Psychoeducation and Information-Giving
Therapeutic techniques such as Socratic questioning aim to help patients to become cognizant of, and to synthesize, information that they already have. However, many patients experience psychological distress because they lack critical information: the essential component of many cognitive models concerns patient’s misappraisals or misperceptions of a stimulus. In cases where patients are lacking critical information then psychoeducation (giving information) is a hugely important psychological intervention.
Psychoeducation can include:
- information given verbally in a therapy session;
- written material in the form of Psychology Tools information handouts, guides, and chapters;
- exercises or homework tasks where patients are encouraged to discover information for themselves.
70 languages
70 of 170 resources
Thoughts Or Feelings
Differentiating between thoughts and feelings (emotions and body sensations) is an essential skill in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Thoughts Or ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/thoughts-or-feelings
Exercises
TRAP TRAC
TRAP & TRAC worksheets can be usefully used as part of a behavioral activation programme as a way of overcoming responses which result in avoidanc ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/trap-trac
Exercises
Trauma And Dissociation
Trauma and Dissociation is a guide written for clients who have experienced trauma and who are troubled by dissociation. It provides clear informatio ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/trauma-and-dissociation
Guides
Trauma, Dissociation, And Grounding (Archived)
NOTE: An improved version of this resource is available here: Trauma And Dissociation. Older versions of a resource may be archived in the event that ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/trauma-dissociation-and-grounding
Archived
Types Of Dissociation
The Types Of Dissociation information handout is designed for clients who have experienced trauma and describes dissociation using accessible terminol ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/types-of-dissociation
Information handouts
Understanding Anorexia
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-anorexia
Guides
Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-body-dysmorphic-disorder
Guides
Understanding Bulimia
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-bulimia
Guides
Understanding Burnout
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-burnout
Guides
Understanding Depersonalization And Derealization
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-depersonalization-and-derealization
Guides
Understanding Depression
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-depression
Guides
Understanding Fears And Phobias
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-fears-and-phobias
Guides
Understanding Generalized Anxiety And Worry
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-generalized-anxiety-and-worry
Guides
Understanding Health Anxiety
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-health-anxiety
Guides
Understanding Low Self-Esteem
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-low-self-esteem
Guides
Understanding My Panic
The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Panic identifies catastrophic misinterpretation of body sensations as a criticial maintenance factor which serves to ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-my-panic
Information handouts
Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
Guides
Understanding Panic
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-panic
Guides
Understanding Perfectionism
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-perfectionism
Guides
Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
Guides
Understanding Psychosis
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-psychosis
Guides
Understanding Social Anxiety
Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/understanding-social-anxiety
Guides
Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Human thinking is subject to a number of characteristic biases. In the 1960s, Aaron Beck identified several of these biases which were common in his d ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/unhelpful-thinking-styles
Information handouts
Values
Meaningful activity is value-driven. This ACT-informed worksheet explores the key domains of values and encourages clients to reflect upon what is imp ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/values
Exercises
What Are Safety Behaviors?
Safety-seeking behaviors (‘safety behaviors’) are actions that people take in response to a real – or perceived – threat. When a threat is rea ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-are-safety-behaviors
Information handouts
What Causes Panic? (Psychology Tools For Overcoming Panic)
Psychology Tools for Overcoming Panic takes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to this common anxiety problem. This chapter introduces the ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-causes-panic-psychology-tools-for-overcoming-panic
Books & Chapters
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is thought to be maintained by changes in perception, cognition, and behavior. This information handout is a simple introduction to the psych ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-causes-tinnitus
Information handouts
What Do People Think About Themselves (CYP)?
People are not born with low self-esteem. Instead, we develop ideas about ourselves and our place in the world as a result of our life experiences. Pe ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-do-people-think-about-themselves-cyp
Exercises
What Does The Brain Do? (Lobes and Regions)
The human brain is the center of the body’s nervous system and the seat of cognition. It is responsible for everything that we do, feel and perceive ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-does-the-brain-do-lobes-and-regions
Information handouts
What Does The Brain Do? (Lobes)
The human brain is the centre of the body’s nervous system and the seat of cognition. It is responsible for everything that we do, feel, and perceiv ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-does-the-brain-do-lobes
Information handouts
What Is A Panic Attack?
