Reset Room Facilitator Manual Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
Group Format
High School (Grades 9-12)
6 Weeks • 45 Mins/Session
Core Modality
DBT Skill-Building
Mindfulness & Tolerance
Group Size
6 - 10 Students
Closed-Group Model
Weekly Agendas
Week Session Title Primary DBT Focus Core Skill Taught Week 1 Finding Your Center Core Mindfulness Three Mind States (Wise Mind) Week 2 Crisis Survival Distress Tolerance TIPP & ACCEPTS Frameworks Week 3 Emotional Wave Emotion Regulation Wave Riding / Opposite Action Week 4 Social Armor Interpersonal Effectiveness DEAR MAN Assertiveness Week 5 Everyday Habits Integration & Routine Daily Coping Rituals & Logs Week 6 Future Shields Maintenance & Graduation Coping Cards & Relapse Plan
WEEK 1: FINDING YOUR CENTER (MINDFULNESS)
45 MINS
00-10m: Welcome & Rules
10-22m: Core Concepts
22-38m: Activity/Practice
38-45m: Debrief & Goal
1. Welcome & Group Norms (10 Minutes)
"Welcome to The Reset Room. This is a brave, quiet space to reset, understand our brains, and learn skills that work when anxiety feels heavy."
Action: Set basic norms (confidentiality, non-judgment, right to pass). Have students sign companion worksheets.
2. Mind States: Emotional, Reasonable, Wise (12 Minutes)
"Reasonable Mind runs on facts and logic. Emotional Mind is ruled by feelings and impulses. Wise Mind is the magic middle—where facts and feelings integrate to tell us what is deeply true and healthy."
3. Experience: Wise Mind Centering Practice (16 Minutes)
"Sit comfortably. Place your feet flat. Take a slow breath in... hold... and release. Focus on your chest rising and falling. When thoughts wander—gently bring them back to your breath."
Debrief Prompts: Where did your mind travel? Did you feel the pull of Emotional Mind?
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 1 OF 6
Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
WEEK 2: CRISIS SURVIVAL (DISTRESS TOLERANCE)
45 MINS
00-08m: Week 1 Check-In
08-20m: TIPP Concept
20-38m: Practice & Planner
38-45m: Home Integration
1. Welcome & Mindful Opening (8 Minutes)
Start with a 2-minute centering breath. Review the homework from last week: Did anyone catch themselves in Emotional Mind? How did you step into Wise Mind?
2. Core Concept: Crisis vs. Solving & The TIPP Skills (12 Minutes)
"In an emotional crisis, your nervous system is hijacked. You cannot think clearly or solve problems when you are at an emotional '10 out of 10'. The goal is not to fix the problem immediately, but to survive the moment without making it worse."
💧 T - Temperature: Cool your face with ice water to trigger mammalian dive reflex (instantly slows heart rate).
🏃 I - Intense Exercise: Shed physical nervous energy (jumping jacks, fast walk) to release tightness.
😮💨 P - Paced Breathing: Breathe out longer than you breathe in (in for 4, out for 6 seconds).
🧘 P - Paired Muscle Relaxation: Squeeze muscles on the inhale, then let go completely on the exhale.
3. Guided Experience & ACCEPTS Introduction (18 Minutes)
Exercise: Lead students in a live Paired Muscle Relaxation and Paced Breathing drill. Have them raise shoulders, squeeze for 5 seconds, and release.
"Once TIPP has lowered your body's alarm system, use the ACCEPTS tool to safely distract your mind until the wave passes."
Review ACCEPTS : A ctivities, C ontributions, C omparisons, E motions, P ushing away, T houghts, S ensations.
4. Action Planning & Close (7 Minutes)
Have students complete the "TIPP Emergency Action Plan" in their worksheets, detailing which strategy they will use when panic arises this week.
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 2 OF 6
Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
WEEK 3: THE EMOTIONAL WAVE (EMOTION REGULATION)
45 MINS
00-08m: Distress Check-In
08-20m: Emotional Waves
20-35m: Opposite Action
35-45m: Wave Mapping
1. Opening & Review (8 Minutes)
Gather and prompt: Who used TIPP when feeling stressed this past week? Did the cold water trick or paced breathing work for you? Keep discussion brief and constructive.
