The Self-Regulation Handbook for Teens and Young Adults: A Trauma-Informed Guide to Fostering Personal Resilience and Enhancing Interpersonal Skills

Discover how emotional regulation and other coping skills can help you manage big emotions, big life changes, and the issues you deal with on a day-to-day basis.

The final years of high school and the first years of college can be full of new experiences, friendships, and learning opportunities. But they can also be a time of upheaval and instability. This trauma-informed handbook will help you remain empowered and centered as you navigate through a variety of difficult experiences, including:

• Mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, perfectionism, boredom, burnout, and grief
• Interpersonal challenges like not fitting in, being gaslit, facing discrimination, and problems with communication and relationships
• External issues like collective trauma, social media pressures, political upheaval, and financial stress

Specifically designed for ages 15 to 21, this comprehensive guide provides valuable tools for utilizing self-regulation to build resilience and cultivate a strengths-oriented mindset. Dr. Kathy Wu, a licensed psychologist, has compiled helpful strategies and practical interventions from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral Therapy (DBT), and others, to help you understand and deal with difficult emotions and experiences. With engaging advice and real-life examples, this handbook equips you with the tools you need to thrive and face life’s challenges head on.

Dr. Kathy Wu is a licensed psychologist who helps young people optimize their personal growth, creativity, and well-being. Formerly a college professor, Dr. Wu is keen on applying education with trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches to mental health care.

Dr. Wu earned her PhD in counseling psychology from Northeastern University. She has worked formally since age seven, starting in her family’s dumpling business, through to corporations, psychiatric hospitals, community health centers, public schools, and universities. Dr. Wu has a thriving private practice in Houston, TX, and feels most centered when spending quality time with her husband and daughter.