I See Me: The Guided Journal Helping Teens — and Now My Adult Clients Too

July 24, 2025

Maree-Nicole

Clinical Hypnotherapist - Life Coach - Reiki Master
Number 1 Best Seller Author of I See You

I See Me is a trauma-informed guided journal I created to help teens build emotional awareness, self-regulation, and a stronger sense of identity. Today, schools, counselling rooms, and families across Australia use it. What surprised me, though, is that it’s just as powerful with my adult clients — so I now give it as a gift at the end of sessions, because working through feelings on paper doesn’t stop mattering at 18.

Why Emotional Awareness Matters

When someone can name and understand what they’re feeling, they’re far less likely to bottle it up, lash out, or shut down. Instead, they learn to communicate clearly, set healthy boundaries, and build emotional strength from the inside out — and that holds true whether they’re 14 or 40.

What Teens Are Navigating Right Now

Today’s teens live under a digital spotlight, 24/7. Anxiety and overthinking, feeling excluded or misunderstood, body image and identity stress, constant comparison online, academic overwhelm, the fear of not being “enough” — as a result, they feel all of it deeply, often without the words to say so.

What’s Inside the Journal

Daily mood check-ins
Open-ended prompts (never cheesy, never preachy)
Grounding tools and affirmations
Emotional vocabulary builders
Mirror reflection and self-talk spaces
Confidence and identity prompts

A few prompts clients and students come back to again and again:

“When did I feel proud of myself today?”
“What’s something I wish someone knew about me?”
“What emotion do I feel, and where do I feel it in my body?”
“If I could talk to my future self, what would I ask?”

It’s Helping My Adult Clients Too

I built this journal for teens, but I’ve started handing it to adult clients as a gift at the close of our work together — and, surprisingly, it’s landing just as hard. That’s because the prompts that help a 14-year-old name what they’re feeling do the same job for a 45-year-old who never got the chance to learn that skill growing up. So if you’re an adult client of mine, don’t be surprised if this shows up at the end of your program — it’s become part of how I like people to leave sessions equipped, not just supported.

The Research Behind It

Journaling calms the emotional brain (the amygdala), activates the logical brain (the prefrontal cortex), and lowers cortisol. As a result, people who journal regularly report reduced anxiety, fewer emotional outbursts, and a stronger sense of identity and control — and these findings hold whether the person picking up the pen is a teenager or an adult in therapy.

Who It’s For

School wellbeing (SEL) programs
Therapy sessions — teen and adult
At-home use between parents and teens
Youth groups and circles
Adult clients as a closing gift at the end of a program, alongside programs like the Identity Restoration Program

What Makes I See Me Different

It’s trauma-informed, inclusive, and gender-neutral. I built it with therapy and educational insight, so it stays age-appropriate without ever feeling childish. Above all, it comes from lived experience, not generic journal-prompt filler.

How to Use It

For example, use it in the morning to set intentions, or at night to decompress. In therapy, it helps prep for or process a session. During class wellbeing periods or at home, it can gently open a hard conversation. Either way, consistency is what builds the trust that makes it work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is the I See Me journal best for? I designed it for 11–18 year olds, though younger teens do best with adult support alongside it. In fact, many adult clients use it just as successfully in therapy settings.

Is the journal just for girls? No — I wrote it in inclusive, gender-neutral language for all identities.

Can therapists use it in sessions? Yes. Therapists currently use it in counselling, school programs, and private practice, and I personally give it to adult clients as a gift at the end of a program.

Will teens actually use it? Yes. I built it to feel safe and relatable rather than preachy, so it holds attention where generic journals don’t.

Can it help with anxiety or depression? It’s a therapeutic tool that complements professional care rather than replacing it — it builds emotional awareness and supports expression alongside treatment.

Is it backed by psychology? Yes. It draws on CBT, emotional literacy, journaling therapy, and positive psychology.

Can adults use the I See Me journal, even though it was designed for teens? Yes. I originally created it for teens, schools, and counsellors, but I now give it to my adult clients too — the same prompts that help a teenager name what they’re feeling work just as well for adults who never developed that skill.

“We can’t control everything teens go through — but we can give them tools to understand themselves through it.” — Maree-Nicole

Get the I See Me Journal — comes as a companion to my book, I See You.

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