2. Core Concept: Emotions are Waves (12 Minutes)
"Anxiety and anger feel permanent, but emotions are biological events. They are like waves in the ocean: they build, reach a peak, and eventually break. We make things worse when we fight the wave (pushing it away) or when we feed it (obsessing). Today we learn how to ride it."
3. DBT Core Skill: Opposite Action (15 Minutes)
"Every emotion has an accompanying behavioral urge. Opposite Action means identifying the urge and doing the exact physical opposite."
Emotion Natural Urge Opposite Action Anxiety Avoidance, escaping Approach, face fear directly Anger Attacking, arguing Gently walk away, speak softly, hand release Sadness Isolating, staying in bed Activate, socialize, do a small task
4. Application Work & Reflection (10 Minutes)
Have students open their worksheets to the "Emotional Wave Tracker." Walk them through identifying their personal top stress emotion, its physical sensation, and a concrete Opposite Action they commit to executing this week.
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 3 OF 6
Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
WEEK 4: SOCIAL ARMOR (INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS)
45 MINS
00-08m: Opening/Check-in
08-20m: DEAR MAN Decoded
20-38m: Assertive Roleplay
38-45m: Peer Feedback
1. Check-In & Setting the Scene (8 Minutes)
Review homework: Did anyone try Opposite Action this week? How did it feel to do the opposite of what your anxiety or anger urged you to do? Introduce relationships and stress.
2. Core Concept: Assertive communication & DEAR MAN (12 Minutes)
"Relationships with teachers, parents, and friends can cause stress. Assertive communication is an armor that lets us set boundaries and ask for what we need clearly. The best tool for this is DEAR MAN."
D - Describe: Stick to facts. No opinions.
E - Express: Use "I" statements to share feelings.
A - Assert: Ask clearly or say 'No' firmly.
R - Reinforce: Explain the benefits of cooperating.
M - Mindful: Keep focused, ignore distractions.
A - Appear: Eye contact, solid posture, clear tone.
N - Negotiate: Be willing to find a compromise.
3. Guided Experience: The Roleplay Scenarios (18 Minutes)
Action: Pair students. Have them choose a scenario or draft their own on the worksheet:
Scenario A: Asking a teacher for an extension on an overwhelming history project.Scenario B: Telling a friend to stop borrowing stuff without asking.Scenario C: Setting a study space boundary with parents during finals.
"Draft your DEAR MAN script in your worksheet first. Then, practice saying it out loud with your partner."
4. Feedback & Wrap-Up (7 Minutes)
Reconvene. Ask volunteers to share. Emphasize shifting from passive or aggressive to assertive communication.
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 4 OF 6
Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
WEEK 5: EVERYDAY HABITS (INTEGRATION & ROUTINE)
45 MINS
00-08m: Opening/Check-in
08-22m: Coping Ecosystem
22-38m: Ritual Design
38-45m: Accountability Check
1. Welcome & Mindful Grounding (8 Minutes)
Begin with a 2-minute "5-4-3-2-1 Grounding" session (5 see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste). Review Week 4 assertiveness experiences.
2. Core Concept: Designing a Personal Coping Ecosystem (14 Minutes)
"Skills only protect us if we practice them before we are in danger. Today we focus on everyday systems. We will build a customized coping routine that integrates seamlessly into your actual high school schedule. This means mapping specific skills to specific trigger times."
3. Workshop: The "Habit Stacking" Exercise (16 Minutes)
"The easiest way to build a habit is to attach it to an existing habit. For example: 'Right after I put my backpack in my locker (existing habit), I will do 3 deep, paced breaths (new skill).' This is called habit stacking."
Action: Have students open their worksheets and design their "My Coping Ecosystem" map, defining their Morning Anchor, School-Day Anchor, and Evening Anchor.
4. Tracking & Accountability (7 Minutes)
"In your worksheets, you will see a '7-Day Coping Tracker'. Your challenge this week is simply to tick the box every day you perform your anchored skills. Let's make an agreement with a partner to keep ourselves accountable."
