Early experiences can have a lasting impact. Moments of great pain or joy as a child or adolescent shape how we see ourselves and the world for years to come.

My Early Memories worksheet invites clients to describe three experiences from their early lives that significantly impacted them. Clients select a topic of their choice to explore, such as parents, friends, school, loss, anxiety, or money. They then reflect on how experiences related to this topic influenced the person they are today. Clients are free to choose general memories (e.g., “I remember feeling very anxious in fourth grade”) or more specific recollections (e.g., “I remember feeling very anxious when a bully beat me up during recess in fourth grade”).

Use this worksheet to help clients gain better insight into how early experiences shaped their current worldview and sense of self. If using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), examine the core beliefs clients internalized from these experiences and whether these are serving them. From an Adlerian or narrative therapy perspective, explore how clients construct a story of self from these memories.

Regardless of approach, the worksheet is a good starting point for processing clients’ unresolved emotions, exploring formative influences, and clarifying goals.