The Shadow’s Edge Guide to Self-Awareness: A Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Workbook for Teens

The Digging Deep Project is proud to have collaborated with a diverse group of professionals in the field of child and youth development, including counselors, psychologists, physicians, social workers, researchers, and teachers. For this project, we worked with Dr. Kristi Pikiewicz, a psychologist and author, who helped design activities that are appropriate for tweens and teens. Dr. Pikiewicz is a middle school teacher turned clinical psychologist and currently oversees the social-emotional learning curriculum at a K-8 private school in Boulder, CO that focuses on gifted education.

The exercises in the workbook are divided into three stages: Disruption, Disillusionment, and Discovery. Each stage represents a step on the path towards growth and self-understanding. The activities in the Disruption stage help readers explore their past and identify the people and events that shape their understanding of themselves. The Disillusionment stage helps readers sit with difficult emotions and understand that periods of confusion are a normal part of growth. And, the Discovery stage encourages readers to see themselves in a positive light and explore new possibilities for who they can become.