It's My Life CD

by Kelly

Summary:  When working with adolescent clients it can sometimes be a challenge for that client to feel comfortable opening up about their feelings and emotions.  One simple intervention that can be utilized is creating an It's My Life CD.  This activity helps create a starting point for conversation and can be a tool for future discussions. 

The client will create their own CD (Title, Cover Design, Song List, etc) and can be very vague related to any part of their life, or more specific relating to treatment issues.

References:

Assessment and Treatment Activities for Children, Adolescents, and   Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Techniques, ed. L. Lowenstein. Toronto: Champion Press. 

Smith, J. (2008). It’s My Life CD. In Lowenstein, L. Creative Play Therapy Interventions for Children and Families.  http://hstrial-laparicio1.homestead.com/Liana_Lowenstein_Article.pdf

You're a Star

by Lacy

The video briefly explains a simple activity for a therapist to use with a child to increase the child's awareness of people that love, care about, and help them. The activity is called "You're A Star" and can also be used as a method of coping with future emotional issues that the child may encounter.

This is an activity that is described in more detail in Liana Lowenstein's "Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Interventions" which can be accessed at:

http://www.lianalowenstein.com/e-booklet.pdf

Robinson, N.S. (1995). Evaluating the nature of perceived support and its relation to perceived self-worth in adolescents. Journal of Research in Adolescence, 5, (2), 253-280.

Colored Candy Go Around

by Allison

It can be challenging to engage children in initial therapy sessions. Colored Candy Go Around is a creative way to gather information about the client and their family and begin to open up communication as well as identify goals for therapy. This is an activity can also be used to engage children during initial group sessions. Questions can be easily modified to fit each family or group situation.

Arkell,  Katherine (2010). Published in Assessment and Treatment Activities for Children, Adolescents and Families, Vol 2. Edited by Lowenstein, L. http://www.lianalowenstein.com/e-booklet.pdf

Kazdin, A. E., Holland, L., & Crowley, M. (1997). Family experience of barriers to treatment and premature termination from child therapy. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 65(3), 453-463.

Butterflies in My Stomach

by Andria

Play therapy has been proven to be an effective intervention when working with children facing stressors in their life (Cochran, Cochran, Fuss, and Nordling, 2010).  Play therapy creates a non-threatening environment where a child is able to engage in self-expression (Cochran et al., 2010).  Often times, when children present themselves for therapy they are initially unwilling to share directly their thoughts and feelings (Lowenstein, 2011).  However, the use of play therapy can break down this reluctance and create an outlet for the child to express his or her feelings and emotions (Lowenstein, 2010).  Therapists who effectively use play therapy can have very productive sessions with children.  One play therapy intervention that is particularly effective is an activity named “Butterflies in My Stomach” (Lowenstein, 2011).

References

Cochran, J. L., Cochran, N. H., Fuss, A., & Nordling, W. J.  (2010).  Outcomes and stages of child-centered play therapy for a child with highly disruptive behavior driven by self-concept issues.  Journal of humanistic counseling, education and development, 49(2), 231-246.

Lowenstein, L.  (2011). Creative play therapy interventions for children and families.  Retrieved from http://www.lianalowenstein.com/article_journals.pdf

First Session Family Card Game

 by Breanna

                

Therapeutic techniques that engage all family members can be difficult to find and use in family therapy sessions. The First Session Family Card Game is designed to engage the entire family in the therapeutic process and in communicating with each other.

               

This game allows for questions that can be used to understand and observe the dynamics of the family present in therapy which can later be helpful in treatment planning. The questions are created with the purpose of family joining in mind. They also are helpful in allowing families to realize what their goals for treatment consist of. The First Session Family Card Game also includes opportunities for positive interactions between family members such as hugs and small treats further help to engage family members in the therapeutic process.

The First Session Family Card Game can be modified to fit other situations as well. For instance, the questions can be adapted so that the game could be used in a family’s last session of therapy. These questions would focus on the gains the family achieved through the therapeutic process, as well as, what they learned from their sessions and what the therapist learned from them. The game and questions can also be modified to fit specific target populations such as children for children who are experiencing loss or grief.

