A Sticky Brain Series workbook for kids stuck on a specific fear or phobia. Through Sam’s story, children learn about fear alarms, avoidance traps, brave ladders, exposure-based practice, and how to teach the brain something new one small step at a time.
Sam and the Brave Brain Experiment is designed for kids who avoid specific people, places, animals, objects, or situations because their brain has learned to treat one fear as a Very Big Deal. It uses child-friendly language to teach that brave does not mean “not scared.” Brave means scared and doing it anyway, one safe step at a time.
Want the full Sticky Brain Series? This workbook is part of the Sticky Brain Series, a collection of story-based workbooks for kids with sticky brains, big feelings, anxiety, ADHD, flexible thinking challenges, and more.
SPECIFIC PHOBIA + BRAVE PRACTICE WORKBOOK
This story and skills workbook helps children understand fear alarms, map specific fears, build brave ladders, and practice small exposure-based experiments with support.
Help kids understand fear without letting avoidance run the plan
Fear Alarm Psychoeducation
A child-friendly explanation of how the brain’s fear alarm can get loud around one specific fear.
The Avoidance Trap
Helps kids and grown-ups understand how avoidance can make fear feel stronger over time.
Map the Fear
A worksheet for identifying the exact fear, the brain’s prediction, the fear rating, and what avoidance is costing.
Build a Brave Ladder
A step-by-step tool for creating small, doable brave steps from easiest to hardest.
Run the Experiment
Exposure-based practice framed as a safe brain experiment: predict, try, notice what actually happened, and learn.
Grown-Up Guidance
Includes support pages for parents, caregivers, teachers, and clinicians using the workbook with children.
This workbook is a psychoeducational resource and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, diagnosis, crisis care, medical care, or individualized clinical guidance. If a child’s fear is interfering with school, sleep, eating, medical care, relationships, or daily functioning, consult a licensed mental health professional with experience in childhood anxiety and exposure-based treatment.