by A Free Tool to Support Emotional Resilience During Exposure Work
Facing your fears is brave—but it doesn’t have to mean doing it alone or without support. The “Coping Skills for Exposure” Worksheet is a free, client-friendly tool designed to help individuals navigate the discomfort of exposure therapy using proven, accessible coping strategies.
Whether you’re preparing for your first exposure or fine-tuning your approach mid-treatment, this worksheet offers structure, insight, and encouragement to help you stay grounded as anxiety naturally rises and falls.
🧠 What the Worksheet Offers
This worksheet is a step-by-step guide to:
- Understanding how coping skills support exposure therapy
- Identifying 2–3 specific strategies to use during exposure
- Practicing and reflecting on what works (and what doesn’t)
- Creating a personalized coping card to keep on hand
It reminds clients and clinicians alike that coping skills aren’t meant to eliminate anxiety—they help you stay present and follow through, allowing your nervous system to learn that discomfort is survivable.
🛠️ What Skills Are Included?
Clients can read and choose from a list of evidence-based techniques, including:
- Deep breathing to calm the body
- Grounding (5-4-3-2-1) to anchor in the present moment
- Supportive self-talk to challenge catastrophic thinking
- Progressive muscle relaxation to release physical tension
- Visualization of a safe or calming place
- Paired action (e.g., holding a grounding object)
- Values-based motivation to reconnect with purpose
- Body movement/posture shifts to reset the nervous system
The worksheet encourages clients to reflect on which skills feel most useful, how they’ll use them, and how effective they are during real exposure tasks.
👥 Who Is This Worksheet For?
The “Coping Skills for Exposure” Worksheet is ideal for:
- Clients engaged in exposure therapy for anxiety, trauma, OCD, or phobias
- Therapists guiding clients through CBT, DBT, or ACT protocols
- Teens and adults in both individual and group therapy
- Anyone preparing to face something uncomfortable and needing structure
It’s also a great support tool to use before beginning a fear ladder, or when avoidance starts to creep back in during treatment.
🖨️ Free and Ready to Use
This worksheet is completely free to download and print. It fits neatly into therapy sessions or can be used independently by clients practicing exposure on their own.
Facing fear is difficult.
Coping well during exposure makes it possible.
This worksheet gives you the tools to stay with the challenge—and grow through it.
