At The Paediatric Psychology Clinic, we know how overwhelming it can be to support a child with a health condition. These downloadable PDF resources are designed for busy parents and carers who want clear, evidence-based and compassionate guidance to promote emotional wellbeing, resilience and family coping.
What you’ll find in our resource library:
Concise, practical guidance: Each PDF focuses on actionable strategies you can use right away, with step-by-step approaches and simple scripts for common conversations.
Evidence-informed approaches: Content draws on paediatric psychology best practice, trauma‑informed care and family-systems principles adapted for everyday life.
Usable with different ages and abilities: Guidance includes variations for younger children, school‑age kids and teens, plus ideas for tailoring to developmental level.
A range of resources to support parents themselves as well as children and young people
Downloadable and printable: PDFs you can save and print.
We also offer specific information for parents, around commonly asked questions such as helping your child to manage their medication, how to support siblings and how to speak to your child about their health condition.
Resources for families
What it is:
A simple, printable worksheet (designed and written by an experienced clinical psychologist) that guides parents, children and young people through the CBT maintenance cycle. It helps explain how our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical sensations all connect. Designed for families managing ongoing health conditions, the worksheet helps identify unhelpful patterns and practice small, simple steps to interrupt them.
How it helps
Makes the cycle visible and concrete.
Offers a simple 6-step guide to understanding how this cycle applies to you or your child.
Helps to identify areas of change to support more helpful patterns and calmer feelings.
Provides neutral language parents can use to talk about thoughts and feelings without judgement.
What it is:
Designed and written by an experienced clinical psychologist, this resource offers a structured, evidence-based approach to help reduce fear, avoidance and distress related to specific situations, procedures, sensations or medical treatments. This can be really helpful for both parents, children and young people. The approach requires the person to gradually and safely expose themselves to the feared thing by following a series of small, manageable steps supported with coping skills to build confidence.
Who it helps: People who experience high anxiety, leading to avoidance and distress for example when encountering:
Medical procedures (needles, hospital visits, scans)
Specific situations (doctor appointments, dental visits)
Fear-based behaviors that interfere with daily life, schooling or treatment adherence (e.g. swallowing, separation)
Graded exposure is suitable when avoidance or fear significantly interferes with wellbeing, daily life or accessing healthcare. It may be combined with other approaches (e.g., relaxation training, cognitive therapy, pain management). Taking small, gradual steps can help the fear to become more manageable and allows confidence and age appropriate independence to grow.
Thinking Traps & Thought Challenging
What it is:
Designed and written by an experienced clinical psychologist this short, parent‑friendly guide introduces common thinking traps (e.g., catastrophising, all‑or‑nothing thinking, mind‑reading) as well as a simple, step‑by‑step thought‑challenging technique.
Why it helps:
Most of us will fall into common ‘thinking traps’ (anxious or negative thinking patterns) that increase distress and reduce coping. Understanding the thinking traps that you tend to experience, and how to challenge these automatic thoughts, can help us to feel more able to regulate our emotions.
What’s inside:
Information about how and why challenging our thoughts can support emotional wellbeing, build resilience and help you respond to situations with greater clarity and confidence.
An overview of common thinking traps with examples specific for parents of children with health conditions.
A six‑step guide to challenging your thoughts
Who these resources are for
Parents and carers of children with chronic illness, disability, frequent medical procedures or complex health needs
Clinicians, school staff and other professionals seeking family‑friendly handouts
Families who want evidence‑based, practical tools without needing lengthy reading
Get started Download the Thinking Traps & Thought Challenging PDF now to begin using simple, effective strategies today. If you’d like personalised support for you or your child, our clinic offers assessments and short‑term therapy tailored to paediatric health settings.
The Paediatric Psychology Clinic — practical, compassionate support for children, teens and families navigating health challenges.
