Why use Challenge Software

  This program was built to be used as a tool and designed to assist those in helping professions to teach individuals the basic skills underlying self-control. The program is based on existing principles from several theories in psychology and sociology. It is simply an application of these fundamental principles in a new and entertaining form.

     Through literature reviews, clinical experience, and collaboration, the creators of this program understand the importance of learning about the connection between one’s thoughts, or interpretations, and the emotional or behavioral consequence when responding to an event, or stressor, in one’s environment. The primary issue here is being able to empower someone by showing them, first, that they can make change, and then showing them how and where they can make changes in their life. By helping people clarify and process the idea of competing thoughts within themselves that ultimately dictate their responses, we can create lasting change and provide them with a skill that they can use on their own.

     Through an interactive medium, we are able to teach children about the power and control they possess over their mood and behavior. So many of the children and adults that we work with do not believe they can do anything about their emotional state, or the way they tend to respond in certain situations. This learned helplessness often leads to frustration and depression, or other maladaptive coping strategies.

     The program was specifically designed to allow for as much or as little direction as the clinician sees fit. There are several opportunities throughout the program to engage in discussion, or simply observe how the child responds.

     The program is also designed to show outcomes that would be consistent with goals on a treatment plan. Two examples of basic treatment plan goals for someone using the program may look like this:

1. The client will understand the connection between his or her thoughts and his or her emotional and behavioral consequences as evidenced by scores on the Challenge Software Program.

2. The client will demonstrate his or her ability to verbalize the identification of unhealthy and healthy interpretations of actual events in his or her life as evidenced by the completion of the “Suggesting a scenario” form in the Challenge Software Program.

The program allows for easy reviewing and printing of these documents.

     The program is also designed to be collaborative in nature and allows for more than one professional to use the program with a particular client to work on the same treatment goals. There are places to take notes within the program and share them with the other individuals on the treatment team.

     Additionally, the clients like to use it. We have had a great response from the clients themselves. It helps with engaging difficult clients and, unlike some other activities, it is also therapeutic at the same time.


If you have any other questions, please Email us.