What Do I Need? — Thoughts & Needs Therapy Worksheet

Help clients move from identifying what they're thinking to understanding what they actually need.

What Do I Need? is a simple therapy worksheet designed to help clients slow down and translate thoughts, frustrations, and emotional reactions into clearer statements about their underlying needs.

Clients work through three prompts by identifying:

• What am I thinking?

• What do I actually need?

This simple shift can help create more productive conversations about emotions, relationships, boundaries, communication, and problem-solving.

Useful for exploring: emotional awareness, communication, relationship conflict, unmet needs, boundaries, self-advocacy, and emotional regulation.

Designed for: Mental health professionals, counselors, social workers, behavioral health providers, and other helping professionals.

Format: 1-page downloadable PDF worksheet.

For professional use. This resource is intended to support clinical discussion and skill-building and does not replace individualized assessment, professional judgment, or treatment planning.