How to Use This Script

This script is designed to be read aloud during your coaching session. "You" sometimes addresses you as the coach and sometimes your loved one — just as it would in a natural conversation. Speak it in your own voice; paraphrase where it feels right. Sections in blockquotes are exercises to do together.

You: "Last week you caught some automatic thoughts. Great work. Now I want to show you something that will change how you see those thoughts."

You: "Therapists have identified common 'thinking traps' — patterns that our brains fall into, especially during depression. Once you can name the trap, it loses some of its power."

The Top 5 Thinking Traps in Depression:

All-or-Nothing Thinking: "If it's not perfect, it's a total failure."
Mental Filter: Focusing only on the negative and ignoring the positive.
Mind Reading: "They think I'm pathetic" — assuming you know what others think.
Fortune Telling: "This will never get better" — predicting the worst.
Labeling: "I'm a loser" — turning a behavior into an identity.

You: "Let's look at your thoughts from last week. Can you spot any of these traps? Don't worry about fixing them yet. Just label them."

You: "When you catch yourself thinking 'Nothing ever works out,' you can say, 'Ah, that's Fortune Telling.' Just naming it creates a tiny bit of distance between you and the thought."

Nervous System Regulation Exercise: 4-7-8 Breathing

You: "Let's practice a breathing technique that directly stimulates your vagus nerve. It's called 4-7-8 Breathing."

You: "Sit comfortably. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Hold for 7. Exhale through your mouth for 8. The exhale is twice as long as the inhale — that's the key."

You: "Let's do four cycles together. Inhale, 2, 3, 4... hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8."

Why this works: The extended exhale directly stimulates the vagus nerve, shifting your autonomic nervous system toward rest-and-digest. The hold phase increases CO2 tolerance, which reduces panic sensitivity over time.

You: "If holding for 7 feels too long, start with 4-4-6 and build up. This is particularly good for sleep and general anxiety."

Nervous System Regulation Exercise: Humming / Vocal Toning

You: "Here's one you can do anywhere, even quietly. It's called Humming or Vocal Toning."

You: "Take a normal breath in. On the exhale, hum at a comfortable pitch — or try a low 'voo' sound. Feel the vibration in your chest, throat, and face. Continue for a few minutes."

Why this works: The vagus nerve passes through your larynx. Vibration from humming mechanically stimulates it, triggering parasympathetic activation. Peter Levine specifically recommends the 'voo' sound for people who feel frozen or numb.

You: "Even sub-vocal humming has an effect. How does that feel in your body?"

Guided Imagery — Between Sessions

The Guided Imagery Studio has a script called The Calm Place — a 10-minute visualization that anchors a felt sense of safety in the body. Particularly useful mid-program, when compassion fatigue is setting in.

Open Guided Imagery Studio [blocked]

Go Deeper — Between Sessions

Anhedonia — the inability to feel pleasure — is one of the most disorienting symptoms of depression for supporters to witness. Polyvagal Theory explains the neurobiology: the ventral vagal system, which mediates social engagement and positive affect, is suppressed in depression. The dorsal vagal shutdown state is not laziness or indifference — it is a biological state. Structural Dissociation maps the dissociative features that can accompany severe depression.