RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH EMOTIONAL REGULATION ISSUES

Below is a 60-resource guide for children, teens, and adults with emotional-regulation challenges.  It includes reliable education, therapy approaches, school tools, books, digital supports, organizations, peer groups, and North Texas options.

Emotional regulation is the ability to notice emotions, understand what they are signaling, express them safely, and use strategies to recover or respond effectively.  It does not mean never having intense feelings; the goal is safety, self-understanding, connection, and having workable tools when feelings become overwhelming.kidsmentalhealthfoundation+1

Foundational Information

1. CDC Mental Health and Coping Resources — Practical guidance on managing stress through sleep, movement, relaxation, social connection, time outdoors, journaling, and healthy routines.cdc

2. CDC Children’s Mental Health Resources — Information about children’s emotional development, coping skills, and when to seek professional support.cdc

3. Child Mind Institute — Articles, videos, guides, and clinician-reviewed resources about children’s mental health, behavior, learning, anxiety, ADHD, and emotional regulation.childmind+1

4. Child Mind Institute: How to Help Children Calm Down — Parent guidance on naming emotions, reducing escalation, praising coping efforts, and teaching regulation skills.childmind 

5. Child Mind Institute: Co-Regulation — Practical strategies for adults to help children regulate through calm tone, proximity, emotion labeling, and shared coping exercises.childmind 

6. Child Mind Institute: Self-Regulation — Overview of approaches such as mindfulness, parent training, and dialectical behavior therapy for children with significant emotion-regulation difficulties.childmind 

7. American Psychological Association: Emotion Regulation — Guidance for parents on teaching emotion recognition, using consistent responses, and seeking behavioral-health help when needed.apa

8. Kids Mental Health Foundation: Coping With Strong Emotions — Family resource that teaches noticing, naming, expressing, and coping with feelings through its COPE framework.kidsmentalhealthfoundation 

9. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — Public mental-health information on anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, behavior, treatment options, and finding help.

10. MedlinePlus Mental Health Resources — Federal health-library information on emotional wellness, stress, therapy, medication, and mental-health conditions.

11. Mental Health America (MHA) — Education, screening tools, support resources, and local affiliate information.

12. Child Mind Institute Parent’s Guide to Problem Behavior — Strategies for reducing escalation, using calm and clear communication, increasing positive attention, and discussing problems after the child has recovered.childmind 

Therapy and Clinical Support

13. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — Structured therapy that helps people recognize links among thoughts, feelings, body cues, and actions, then practice more helpful coping and problem-solving responses.

14. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — a skills-based therapy that teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness; it may be offered individually, in groups, or both.childmind+1

15. DBT skills groups — Structured group practice in noticing emotions, surviving intense moments safely, regulating vulnerability factors, communicating needs, and repairing relationships.

16. Parent management training — Caregiver coaching focused on predictable routines, effective instructions, positive reinforcement, and calm, consistent responses to difficult behavior.childmind+1

17. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) — Live-coached therapy that supports caregiver-child connection, positive behavior, and consistent limits for young children.

18. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) — Specialized therapy for children and adolescents whose emotional dysregulation is associated with trauma exposure.

19. Play therapy — Developmentally appropriate counseling using play, art, stories, and activities to help children express feelings and learn coping skills.restoredcdc

20. Occupational therapy — May help when regulation challenges involve sensory processing, body awareness, routines, sleep, self-care, motor needs, or environmental overwhelm.

21. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management — A licensed medical or psychiatric professional can assess whether ADHD, anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep, mood, or other conditions may be contributing to emotional dysregulation.

22. Integrated behavioral-health services — Services available through some pediatric, primary-care, school, or community clinics that coordinate medical and mental-health support.

23. Crisis or safety planning — Collaborative plan that identifies warning signs, calming strategies, safe people and places, emergency contacts, and steps to take when there is a risk of harm.

School and Classroom Resources

24. CASEL—Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning — National leader in evidence-based social-emotional learning from preschool through high school.casel

25. CASEL Program Guide — Tool for districts and schools to select evidence-based SEL programs that match their population and implementation capacity.casel 

26. Classroom WISE Resource Collection — Curated high-school resources addressing emotional regulation, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.classroomwise

27. Zones of Regulation — Color-coded framework that helps learners identify their current emotional/energy state and select tools for regulation.

28. Zones of Regulation Free Downloads — Free visuals, guides, and book lists that complement the curriculum.zonesofregulation

29. Zones of Regulation Free Stuff — Video lessons, visual supports, downloadable handouts, and breathing tools for children, teens, and adults.socialthinking

30. Zones Tools to Try Cards — Strategy cards that help children and adolescents explore and select personalized regulation tools for home, school, therapy, or community settings.socialthinking

31. The Incredible 5-Point Scale — Visual scale for rating emotional intensity, identifying early warning signs, and matching coping choices to the situation.

32. Social Stories™ — Individualized, respectful narratives that prepare someone for emotionally demanding situations, changes, social uncertainty, or sensory experiences.

33. Visual calming plans — A written or picture-based menu of preferred strategies, such as water, movement, quiet time, music, drawing, breathing, sensory tools, or contacting a trusted person.

34. Calm-down space — A voluntary, non-punitive area with reduced sensory demands and accessible coping tools; it should never be used as seclusion or exclusion.

35. Daily check-in/check-out systems — Brief, predictable adult connection at the beginning and end of the day to set goals, identify needs, review coping, and reinforce success.

36. Functional behavior assessment (FBA) — School-based process for identifying patterns, unmet needs, and environmental triggers contributing to challenging behavior, then building a positive behavior intervention plan.

37. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) — Schoolwide framework emphasizing explicit expectations, proactive teaching, positive reinforcement, and tiered support.