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 5 OF 6
Facilitator Program Guide & Syllabus
THE RESET ROOM
6-Week DBT-Informed Stress & Anxiety Support Group
FACILITATOR
WEEK 6: FUTURE SHIELDS (MAINTENANCE & GRADUATION)
45 MINS
00-08m: Final Check-in
08-20m: Emergency Plans
20-38m: Skill Cards & Ritual
38-45m: Graduation Ceremony
1. Final Check-In (8 Minutes)
Review 7-Day Coping Tracker progress. Highlight small wins. Reframe any 'skipped' days as data, not failure.
2. Core Concept: Relapse Prevention & Emergency Plans (12 Minutes)
"Graduation doesn't mean you will never feel anxious again. It means that when anxiety hits, you will have a shield and armor ready. Relapse planning means preparing for the bad days before they arrive. It means knowing who to text, what skill to deploy, and where to find safety."
Action: Walk students through filling out their "Personal Safety Net & Emergency Plan" in their companion worksheets.
3. Interactive Coping Card Distribution & Signing (15 Minutes)
"I am handing out your printed take-home Coping Cards. These cards fit right in your wallet, phone case, or notebook. They contain quick-glance grounding prompts, TIPP triggers, and Wise Mind anchors."
Activity: Have students copy their personal safety contacts and favorite skills onto their physical Take-Home Coping Cards.
4. Graduation & Closing Appreciation Circle (10 Minutes)
"Let's close our final session. We will do an appreciation round-robin. Look to your left and share one thing you've appreciated about that person's presence over the past 6 weeks."
THE RESET ROOM • SYLLABUS & MANUAL PAGE 6 OF 6
Finding Center Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 1
Finding Your Center
Student Activity Sheet Mindfulness
Student Name
Date
My Reset Room Commitment
To ensure this is a brave, quiet space for everyone, I commit to confidentiality (what is said here stays here), non-judgment, active listening, turning off devices, and giving myself permission to participate at my own comfort level.
Student Signature:
Exploring the Three Mind States
DBT describes three states of mind: Reasonable Mind (logic, facts, cool), Emotional Mind (feelings, impulses, hot), and Wise Mind (the overlap where facts and feelings integrate).
Reasonable Mind
Facts, cold logic, planning
"What is the mathematical equation?"
Wise Mind
Core truth, intuition, peace
"What is healthy for me long-term?"
Emotional Mind
Feelings, impulses, reactiveness
"I need to run away right now!"
1. Describe a recent situation where your Emotional Mind completely took over. What did you feel/do?
2. When faced with stress, what does your Wise Mind tell you that you need to hear?
3. Mindfulness Practice Note: What felt easy and what felt difficult about today's breathing practice?
THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 1
Reset Room Master Slideshow WELCOME TO
THE RESET ROOM
PROGRAM ROADMAP
A brave, quiet space to reset our nervous systems, understand our brains, and build a customized toolkit of life-long coping skills.
01
Finding Center
Mindfulness & Three Mind States
02
Crisis Survival
TIPP Biology & Distress Tolerance
03
Emotional Wave
Opposite Action & Wave Riding
04
Social Armor
DEAR MAN Communication
05
Everyday Habits
Habit Stacking & Coping Rituals
06
Future Shields
Safety Networks & Graduation
THE RESET ROOM • SESSION SLIDES SLIDE 1 OF 7
WEEK 1: CORE MINDFULNESS
The Three States of Mind
WISE MIND
❄️
Reasonable Mind
Runs purely on facts, logic, math, and analytical planning. Emotional variables are entirely excluded.
"What are the factual components here?"
🌱
Wise Mind
The integration of facts AND feelings. The calm center where you discover what is deeply true, safe, and healthy.
"What is healthy for me long-term?"
🔥
Emotional Mind
Ruled completely by feeling waves, immediate heat, urges, and quick reactions. Logic is entirely set aside.
"I need to escape or fight right now!"
THE RESET ROOM • WEEK 1 SLIDE 2 OF 7
WEEK 2: DISTRESS TOLERANCE
Shedding Crisis: The TIPP Skills
TIPP FORMULA
💧
Temperature
Splash face with cold ice water to trigger parasympathetic reflex and drop heart rate instantly.
BIOLOGICAL RESET
🏃
Intense Exercise
Release intense physical panic through brief, intense activity (jumping jacks, climbing stairs).
SHED ADRENALINE
😮💨
Paced Breathing
Breathe out longer than you breathe in (in for 4, out for 6) to signal your amygdala that you are safe.
