Ladder

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Welcome to Ladder! This is a powerful tool for helping kids and teens set goals and create exposure hierarchies or fear ladders. Whether your client is working toward a big personal goal or gradually facing a fear, Ladder makes the process visual, step-by-step, and motivating.

To get started, click the plus sign to create a new ladder. You’ll first choose how many steps you want—4, 6, or 8 rungs—depending on how many smaller goals it might take to reach the big one. On the next screen, your client can enter their main goal at the very top. This could be a skill to build, a fear to overcome, or a challenge to face.

Next, they'll see their ladder below with the number of steps they picked. Starting at the bottom, work with your client to begin adding smaller goals that will help them climb toward the main one. If you're using this as a fear ladder or exposure hierarchy, the steps should go from least distressing at the bottom to most distressing at the top.

There are plenty of ways to personalize each ladder and step! Clients can pick a unique font and color for each goal step. Clicking the plus sign next to any step opens a motivation box, where your client can write an encouraging message they’ll see when they complete that step. They can also select an emoji or upload a custom image to go with each goal, making it feel even more personal and fun.

When the ladder is complete, press the play button to begin working on it. You can download and print the ladder or share it electronically with your client. When clients return to session, they can check off completed steps—and when they do, they’ll see their motivational messages all the way to the top as they complete each goal.

Clients can work on multiple ladders at the same time, and easily track their progress along the way. Whether you're building confidence, working through fears, or setting long-term goals, Ladder is here to help every step of the way.