Feelings & Needs Inventory

What am I feeling? What do I need?

Underneath every big reaction is a feeling, and underneath every feeling is a need. This one-page NVC-informed worksheet helps you name both, so you can choose what to do next instead of getting stuck. Feelings aren’t good or bad. They point to what you need.

What’s inside

• Four simple steps: Notice (just the facts), Feel, Need and Ask (what would help meet that need?).
• Feelings when a need isn’t being met: checklists grouped under Scared, Angry, Sad, Overwhelmed and Uncomfortable, with words like flooded, burned out, numb, panicky and resentful.
• Feelings when a need is being met: grouped under Calm, Happy, Connected and Energized.
• Needs, sorted into families: connection, body and safety, autonomy, honesty and respect, peace, play and meaning, with options like sensory comfort, predictability and a say in decisions.
• Two helpful tips:Feeling or thought? Words like “ignored” or “rejected” describe what we think someone did, so the sheet helps you find the feeling underneath.
• Hard to name it? Start with your body.
• A “Your Turn” script for saying it to someone else, or just to yourself: When... I feel... Because I need... Would you / Could I...

Who it’s for

Teens and adults building emotional literacy, including people who find it hard to put feelings into words. It’s useful for therapists, school counselors, couples and families.

Ways to use it

• Unpack a recent conflict in session and find the need underneath it.
• Prepare for a hard conversation with a partner, parent or teen.
• Use it as a daily check-in to build emotional vocabulary over time.
• Turn a complaint into a clear, kind request using the Your Turn script.

Why it’s different

It’s neurodivergent-friendly from the start. Sensory comfort, predictability and space are listed as real needs, the “start with your body” tip supports people who find feelings hard to name, and “close enough is good enough” takes the pressure off.

What you get

A one-page printable PDF, US Letter, available as an instant download. It’s informed by Nonviolent Communication (Rosenberg, 2015). Single-clinician license included.

Pairs well with: Thoughts vs. Feelings, DEAR MAN One-Sheet, Whole-Body Feelings Wheel