38. IEP or Section 504 supports — When emotional regulation substantially limits school access, teams may consider counseling, behavior intervention, sensory breaks, check-ins, extended transition time, predictable routines, and a crisis/safety plan.

Practical Coping Tools

39. Emotion-identification charts — Visual emotion wheels, feeling thermometers, and body maps help people label emotions with more precision than simply “mad,” “sad,” or “fine.”

40. Body-cue check-ins — Notice early physical signals such as tight muscles, hot face, rapid heartbeat, shaky hands, stomach discomfort, or shallow breathing before escalation peaks.

41. Breathing strategies — Try paced breathing, box breathing, or “Lazy 8” breathing; Zones of Regulation offers a visual for the latter.socialthinking

42. Grounding strategies — Use sensory awareness, such as naming five things seen, four things felt, three things heard, two things smelled, and one thing tasted.

43. Movement breaks — Walking, stretching, wall pushes, dancing, yoga, heavy-work activities, or brief outdoor time can help some people reset their level of activation.cdc

44. Mindfulness practice — Short, repeatable exercises that bring attention to the present moment without judging thoughts or feelings.childmind 

45. Journaling or mood tracking — Record emotions, triggers, body signals, helpful responses, sleep, meals, and patterns over time.  CDC includes journaling as a healthy coping strategy.cdc

46. Comfort or sensory kit — Personalized tools such as headphones, a soft item, fidget, favorite scent, sunglasses, gum, cold water, drawing materials, or a communication card.

47. Coping cards — Wallet-sized, phone-based, or posted reminders with 3–5 steps to take during rising distress: pause, breathe, leave safely, text someone, or use a preferred coping tool.

48. If–then plans — Pre-decide responses to predictable stressors: “If I feel overwhelmed during a meeting, then I will ask for a two-minute break and review the written agenda.”

49. Sleep, food, hydration, and routine supports — Regular sleep, meals, hydration, movement, and breaks reduce vulnerability to emotional overload; CDC recommends consistent sleep schedules and other healthy routines.cdc

50. Co-regulation with a trusted person — A calm adult, friend, caregiver, teacher, or partner can use a low voice, brief language, validation, space, and shared coping before problem-solving.childmind 

Books and Workbooks

51. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley — Exercises for mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.nepda

52. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets by Marsha M. Linehan — Foundational DBT practice materials, often used with a trained clinician.

53. The DBT Skills Workbook for Teens by Teen DBT authors — Teen-accessible practice activities for emotion regulation, relationships, mindfulness, and distress tolerance.

54. The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. — Parent-oriented explanations and strategies for supporting children during intense emotional moments.

55. No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. — Relationship-centered approaches to limits, repair, and teaching skills after a child is calm.

56. The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. — Collaborative problem-solving approach for recurring frustration, lagging skills, and conflict.

57. The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz — Family guide when sensory processing and regulation needs overlap.

58. What to Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D. — Child-friendly workbook for recognizing anger and practicing coping choices.

Organizations and Support Groups

59. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) — National mental-health education, advocacy, local affiliates, and peer/family support programs.nami

60. NAMI Family Support Group — Free, confidential, peer-led groups for adult family members and loved ones of people with mental-health conditions; meeting frequency and format vary by affiliate.nami+1

61. NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups — Peer-led groups for adults living with mental-health conditions.

62. Mental Health America (MHA) affiliates — Local education, screening, peer support, advocacy, and referral resources.

63. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call, text, or chat 988 in the United States for immediate support during a mental-health, substance-use, or suicide crisis; contact emergency services if there is immediate danger.

64. NEA-BPD—National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder — Education, family resources, and support related to borderline personality disorder and chronic emotion dysregulation.dbtselfhelp+1

65. NEA-BPD Family Connections — Free, evidence-based 12-session education, skills, and support program for relatives and loved ones of people with BPD or significant emotion dysregulation.dbtselfhelp

66. Emotions Matter — Peer-led support, activities, events, and resources for people with lived experience of BPD and emotion dysregulation.emotionsmatterbpd+1

67. Emotions Anonymous — Peer support organization for people managing emotional challenges; programs use a Twelve-Step model and may include a spiritual component.dbtselfhelp 

68. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) — Information, therapist directory, and support-group finder for anxiety, depression, and related concerns.dbtselfhelp

North Texas Options

69. NAMI North Texas — Local affiliate resources, classes, support groups, and referral information for individuals and families; verify current offerings and meeting schedules directly.

70. Transcend Recovery Community — Dallas-area recovery and mental-health support programming that may include peer support, groups, and wellness services; verify program fit and eligibility directly.

71. UT Southwestern Psychiatry and Psychology Services — Dallas-area assessment and treatment resources for children, adolescents, and adults with emotional, behavioral, and mental-health concerns.

72. Children’s Health Behavioral Health Services — Pediatric mental-health evaluation, therapy, and care coordination in North Texas.

73. LifeStance Health Dallas-area DBT and CBT groups — Individual and group therapy options may include DBT-informed and CBT-based services; availability, insurance coverage, age range, and referral requirements vary.

When To Get Urgent Help

Seek prompt professional assessment when emotional-regulation difficulties are frequent, worsening, causing major disruption at home, school, work, or relationships, or involve self-harm, threats, aggression, unsafe behavior, severe withdrawal, hallucinations, substance misuse, or inability to recover after coping attempts.  Child-focused resources specifically recommend contacting a pediatrician or mental-health professional when a child is harming themselves or others, is distressed most of the time, or cannot calm despite support.kidsmentalhealthfoundation+1

For imminent danger or concern that someone may harm themselves or another person, call or text 988 in the United States, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency department.