There is no shortage of information online.
The harder question is:
Where can I find something I can actually use?
When I am looking for resources for myself, a learner, a peer professional, or someone I am supporting, I tend to value resources that move beyond explanation and give us an opportunity to practice something.
A worksheet.
A reflection exercise.
A conversation skill.
A coping strategy.
A video demonstration.
A tool we can take into real life.
I have gathered several resources below that I believe are worth bookmarking.
Some are designed for professionals, some for individuals working on their own growth or recovery, and some can be useful to both.
1. Centre for Clinical Interventions
Free CBT-Based Workbooks and Worksheets
This is one of the strongest free collections of practical mental-health worksheets and workbooks I have found.
The Centre for Clinical Interventions, operated by the Government of Western Australia, provides structured self-help modules covering topics such as:
assertiveness;
self-esteem;
self-compassion;
tolerating distress;
worry and rumination;
procrastination;
perfectionism;
social anxiety;
sleep;
panic;
depression;
and anxiety.
Many topics include full workbooks, individual worksheets, information sheets, exercises, and action plans. CCI Health
For example, their distress-tolerance workbook includes modules on understanding distress, accepting uncomfortable emotions, responding differently to urges, and developing an individualized action plan. CCI Health
Their assertiveness materials include structured practice around clear communication while respecting both yourself and others. CCI Health
Centre for Clinical Interventions Self-Help Workbooks
Useful for: CBT skills, self-reflection, emotional regulation, boundaries, communication, and personal growth.
2. SMART Recovery
Practical Recovery Tools and Worksheets
SMART Recovery offers a number of practical tools grounded in cognitive and behavioral approaches.
One resource I particularly like is the Change Plan Worksheet.
It helps someone identify:
what they want to change;
why the change matters;
steps they can take;
people who can support them;
possible obstacles;
and how they will know they are making progress. SMART Recovery
SMART also uses tools such as:
ABC
Exploring the connection between an activating event, our beliefs about the situation, and the emotional or behavioral consequences.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Looking honestly at both the perceived benefits and costs of a behavior.
DISARM
Learning to recognize and respond differently to urges and unhelpful internal dialogue.
DEADS
Strategies for coping with urges.
SMART Recovery Change Plan Worksheet
SMART also has a substantial video library focused on recovery skills, urges, thoughts, behaviors, motivation, and creating a balanced life. SMART Recovery
Useful for: recovery capital, motivation, coping with urges, cognitive skills, behavior change, and self-management.
3. SAMHSA Recovery Resources
Recovery, Wellness, and Support
SAMHSA's recovery resources can be useful when looking for reliable information about recovery support, peer support, wellness, treatment connections, and community resources.
Their current recovery hub includes practical recovery information as well as the RecoverMe initiative, which emphasizes individualized pathways, support, connection, and practical recovery resources. SAMHSA
SAMHSA Recovery and Support Resources
Useful for: recovery education, peer support, community connection, finding services, and recovery-oriented resources.
4. Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers
MI Practice Exercises, Guidance, and Learning Resources
For anyone practicing Motivational Interviewing, I recommend going directly to MINT whenever possible.
Their resource library includes:
MI practice exercises;
glossaries;
training materials;
audio;
videos;
criminal-justice resources;
mental-health resources;
addiction resources;
youth resources;
coaching resources;
and current MI research. Motivational Interviewing
MINT also provides 25 MI practice exercises adapted for online learning.
MINT Motivational Interviewing Resources
One important note: MINT clearly identifies some of the outside YouTube and streaming material listed on its site as public material that has not been screened by MINT, so I recommend keeping that distinction in mind when using outside demonstrations. Motivational Interviewing
Useful for: OARS, change talk, MI Spirit, the Four Tasks, practice exercises, skill development, and continued MI learning.
Practical Video Resources
Sometimes watching someone demonstrate a skill makes the written description much easier to understand.
Here are several video resources I would feel comfortable pointing people toward.
5. DBT-RU
Short DBT Skills Videos
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at Rutgers University created the DBT-RU video series.
Their goal is to make DBT skills accessible through short videos, many of them around five minutes.
Topics include:
Wise Mind;
Opposite Action;
DEAR MAN;
TIP skills;
mindfulness;
distress tolerance;
emotion regulation;
and interpersonal effectiveness. Shireen Rizvi, PhD, ABPP
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also lists the DBT-RU videos among its recommended DBT video resources. MIRECC
Visit the DBT-RU YouTube channel
Good place to start: Wise Mind, TIP Skills, Opposite Action, and DEAR MAN.
6. Beck Institute
Cognitive Restructuring in CBT
For anyone wanting to better understand how CBT examines automatic thoughts and develops more balanced thinking, the Beck Institute has a useful demonstration featuring Dr. Aaron Beck.
https://youtu.be/orPPdMvaNGA?si=1nWriB_fZC9bv_6y
The video demonstrates the process of exploring and restructuring negative automatic thoughts rather than simply telling someone to "think positively." YouTube
Useful for: thought checking, reframing, CBT practice, and understanding how thoughts influence emotions and behavior.
7. SMART Recovery International
Recovery Skills Videos
SMART Recovery International maintains a YouTube channel focused on practical recovery education and self-management.
SMART's broader video resources include practical content on:
coping with urges;
cost-benefit analysis;
goal setting;
managing thoughts and behaviors;
and building a balanced life. Smart Recovery Toronto
Useful for: people on their own recovery journey, recovery coaches, peers, and anyone interested in practical cognitive and behavioral recovery tools.
8. MI Center for Change
Short Motivational Interviewing Skill Videos
The MI Center for Change offers free, brief videos covering practical MI concepts and skills.
Their work focuses heavily on making MI understandable and applicable for helping professionals, and their video resources reflect the current fourth edition of Motivational Interviewing. MI Center for Change
MI Center for Change YouTube Channel
Useful for: reflections, OARS, fixing reflex, change talk, MI Spirit, and real-world communication practice.
9. McLean Hospital Mental Health Training Library
Longer Educational Videos
For people who want to go deeper than a five-minute skill video, McLean Hospital maintains an extensive free mental-health training library.
It includes material on:
mindfulness;
anxiety;
depression;
trauma;
addiction;
DBT;
emotional regulation;
and general wellbeing. McLean Hospital
McLean Hospital Mental Health Training Library
Useful for: deeper professional learning and understanding the theory behind specific approaches.
How I Recommend Using These Resources
I would resist the temptation to download ten worksheets and watch twenty videos at once.
Information is useful.
Practice is what gives it value.
Try this instead:
Choose One
Pick one skill that fits something you are currently working on.
Practice One
Use the worksheet or skill in a real situation.
Reflect
Ask:
What happened?
What did I notice?
What helped?
What felt difficult?
Repeat
Try the same skill again.
That repetition is how a resource stops being something we read and begins becoming something we can actually use.
A Final Note
These resources are provided for education, professional development, and self-reflection. Some were designed for use with trained professionals, and self-help materials are not a substitute for individualized behavioral-health, substance-use, or medical care when that support is needed.
I also encourage everyone to consider the source, the intended audience, and whether a particular tool fits the person and situation.
The goal is not simply to collect more tools.
It is to discover which tools help us become more thoughtful, capable, connected, and intentional in the way we care for ourselves and support others.
