Worksheet
Helps clients identify the triggers, emotions, and routines behind compulsive shopping so they can interrupt the pattern before the purchase.
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Compulsive shopping, or overspending, can often be a way to cope with emotional difficulties, leading to financial issues and strained relationships. This worksheet helps individuals recognize their shopping triggers, emotions, and behaviors that contribute to compulsive shopping habits. By reflecting on past experiences and identifying emotional triggers, individuals can begin to break the cycle. Practical strategies such as cutting up credit cards, making lists, and seeking support groups are suggested to regain control over spending. The worksheet also encourages finding new hobbies and seeking specialized help to manage emotions and avoid shopping as a coping mechanism.
Written by clinical psychologist Dr. Hal Baumchen, PsyD, LP, LADC, this printable PDF worksheet gives clinicians a practical, session-ready tool. The conversational, encouraging tone makes clinical concepts accessible to clients at any stage of recovery, while structured prompts keep the work focused and productive.
How clinicians use it: as an in-session exercise to open and structure discussion, as between-session homework to reinforce skills, as a progress tool to track growth over time, and as part of a treatment unit paired with the companion lesson and PowerPoint on this topic. Formatted for easy printing and immediate use in individual or group settings.
