About this worksheet
A one-page communication skills worksheet built for real-session use, not photocopied handouts. Clients get the I-statement formula (I feel ___ when ___ because ___ and I need ___), a rewrite of a specific recent moment where communication broke down, a script drafter (what to say, what to leave out, what to hold as an inner check), and a reflect-before-responding structure that slows the loop enough for the higher brain to come back online. It is the piece we reach for when a client can name the emotion clearly in session but loses the language the moment the actual person is in front of them. If you have been sending clients to therapist-aid or therapistaid.com for a communication handout, this is a modern, editable, sendable alternative — with the same clinical bones plus the ability to send it directly to a client's phone as a fillable prompt.
When to use it
- Couples work — after a rupture, before a repair conversation, or as psychoeducation in session 2 or 3.
- Family therapy, especially parent-teen dynamics where the loop is habitual.
- Assertiveness training with adult clients who default to passive or aggressive communication.
- Workplace-conflict presentations in individual therapy.
- Skills groups (DBT interpersonal effectiveness, EFT couples groups, communication-focused psychoeducation).
- Any client who reports 'we just keep having the same fight.'
How to use it
- 1
Introduce the I-statement
Walk through the four-part I-statement formula in session first — feel / when / because / need. Have the client build one on the spot about a low-stakes recent moment.
- 2
Rewrite a real recent moment
Pick one recent communication rupture the client can describe in one sentence. Have them draft the original and the rewrite in the worksheet's two columns.
- 3
Draft the script
Use the script section to sketch the actual sentences the client will say in the upcoming conversation. Include what to leave out — most communication ruptures are about what got added, not what got missed.
- 4
Add a reflect-before-respond cue
Circle one physical cue (breath, feet, tongue behind teeth) the client will use before responding. The pause is where the skill lives.
- 5
Send for practice
Send the worksheet as a between-session prompt so the client fills it out before the actual conversation, not from memory afterward.
- 6
Debrief in the next session
Review what the client actually said versus what they had drafted. The gap is the clinically interesting material.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four communication skills on this worksheet?+
I-statements, active listening (reflect what you heard before responding), assertive request-making, and reflective pause. These are the four skills that show up in nearly every evidence-based communication protocol — Gottman, EFT, NVC, DBT interpersonal effectiveness.
How is this different from the therapist-aid communication worksheet?+
The therapist-aid version is a static PDF. This one is sendable to a client's phone as a fillable form, editable in your account for practice-specific tweaks, and pairs with the DEAR MAN worksheet, the feelings wheel, and the four-horsemen handout in one integrated workflow. Free either way.
Is this worksheet for couples or individuals?+
Both. Couples use it side-by-side before a repair conversation. Individuals use it to prepare for a specific conversation — with a partner, parent, boss, or estranged sibling — where the stakes have made prior attempts derail.
Can I use this in a communication skills group?+
Yes. The three-panel structure (formula → rewrite → script) maps cleanly onto a 60–90 minute group session with two dyad rounds. Use the I-statement panel for the opener, the rewrite panel for the working middle, and the script panel as the take-home.
What is the I-statement formula?+
The classic four-part I-statement: 'I feel [emotion] when [specific event], because [meaning I made], and I need [specific behavioral request].' The 'because' and the 'need' are what turn an I-statement from a complaint into a repair invitation.
Is it free to download and print?+
Yes. Free for clinicians, students, and clients to print, use, and share. Sign in to TherapistAssist to send it as a secure client link or download a co-branded version with your practice name on it.
Worksheet — Communication Skills Worksheet — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.
