Teen Coping Skills Menu
A youth-friendly, fillable coping skills menu that helps teens identify what calms, distracts, connects and expresses, then build a personal top-five list with Canadian crisis resources included.
2-page fillable PDF · US Letter (prints on A4) · Coping skills · DBT-informed
- Approach / concern
- Teens (13-18)
- Technique
- Coping skills · DBT-informed
- Format
- Fillable PDF, 2 pages (US Letter / A4)
- Access
- Pro and Advanced plans (3-day free trial)
- For
- Licensed clinicians to use with clients
- Updated
- October 2026
Key facts
What is the Teen Coping Skills Menu?
A coping skills menu is a personalized list of strategies a young person can turn to when stressed or overwhelmed. Grouping skills by function (calming the body, distracting, connecting with others and expressing feelings) helps teens choose the right tool for the moment, rather than relying on one strategy for everything.
Why it works
Adaptive coping and emotion-regulation strategies are associated with fewer internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents (Compas et al., 2017). Building a written, self-chosen menu increases ownership, which matters a great deal with teens. The format draws on adolescent DBT skills training (Rathus & Miller, 2015).
When to use it
- School counselling and youth therapy
- Teens with anxiety, low mood or anger
- After a crisis, alongside a safety plan
- Group programs for adolescents
How to use it in session
- Explain that different skills work for different feelings.
- Let the teen tick skills freely without judging choices.
- Build the top five together and rate helpfulness.
- Encourage a phone photo of the finished menu.
- Review what worked at the next session.
Clinician tips
- Let teens use their own language and examples.
- Include at least one skill that works at school.
- Pair with a safety plan if there is any self-harm risk.
Worked example
Sharing with clients
Members can download the PDF to print or email, or copy a private client link from the download box. Your client opens the link and downloads the worksheet on any device. No client account is needed, and nothing your client writes is stored on TherapyAid.
Frequently asked questions
What age is this for?
Most young people aged 12-18. Younger children may need a simpler, picture-based version.
Should parents see it?
That’s up to the teen and the therapy agreement. Many teens are happy to share their menu so family can support them.
References
Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., Williams, E., & Thigpen, J. C. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(9), 939-991.
Rathus, J. H., & Miller, A. L. (2015). DBT skills manual for adolescents. Guilford Press.
This worksheet is an educational tool for use by, or under the guidance of, a licensed or registered mental-health professional. It is not a diagnostic instrument or a substitute for clinical judgement. If a client is in crisis in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 or call 9-1-1.
