Taking the Escalator Articles

As a group discuss ways you would give these special gifts. There are two discussion areas for each topic. Discuss both: A B Give the gift to yourself Discuss the gift as a Group The gift of TRUTH

Free association is about expressing thoughts, feelings, or images as they arise, without censorship or a pre-planned structure. To engage in free association, try to allow your mind to wander without trying to control or filter your thoughts. This activity will provide some prompts and ideas to start the process. What you should try to do is verbalize whatever comes to mind as best you can, to the degree you are comfortable. The goal is to uncover some deeper thoughts and co

Intro: There are already a lot of group therapy activities about gratitude because gratitude is so important and so powerful when it comes to positively transforming our lives. There are the usual things that are bound to come up when discussing gratitude. Some common (but very important) things that people are often grateful for are: Life Family Health Love Friends Job/Career Freedom Hobbies/Interests Nature Home Pets Creativity Talents Strengths Peace Safety Food Education

“This or That” is simple but interesting exercise to build group cohesion and to get people talking and sharing. Take turns going around the room one at a time. When it is a person’s turn, the counselor or group leader should read one of the “This or That” questions below. The group should be asked to guess which choice that they believe the person would pick. Then the person should reveal and explain their answer. Afterward, allow time for others to share their answers as we

This is a new Jeopardy game for group therapy focused on substance use and mental health dual recovery. There is a downloadable PDF version below as well as a direct link to this Jeopardy game online on "Jeopardylabs." Keep in mind these questions might be better suited for a group with an existing level of recovery experience and knowledge. It may be challenging for a group that is newer to the recovery process.

Intro:  For this group exercise, rather than just focusing on one topic or activity, the group will participate in a series of short mini activities with everyone in the group getting a chance to work on an original idea. Directions : Depending upon the size of the group, the objective is to come up with a series of 10 minute “mini activities”. Start by breaking the group up into smaller mini groups of 2 or three people in each mini group (depending upon how many people are p

Intro : Self-discovery refers to the process of gaining insight and understanding about oneself, including one's beliefs, values, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. It involves exploring one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to develop a deeper awareness of one's identity and purpose in life. This process often involves introspection, reflection, and sometimes seeking external perspectives or experiences. Self-discovery can lead to personal growth, improved

Opening Icebreaker – Sharing what you don’t know. Directions : Choose a subject that you do not know much about and complete the following two sentences: 1 - “I can’t speak intelligently about…. (Name subject) 2 - “ The only thing I know about (Subject) is…” For example: 1- “I can’t speak intelligently about Quantum Physics .” 2- “The only thing I know about Quantum Physics is that it involves really smart scientists studying small things like electrons.” Before the next pe

Vulnerability - Willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known; willingness to risk being emotionally hurt...

Opening Icebreaker:  Start with this lighthearted, brief icebreaker to introduce the “Choose Your Battles” topic. For this icebreaker, go through each item on the list and discuss the following: For each scenario if you are in a situation with someone else whom you are close too and they have a different view than you, are you more likely to insist on your choice or let them choose? For you, who usually gets their way when there is a difference in view with a friend or partne