Shannon Tran, PhD Clinical Psychologist specialty gives you healthy relationships tips, bad, mind body therapy, Creating Healthy Habits, boundaries and advice. No charge for the initial phone consultation. www.shannontranphd.com

1. Participant Guide
All that we are is the result of what we have
thought. The mind is everything. What we
think, we become. – Buddha
© 2015. Shannon Tran, PhD

2. 
 Sit in a comfortable position and either
close your eyes or rest them gently on
a fixed spot in the room.
 Imagine you are sitting on a tiny
wooden bridge over a gently flowing
stream. Your legs are hanging over the
side of the bridge until your toes
almost touch the water. The stream is
flowing away underneath you.
 Notice the vegetation around you. Are
there trees, flowers, or grass along the
bank of the stream? Notice the sounds
of the water as it flows beneath you.
What do you hear?
Leaves on a
Stream

3. 
 As you watch the water, notice that
there are leaves floating along the
surface of the stream, under the bridge
and away from you. Notice the shape,
color, and size of the leaves as they
pass by.
 For the next few minutes, take each
thought that enters your mind and
place it on a leaf, and simply watch as
it floats by. Do this with every
thought, whether the thought is
pleasurable, painful or neutral. Simply
continue to watch the thoughts as they
float away down the stream.

4. 
 If your mind says, “I’m busy” or “I’m
not doing this right”, just place those
thoughts on the leaves too and let
them pass. Allow them to float away
down the stream. There is no need to
become attached to the thought.
Simply let it go. If a difficult or painful
feeling arises, acknowledge the feeling
with a thought. Say to yourself “I
notice myself having a feeling of
sadness/frustration/anxiety.” Now
place the thought on a leaf and allow it
to float away.

5. 
 From time to time your thoughts may
drift away and distract you from being
fully present in this exercise. This is
normal. As soon as you realize that
you have become sidetracked, gently
and compassionately bring your
attention back to the exercise and start
again with placing your thoughts on
the leaves and watching them pass.
 Practice this for 5 to 10 minutes. This
exercise develops your self-awareness
into your thinking patterns at any
given moment.

 Developed by Dr. Briana Carr & Shannon Tran, 2014 adapted from ACT MADE Simple

6. 
 Where are you feeling depressed or
stuck in your life?
 __________________________________
__________________________________
 What thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors
contributes to this?
 __________________________________
__________________________________
 What have you tried in the past to
address this problem?
 __________________________________
__________________________________
Please complete the following questions
about your current needs for improved
mood and emotional wellness.

7. 
 How much time do you spend each day
thinking of your depression?
 _____________________________________
_____________________________________
 How much time each day do you spend
on creating positive moments?
 _____________________________________
_____________________________________
 What do like least about yourself?
 _____________________________________
_____________________________________
 What do you like most about yourself?
 _____________________________________
_____________________________________

8. 
 When do you feel most productive in
your life?
 __________________________________
__________________________________
 What support do you need to
overcome depression?
 __________________________________
__________________________________
 How will you know when you are
feeling better about yourself or your
life?
 __________________________________
__________________________________

9. 
 Healthy belief patterns encourage,
inspire, support, and empower you.
 Unhealthy belief patterns discourage,
limit, or disempower you.
 Beliefs are what generate our
thoughts, feelings, behaviors, actions
and outcomes (experience of reality).
 We all have healthy and unhealthy
beliefs in all areas of our life. The trick
is to identify those that do not support
you and replace them with those that
do so that you can take inspired,
proactive, and healthy actions.
Healthy vs
Unhealthy Belief
Patterns

10. 
Current Unhealthy Beliefs About
Your Life
Belief:
Experience:
Behaviors: Feelings:
Thoughts:
 What is your desired experience? (i.e. I want to be happy )
 What is your current behavior around this subject? (i.e. isolate, negative self-talk)
 What are your feelings about this subject? (i.e. sad, depressed)
 What thoughts are associated with those feelings? (i.e. I’m a loser.)
 What possible underlying belief would support this pattern? (i.e. I don’t deserve
to be happy)
© 2014. Sandra Thébaud, PhD and Shannon Tran, PhD

11. 
 I accept myself as I am
 I am worthy of love
 I am valued and appreciated
 I respect myself and others
 I believe my opinion matters, and I
feel heard when I voice a concern
 I believe I am fairly compensated for
my efforts
 I am willingness to change when a
more effective solution is offered to
me
 I know what joy feels like
Examples of
Empowering Beliefs

12. Mind Wellness Worksheet
This is an opportunity for you to identify and practice some of
your unique strengths. A strength is something that you do
naturally well. Research shows that if you practice your strengths
on a regular basis, you will not only increase your happiness level,
but also build a more satisfying life.
Identify some of your strengths. If you cannot identify any
on your own, ask a co-worker, friend or family member to
help you or go to wwwauthentichappiness.com which
offers a free strength finding test.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Which one of your core strengths did you use today?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
I encourage you to take your two top strengths and
practice them on a daily basis for the next 2 weeks. If any
problem or challenge arises, use one of your strengths to
either cope or solve it. For example, if patience is one of
your strengths, then then think of how patience may help
you either cope or solve the problem.

13.  HAPI Worksheet
 HAPI (Health and Positive Input) consists of 12 activities that have
been scientifically proven by Sonja Lyubomirsky, a leading expert in
the field of happiness, to raise happiness levels.
 Express Gratitude
 Cultivate Optimism
 Practice Acts of Kindness
 Nurture Social Relationships
 Develop Strategies for Coping
 Learn to Forgive
 Increase Flow Experiences
 Savor Positive Events
 Commit to Your Goals
 Practice Spirituality
 Take Care of Your Body
 Practice at least one or more of these activities on a daily basis
to boost mental health levels and promote your well-being.
Doing so decreases your vulnerability to depression.

14. 
Notes:

15. 
Notes:

16. 
 Please take some time to periodically track your
progress. This gives you the opportunity to check
in with yourself, and to make any necessary
adjustments. Remember to celebrate your progress,
however small, and to show kindness where you
may still need improvement.
 ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Track Your Progress