Depression Group Therapy Worksheet

Negative thoughts and perspectives are often experienced with depression. A good coping strategy is to be able to find a moment to pause and reframe these thoughts into a more helpful perspective.

Group Activity: Shifting My Thoughts
Aim	This group activity aims to introduce participants to the concept of thought reframing with practical examples.
Resources	Large paper Markers
Activity	Begin by talking about the negative thoughts that the participants experience and how these affect their emotions, physical well-being, motivation, etc. Ask the group for some common negative thoughts that they experience. Write these on the pages of paper. Taking one at a time, allow the group to discuss how they could reframe the thought to be more helpful (not necessarily positive). Work through the examples that have come. Reflect with the group on what the process was like and if they see it benefitting them in their daily life.
Follow Up	You may wish to follow this session with an activity to develop the skill of pausing in the moment to reframe a thought.

References:

NHS. (n.d). Reframing Unhelpful Thoughts. https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/reframing-unhelpful-thoughts/

You can download more Mental Health worksheets here.

Please note: There may be a more up-to-date and editable version of this worksheet available here which may be more suitable to present to clients if you are a therapist or to use in a classroom as a teacher or guidance counselor.