CALM AMYGDALA
🧘
Paired Relax
Deliberately tense muscle groups on the inhale, and drop them completely loose on the long exhale.
MUSCLE RELEASE
THE RESET ROOM • WEEK 2 SLIDE 3 OF 7
WEEK 3: EMOTION REGULATION
Crisis Survival Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 2
Crisis Survival
Student Activity Sheet Distress Tolerance
Student Name
Date
When stress scale peaks at an 8, 9, or 10 , your rational brain shuts down. TIPP skills change your body's temperature, energy, and breathing physically to lower the alarm in your nervous system. Once your temperature and heart rate go down, you can utilize ACCEPTS distractions.
🧠 TIPP Skills
💧 T - Temperature: Splash face with ice water.
🏃 I - Intense Exercise: Do 15 jumping jacks fast.
😮💨 P - Paced Breathing: Inhale 4s, exhale 6s.
🧘 P - Paired Relaxation: Tense and release muscles.
🛡️ ACCEPTS Distractions
A ctivities (read, play a quick game)C ontribution (help a peer, do a favor)C omparison (reframe with past challenges)E motions (watch something funny)P ushing away (shelve thoughts for later)T houghts (count backwards by 7)S ensations (squeeze a textured stress ball)
My Custom TIPP Emergency Plan
Design your specific toolkit. What specific physical options can you execute immediately at school or at home when a crisis hits?
💧 Temperature
🏃 Intense Exercise
🧘 Breathing/Muscle
🛡️ ACCEPTS choice
💡 Pro-Tip for High Schoolers:
If you feel a panic attack mounting during class, ask for a hall pass. Go to the restroom, splash ice-cold water on your eyes and nose, hold for 15 seconds, and let it out. Walk up and down one flight of stairs rapidly, then take three long, slow, paced breaths before going back.
THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 2
Emotional Wave Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 3
Emotional Wave
Student Activity Sheet Emotion Regulation
Student Name
Date
Riding the Wave
An emotion is a biological wave. It starts, grows, peaks, and breaks. You cannot stop waves from rolling in, but you can learn to ride them without fighting them or feeding them. When you practice Opposite Action , you short-circuit the behavioral loop and force the wave to break faster.
Mapping My Emotional Waves
Reflect on the three most common intense emotions you face during high school stress. Define where you feel them in your body, their natural destructive urges, and your conscious, healthy Opposite Actions.
ANXIETY Trigger: Grades, tests, crowds
Physical Clue
Chest tightness, cold hands, rapid heartbeat
Natural Urge
Avoidance, running, leaving, isolation
Opposite Action
Approach directly. Break it down in small steps.
ANGER Trigger: Friendship drama, unfairness
Physical Clue
Clenched jaw, body heat, shaking, loud voice
Natural Urge
Attacking, yelling, heavy sarcasm, slamming doors
Opposite Action
Gently release hands, soften tone, step back.
SADNESS Trigger: Burnout, failure, isolation
Physical Clue
Heavy limbs, slumping, crying, low energy
Natural Urge
Staying in bed, pulling covers up, avoiding calls
Opposite Action
Get active. Settle a small task. Contact a friend.
My Wave-Rider Contract
Pick your top distressing emotion this week. When you feel this wave rising, what is the exact physical Opposite Action you commit to deploying?
My Top Stress Emotion & Physical Clues:
My Automatic Urge vs. My Conscious Opposite Action:
THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 3
Social Armor Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 4
Social Armor
Student Activity Sheet Interpersonal Effectiveness
Student Name
Date
High school relationships (with friends, teachers, parents, or coaches) are major sources of anxiety. Assertiveness is your social armor—asking for what you need or saying "no" clearly and respectfully while keeping relationships healthy. The DBT gold-standard formula for this is DEAR MAN .
DEAR MAN Formula Decoded
D - Describe: State objective facts about the situation. No judging.
E - Express: Use "I feel" statements to say how you feel. No blaming.
A - Assert: Ask directly for what you want or say 'No' explicitly.
R - Reinforce: Mention the positive reward/payoff for cooperating.
M - Mindful: Keep eye on goal. Don't get pulled into arguments.
A - Appear: Keep head up, back straight, steady tone, good posture.
N - Negotiate: Offer and listen to compromises that fit both sides.
