilitator Manual: Creating better lives and brighter futures one thought at a time.

Thinking Matters Facilitator Manual was originally created to provide change agents with a tool to teach fundamental meta-cognitive skills essential for lasting behavior changes. Over approximately twelve years I have received much feedback from users who made suggestions for improvements. These suggestions have been incorporated into Thinking Matters Facilitator Manual Second Edition. In its original form, this publication was primarily used for criminal and juvenile justice participants. Many of the change agents reported that they found the information and approach beneficial for others—including themselves and their families. Over time change agents from various disciplines contacted me with reports that they were using the publication to help people change their behavior. Disciplines such as: • Substance Abuse • Mental Health • Social Work • Education • Human Resources • Business Thinking Matters Facilitator Manual Second Edition has been updated to be more useful for these user groups and be more visually engaging. This publication maintains the familiar 5-step process. Through repetition of the steps, Thinking Matters can be expanded to help create and maintain sustainable behavioral changes. I thank everyone who has contributed to Thinking Matters over the years for your participation, feedback and friendship.

Abe French is the author of Thinking Matters products. He has been developing, training and delivering cognitive behavioral approaches since 1993. Programs teaching people to gain cognitive behavioral skills have proved to be among the most effective ways to decrease unwanted behaviors.