Wise Mind Counselor Guide Brain Lab Series • Session 1
Wise Mind Leader Guide
Target: Wise Mind Concept
Time
30-40 Mins
Grade Level
4th - 5th Grade
Reading Level
Visual/3rd Grade
1. Emotional Mind
Driven by strong feelings. Quick to act, ignores rules/logic.
2. Cool Brain
Just the facts and logic. Cold, ignores warm feelings.
3. Wise Mind
The sweet spot. Balanced feelings with cool reasoning.
Session Step-by-Step
1
Mindful Meetup: Bubbles or Breathing (5 mins)
Step 1
Have students practice focusing attention. Either blow real bubbles (kids watch one bubble without moving) or do deep "balloon breathing" (expanding hands as they breathe in, contracting as they breathe out).
2
The Scripted Story: Hot, Cold, and Just Right (10 mins)
Step 2
Say: "Imagine your brain has different states. Emotional Mind is like hot soup—too hot! It makes you yell or run when feelings are huge. Cool Brain is like icy water—cold and stiff. It only cares about facts and forgets feelings. Wise Mind is just right. It's warm, smart, and listens to both facts and feelings."
Ask: "Have you ever acted purely on Hot Feelings? What about Icy Logic?"
3
Lab Report Handout & Sorting Activity (15 mins)
Step 3
Pass out the Wise Mind Lab Report. Help kids sort scenarios: "Screaming at a broken game" (Hot), "Doing homework but ignoring a crying friend" (Cold), "Taking a deep breath and explaining what's wrong" (Wise). Draw or write responses.
Low-Readability & Reading Disability Tips
Read Scenarios Aloud: Do not expect struggling readers to decode the cards. Use emotional voice-acting!Color Coded Triggers: Use red markers for Emotional Mind, blue for Cool Brain, and purple for Wise Mind.Accept Drawings: On the student handout, encourage students to draw a simple emoji or cartoon if writing is a barrier. Wise Mind Lab Report Brain Lab • Lab Report #1
Wise Mind Scientist
Name:
Date:
Our brains have three minds. Let's research them in our lab today!
Hot Mind
Big feelings are in charge here.
😡🔥😭
Cool Mind
Only cold logic and facts here.
🤖❄️📏
Wise Mind
The Sweet Spot!
Feelings + Logic
🧠✨🤝
Lab Test: Match the Action!
Draw a line from each kid's action to the Mind they are using!
1 "I ripped up my paper because it got messy."
2 "I asked for help instead of throwing my pen."
3 "I told my friend they are wrong. No excuses."
Hot Mind
Wise Mind
Cool Mind
My Wise Mind Drawing
Draw yourself using your Wise Mind when you are mad, sad, or scared!
Brain Lab • Homework Mission
Home Lab: Wise Mind Check-In
Name:
Your Mission at Home:
Sometime this week, find a moment when you feel a big emotion or a cold logic block. Stop, breathe, and use your Wise Mind!
Step 1: Choose Your Starting Mind
Which mind did you start in when the situation happened? Circle one:
Hot Mind I had huge feelings (mad, sad, scared)
Cool Mind I felt icy, ignored feelings, or was stiff
Step 2: My Wise Mind Action
Draw or write what happened. How did you bring feelings and logic together to make a Wise Mind choice?
Home Lab Mission #1 • Brain Bosses DBT
Family Partner Sign-off:
Four Paths Counselor Guide Brain Lab Series • Session 2
Four Paths Leader Guide
Target: Problem Options
Time
30-45 Mins
Focus
Decision Making
Key Tool
The 4-Way Road
1. Fix It
Change or walk away from the problem.
2. Feel Better
Use positive coping skills to calm down.
3. Live With It
Breathe and tolerate it (Radical Acceptance).
4. Stay Miserable
Do nothing or act out, making it worse.
Lesson Plan
1
Mindful Start: Red Light, Green Light (5 mins)
Play a seated version of "Red Light, Green Light". Students must freeze and focus completely on their body sensations when "Red Light" is called. This builds baseline impulse control and mindfulness.
2
Counselor Script: The Fork in the Road (10 mins)
Say: "When you run into a big problem, like forgetting your lunch or getting a bad grade, it is like hitting a four-way intersection. You have exactly four choices. You can either Fix It, Feel Better (calm down), Live With It (accept it), or Stay Miserable by throwing a fit or quitting. Let's look at how choosing different paths changes things."