Scripting My Assertive Request
Choose a real interpersonal tension (e.g., asking a teacher for extra test time, setting boundaries with a friend, or talking with parent about curfew). Draft your assertive script below:
Describe & Express:
Assert & Reinforce:
Negotiation Strategy:
THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 4
Everyday Habits Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 5
Everyday Habits
Student Activity Sheet Integration & Routine
Student Name
Date
Coping skills are like muscles: if you only exercise them during a crisis, they won't be strong enough to support you. Today, we build a Coping Ecosystem by stacking small, 3-minute skills onto existing habits (e.g., getting to locker, finishing lunch, going to bed) so they happen automatically.
My 3-Anchor Coping Ecosystem
Design your physical anchors. For each period of the day, identify a highly consistent habit you already do, and stack a 2-minute centering or regulating skill directly onto it.
🌅 Morning Anchor Example: When I wake up...
"I will spend 2 mins doing paced breathing before touching my phone."
🏫 Day Anchor Example: At my locker...
"I will roll my shoulders and release my hands before my next class."
🌙 Night Anchor Example: In my bed...
"I will do muscle relaxation and name 3 things I'm grateful for."
My 7-Day Coping Ritual Log
Check off the boxes below each day you execute your anchored skills. Remember: even a single checked block is a massive win for your nervous system.
Daily Habit Stacks Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 🌅 Morning Anchor
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THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 5
Future Shields Worksheet The Reset Room • Week 6
Future Shields
Student Activity Sheet Maintenance & Graduation
Student Name
Date
Congratulations on completing The Reset Room ! Graduation does not mean stress and anxiety will never return. It means that when they do, you are armed with a shield. Today, you build a permanent, personalized Emergency Response Plan to ensure that your skills travel with you.
My Personal Safety Net & Emergency Plan
Prepare for the challenging days before they arrive. Fill out your safety network and quick-glance crisis plan.
📞 Trusted Peer to Text/Call:
🏫 Safe Adult on Campus:
🏠 Safe Adult at Home:
🏆 My Top Three DBT Tools:
Of everything we've practiced, which three skills made the biggest difference in your body or mind? Write them down below so you never forget.
#1
#2
#3
My Graduation Reflection
As you look back on this 6-week journey in The Reset Room, what is the single biggest change you have noticed in how you respond to stress or worry?
THE RESET ROOM • STUDENT COMPANION WEEK 6
Take Home Coping Cards The Reset Room • Graduation Toolkit
Take-Home Coping Cards
Print, cut along the dotted lines, and keep in your wallet, phone case, or backpack!
POCKET TOOLS
🧘
Wise Mind Anchor
When your thoughts race and your chest feels tight, pause and ask yourself:
"What does my core self, my Wise Mind, tell me is true and healthy for me right now? Is this panic fact or feeling?"
THE RESET ROOM
⚡
TIPP Emergency Reset
Use when emotional stress is at an 8 out of 10:
💧 T: Splash cold water on face for 15s.
🏃 I: Do 20 jumping jacks fast.
😮 P: Breathe in for 4s, out for 6s.
🧘 P: Tense muscles, then let go.
THE RESET ROOM
👁️
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
Slow your heart down by noticing details around you:
👁️ 5 things you can see
🤚 4 things you can physically feel
👂 3 distinct sounds you can hear
👃 2 smells in the room
👅 1 taste in your mouth
THE RESET ROOM
🔄
Opposite Action
Short-circuit intense emotional urges:
😟 Anxiety Urge: Avoid/Escape
→ Opposite: Step in and approach
😡 Anger Urge: Attack/Defend
→ Opposite: Walk away, soften voice
THE RESET ROOM
🗣️
DEAR MAN Social Armor
To ask for what you need or set a boundary:
D: Describe the cold facts.
E: Express your feelings (I feel...).
A: Assert your request or say "no" firmly.
R: Reinforce and reward cooperation.
M: Mindful focus. Appear confident. Negotiate.
THE RESET ROOM
☕
5-Sense Self-Soothe
Calm your amygdala by indulging your senses:
👀 Sight: Look at botanical prints or natural sky.
👂 Sound: Listen to lo-fi beats, brown noise, wind.
👃 Smell: Lavender essential oil or a citrus peel.