Chasin, R., & White, T. B. (1989). The child in family therapy: Guidelines for active engagement across the age span.

Gil, E. (1994). Play in family therapy. The Guilford Press.

Lowenstein, Liana (2006). Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children. Toronto, ON: Champions Press.

Lowenstein, Liana & Sprunk, Trudy Post (2010). Creative Family Therapy Techniques: Play and Art-Based Activities to Assess and Treat Families.

Lowenstein, Liana (Ed.) (2010). Creative Family Therapy Techniques: Play, Art and Expressive Therapies to engage children in family sessions. Toronto, ON: Champion Press. 

Feelings Hide and Seek

by Robyn

Feelings Hide and Seek – provides a safe environment for clients to verbalize and discuss their feelings; increase open communication regarding various emotional states; and strengthens family relationship through direct communication.

References

Hunter, E., Fainsilber, K., Shortt, J., Davis, B., Leve, C., Allen, N., & Sheeber, L. (2011). How do I feel about feelings? Emotion socialization in families of depressed and healthy adolescents. J Youth Adolescence, 40, 428-     441. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.und.edu

Kenney-Noziska, S. (2008). Feelings hide and seek. Techniques. Retrieved from http://lianalowenstien.com

Intervention to begin discussion for CBT with adolescents

This in an intervention I use with my clients to help them open up (a lot of them are anxious and won't talk), particularly in groups to facilitate discussion. Because about 99% of my clients have some type of anxiety disorder, we normally use CBT to treat it, and this intervention allows them to feel comfortable opening up and talking about their feelings. It also helps gather information about the client that they may not have normally told you (without the game).

References:

Masia-Warner C, Klein RG, Dent HC, et al. (2005). School-based intervention for adolescents with social anxiety disorder: results of a controlled study. J Abnorm Child Psychology, 33(6):707-722.

Verhulst F. (2001) Community and epidemiological aspects of anxiety disorders in children. In: Silverman WK, Treffers PDA, eds. Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Research, Assessment and Intervention. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press; 273-292.

Rapport Building Developmental Assessment

The video demonstrates the use of drawing "Face Circles" and "Family Circles" in order to conduct a developmental assessment of a child while also building rapport.  Completing a developmental assessment allows an interviewer to later tailor questions to a particular child's competence and overall functioning, including motor skills, language, and cognitive skills.  This will aide in collecting the most reliable information from the child during later interviews.

Drawings can assist in building rapport with a child because drawing, typically, is an engaging activity and is an appropriate tool of communication with all ages of children.

The video also demonstrates the skill of inviting narrative from the child while both are engaged in drawing.  This allows the child to practice answering in narrative form while discussing neutral or positive topics.

References:

Anderson, J., Ellefson, J., Lashley, J., Lukas Miller,  A., Olinger, S., Russell, A., Stauffer, J., & Weigman, J. (2010). The CornerHouse Forensic Interview Protocol: RATAC®. The Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law, 12(2). 193-331.  Available at: www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=258656

Hiltz, B. & Bauer, G. (2003). Drawings in forensic interviews of children. American Prosecutor's Research Institute, 16(3). Available at: www.ndaa.org/pdf/update_vol16_no3.pdf

Feel Good Files- a Self-esteem intervention

    Children of varying ages including adolescents can benefit from creating a “Feel Good File.” The primary goal of creating this type of file is to encourage positive self-talk through the identification and verbalization of positive self-qualities. This activity provides a child with an opportunity to focus on their strengths while learning how to release negative self-thoughts and images by focusing on positive affirmations.  The feel good file can be used in the therapeutic setting as well as within the child’s home. The child can also learn how to use their file on their own and continue to add to the file over time. This video will demonstrate how to create and use a feel good file with a child in a therapeutic setting.        

by Shawna Hall

References:                   

http://www.lianalowenstein.com/e-booklet.pdf 
       

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry July 2008 vol. 13 no. 3 395-407