Panic attacks are single episodes of intense fear or discomfort that begin suddenly and reach a peak within minutes. The cognitive behavioral model of ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-a-panic-attack
Information handouts
What Is A Panic Attack? (Psychology Tools For Overcoming Panic)
Psychology Tools for Overcoming Panic takes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to this common anxiety problem. This chapter describes the ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-a-panic-attack-psychology-tools-for-overcoming-panic
Books & Chapters
What Is Anorexia?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-anorexia
Information handouts
What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?
Many people have concerns about how they look, but significant and persistent worry about one's appearance may be a sign of body dysmorphic disorder ( ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd
Information handouts
What Is Bulimia?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-bulimia
Information handouts
What Is Burnout?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-burnout
Information handouts
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is fundamentally concerned with the meanings which people make of their experiences. The insight of the CBT model i ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-cbt-worksheet-handout
Information handouts
What Is Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)?
Compassion focused therapy (CFT) was developed to work with issues of shame and self-criticism. The CFT model complements and expands the traditional ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-compassion-focused-therapy-cft
Information handouts
What Is Concussion?
Concussion is a label given to a group of symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or mild head injury and is caused by the brain colliding w ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-concussion
Information handouts
What Is EMDR? (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment for trauma. Its theoretical basis is described by the adaptive inf ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-emdr
Information handouts
What Is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure is an effective evidence-based treatment for fear. This information handout describes the key principles of Exposure Therapy. Clients who are ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-exposure-therapy
Information handouts
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
Information handouts
What Is Imagery Rescripting?
Unwanted images are a feature common to a variety of problems including PTSD and depression. Imagery rescripting is an evidence-based treatment techni ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-imagery-rescripting
Information handouts
What Is Memory?
Like other aspects of cognition, transient difficulties with memory can be caused by stress or fatigue and there is a documented decline in memory fun ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-memory
Information handouts
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice. It is now commonly taught as a practice helpful in the management of a variety of mental he ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-mindfulness
Information handouts
What Is Panic Disorder?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-panic-disorder
Information handouts
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
Information handouts
What Is Rumination?
Rumination and repetitive thought is a transdiagnostic maintenance process underpinning a range of difficulties. This information sheet explores the c ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-rumination
Information handouts
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Our ‘What Is … ?’ series is a collection of one-page information handouts for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-social-anxiety-disorder
Information handouts
What Is TF-CBT?
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This information handou ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-is-tf-cbt
Information handouts
What Keeps Anorexia Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-anorexia-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Bulimia Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-bulimia-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Burnout Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-burnout-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Depression Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-depression-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Fears And Phobias Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-fears-and-phobias-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Generalized Anxiety And Worry Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-generalized-anxiety-and-worry-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Health Anxiety Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-health-anxiety-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Low Self-Esteem Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-low-self-esteem-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Going?
The "What Keeps It Going?" series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concise, t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Panic Going?
The "What Keeps It Going?" series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concise, t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-panic-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Perfectionism Going?
The “What Keeps It Going?” series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-perfectionism-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Going?
The "What Keeps It Going?" series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concise, t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Psychosis Going?
The "What Keeps It Going?" series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concise, t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-psychosis-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Social Anxiety Going?
The "What Keeps It Going?" series is a set of one-page diagrams explaining how common mental health conditions are maintained. Friendly and concise, t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-social-anxiety-going
Information handouts
What Keeps Tinnitus Going
What Keeps Tinnitus Going is a tinnitus formulation diagram which combines information about neurological-level change (the brain’s ‘filter’) an ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/what-keeps-tinnitus-going
Information handouts
Why Do I Keep Getting Panic Attacks? (Psychology Tools For Overcoming Panic)
Psychology Tools for Overcoming Panic takes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to this common anxiety problem. This chapter describes how ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/why-do-i-keep-getting-panic-attacks-psychology-tools-for-overcoming-panic
Books & Chapters
Window Of Tolerance
The window of tolerance concept was coined by Dan Siegel in his 1999 book The Developing Mind. Siegel proposes that everyone has a range of intensitie ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/window-of-tolerance
Information handouts
Your Stone Age Brain
Your Stone Age Brain is an information handout which describes the freeze-flight-fight response: a set of evolutionary adaptations that increase the c ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/your-stone-age-brain
Information handouts
Your Stone Age Brain (CYP)
Your Stone Age Brain is an information handout designed to stimulate discussion with anxious children & adolescents. It describes the freeze-fligh ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/your-stone-age-brain-cyp
Information handouts