3
Interactive Mapping (15 mins)
Give each student the Four Paths Map. Together, read the practice scenario: "You forgot your iPad at home on testing day." Guide them to brainstorm what it looks like to choose each path. Write or sketch on the handout.
Supports for Students with Reading Disabilities
Symbol Association: Connect each path with a simple traffic sign: Fix It = Wrench 🔧, Feel Better = Cool Fan ❄️, Live With It = Open Hands 🤲, Stay Miserable = Storm Cloud ⛈️.Oral Modeling: For the "Stay Miserable" path, act out a funny, over-the-top reaction so kids see how silly and unhelpful it is without feeling judged. Four Paths Map Brain Lab • Lab Report #2
The Four Paths Map
Name:
Date:
Lab Experiment Scenario
"You forgot your iPad at home on testing day."
Path 1: FIX IT Solve
Can you change the situation or leave? Write/draw a fix:
Path 2: FEEL BETTER Cope
How can you calm down or change the feeling? Write/draw a skill:
Path 3: LIVE WITH IT Accept
How can you accept the problem without making it worse? Write/draw:
Path 4: STAY MISERABLE No Skills
What does it look like to ignore skills or yell? Write/draw:
Remember: Stay Miserable is the only path that doesn't need skills!
Brain Lab • Homework Mission
Home Lab: The Path I Chose
Name:
Your Mission at Home:
Sometime this week, you will run into a real problem at home. Identify the problem, and map which path you chose!
Step 1: What was the Problem?
Draw or write what the problem was at home (e.g., homework, sibling argument, bedtime, screen time):
Step 2: Which Path Did You Take?
Check the box for the path you ended up choosing:
Fix It 🔧 I changed or solved the problem safely.
Feel Better 🌬️ I used a coping skill to calm down.
Live With It 🤲 I accepted it without fighting or whining.
Stay Miserable ⛈️ I yelled, fought, or chose no skills.
Step 3: How Did It Work Out?
Draw or write how the problem was solved or how you felt afterwards:
Home Lab Mission #2 • Brain Bosses DBT
Family Partner Sign-off:
Trouble Dominoes Counselor Guide Brain Lab Series • Session 3
Trouble Dominoes Guide
Target: Behavior Chain
Time
35-45 Mins
Concept
Cause & Effect
Goal
Stopping the Fall
1. Vulnerable
Tired, hungry, weak base.
2. Trigger
The event that pushes.
3. Links
Thoughts, body sensations.
4. Blow-Up
The problem behavior.
5. Mess
Consequences / regrets.
Lesson Plan
1
Mindful Start: Domino Focus (5 mins)
Give each student exactly three real plastic dominoes. Have them line them up and focus on balancing them. Talk about how easily a light breath can push them over when we aren't careful.
2
Counselor Script: The Falling Dominoes (12 mins)
Say: "Have you ever made a mistake and thought, 'How did I end up here?' Mistakes are usually like a line of falling dominoes. First, you're tired or hungry (vulnerable). Next, a tough math test pops up (trigger). Then, your thoughts start racing ('I can't do this!'), your heart beats fast, and—BAM!—you rip your paper (crash). Finally, we have to clean up the mess (consequence)."
Demonstrate pushing a chain of real dominoes or hand gestures to model the "crash" impact.
3
Interactive Domino Chain Mapping (18 mins)
Help students map a shared scenario (e.g., "yelling at recess because someone cut the line"). Have them complete the Trouble Dominoes Map. Show them that to STOP the fall, we can put a "Hand" or "Shield" (coping skill) between any two dominoes!
Teaching Tips for Kids with Reading Disabilities
Physical Dominoes: Let students physically place sticky notes on actual giant domino blocks if you have them.The "Shield" concept: Draw a shield symbol to represent where a coping skill (e.g., box breathing, counting to 10) cuts off the reaction chain before the crash. Trouble Dominoes Map Brain Lab • Lab Report #3
Trouble Dominoes Map
Name:
Date:
Mistakes happen like falling dominoes. Let's map how one push led to a crash!
1. Weak Base
Tired, hungry, sad?
2. The Push
The trigger event
3. The Lean
Brain & body reaction
4. The Crash
Problem behavior
5. The Mess
What happened after?
The Skill Shield
Draw or write a coping skill that could stop the dominoes from falling next time!
Brain Lab • Homework Mission
Home Lab: The Domino Catcher
Name:
Your Mission at Home:
Be on high alert this week! Try to notice when your dominoes *start* to fall, and quickly throw up your "Skill Shield" to prevent a behavior crash!
Step 1: What was the "Push"?
Draw or write what happened at home that started the dominoes falling (e.g., getting turned down, chore request, tired after school):
Step 2: Which "Skill Shield" Stopped the Fall?
Check off the shield you deployed to stop the next domino from crashing down:
Deep Balloon Breaths 🌬️ I paused and filled my chest with calm air.
Wise Mind Check-in 🧠 I balanced my big hot feeling with cool logic.
Ask for a Safe Break 🚪 I walked away to my room for a minute.
Say How I Feel 🗣️ I told an adult my feeling instead of yelling.
Step 3: Success! No Crash!
Draw or write how deploying your shield saved the day and what happened next:
Home Lab Mission #3 • Brain Bosses DBT
Family Partner Sign-off:
Missing Link Counselor Guide Brain Lab Series • Session 4
The Missing Link Guide
Target: Missing Skills
Time
30-40 Mins
Aesthetic
Skill Detectives
Focus
Problem Solving
Clue 1: Did I Know?
Knowing which skill works best.
Clue 2: Was I Willing?
Wanting to use it instead of fighting.
Clue 3: Did I Remember?
Thinking of the skill in the moment.
Clue 4: What Blocked?
Procrastination or quick panic.
Lesson Plan
1
Mindful Start: Detective Clue Match (5 mins)
Show students an object (like a pencil or eraser) and cover part of it. Have them guess what's missing. Explain that when we forget to use our calm-down skills, there's always a "missing link" we need to find!
2
Counselor Script: The Skill Detectives (12 mins)
Say: "Sometimes we learn awesome skills—like taking 3 deep breaths or using our Wise Mind—but then we get mad and don't use them. Why? We are going to be detectives today and find the Missing Link! We will check our clues: Did we know the skill? Did we want to use it? Did we remember it? Or did something block us? Let's solve the case!"
3
Case File Handout Activity (18 mins)
Hand out the Skill Detective Case File. Walk them through the 4-clue check-off layout. Have them select a recent moment where they didn't use a coping skill (e.g., getting angry at recess or throwing a pencil during a hard math task) and solve the mystery of *why* they didn't.
Supporting Struggling Readers
Emoji Checklist: Guide students to look at the emojis on the worksheet (Know 🧠, Want To 👍, Remember 💭, Blocked 🛑) to quickly understand the questions without reading the full sentence.Roleplay the Clues: Act out each clue. For "Clue 2: Willingness", cross your arms and say "No! I want to be mad!" to make the concept of 'willingness' concrete and humorous. Skill Detective Case File Brain Lab • Case File #4
Skill Detective Agency
Agent:
Date:
Case Mystery: "I was upset, but I didn't use a calm-down skill! Why?"
Step 1: The Incident
Draw or write what happened when you got upset:
Step 2: Search for Clues
Read each question. Check YES or NO to find where the skill went missing!
🧠
Clue 1: Did I Know?
Did I know which skill to use?
Yes No
👍
Clue 2: Was I Willing?
Did I actually want to use a skill?
Yes No
💭
Clue 3: Did I Remember?
Did the skill cross my mind?
Yes No
🛑
Clue 4: Did I Get Blocked?
Did panic or speed block me?
Yes No
Step 3: Case Solved!
Draw or write how you will make it easier to use your skill next time:
Brain Lab • Homework Mission
Home Lab: The Family Skill Hero
Agent:
Your Mission at Home:
Be a skill detective at home! Instead of looking for a mistake, look for a "Skill Hero." Find a time when you or a family member used a great coping skill!
Step 1: Who was the "Skill Hero"?
Draw or write who the hero was (e.g., Mom, Brother, Me, Dad, Grandma):
Step 2: What "Hero Skill" Did They Use?
Check off the skill you caught them using to handle a problem safely:
Taking a Calm Pause 🌬️ Stopping to take deep breaths first.
Using Wise Mind Logic 🧠 Choosing a smart, balanced response.
Talking Out the Facts 🗣️ Explaining facts calmly and nicely.
Fixing/Solving Safely 🔧 Fixing a problem without getting mad.
Step 3: Detective Case Solved!
Draw or write what happened and why it made you proud to catch this hero:
Home Lab Mission #4 • Brain Bosses DBT
Family Partner Sign-off:
