Monday, May 11, 2015

5 Simple Ways to Make Positive Conversation

Hello readers :)

I wanted to share some tips that I have gathered throughout my internship on easy ways to make conversation with children (and adolescents) who tend to be a bit more guarded when it comes to sharing feelings.

There are great conversation starters when you are working with a new client as well, because sometimes new clients come into session and are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the idea of having to speak about feelings that they might not have shared otherwise. 

Coloring

I know, you might be thinking, "REALLY?! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT!" in the most sarcastic tone imaginable but hear me out. It is truly amazing what you can get out of a child who is not willing to talk to you about anything with a coloring page. I have even used this with my teenage clients as a break from our normal routine to allow them a distraction from the immediate concern of not wanting to be in session. You would be amazed at what your client will talk about with you when you just allow them to sit with their feelings and share when they feel like it is the right time. 

Playing a Board Game

Again, may seem like a simple one, but I have seen it show dramatically positive results. Jenga (c) is a great example of a game that younger clients love to play and will allow you to create a conversation. 

A great tip for therapists: write questions on your Jenga (c) blocks. You can write easy questions like "What do you love about your bedroom?" and even more difficult questions, such as, "Who do you feel you can turn to when you are sad?"

Here's a link to some amazing sample questions from Creative Social Worker's tumblr:

Therapeutic Jenga

Take a Mindful Walk

If you are able, get your clients outside for a mindful walk. This is when you ask your client to focus on just the things that are around them instead of what is worrying them at the time. Ask them to focus on the feel of the wind on their face, the smell of the breeze, the feel of their feet hitting the ground beneath them. It's an awesome break from the usual routine of having therapy sessions in an office.

Ask Your Client to Bring Music

Teens love this, since this allows you the chance to get into their world for a short amount of time. It allows you to get to know what helps them through life, especially if music is a really important part of their world.

Tell Stories 

This one is one I love to do with my teen clients. Now, this is one that is truly based on your comfort level. It requires you to self-disclose a bit to your clients, but I make sure that I pick stories that are ones I am comfortable telling anyone. The best rule of thumb that I use is if I am comfortable telling the barista at Starbucks this story, it's appropriate to tell my client. It's a story that does not reveal an intense amount of information about you, but it creates you into more than just the person who listens to their stories. It can really coax a difficult client to talk to you. 

These are just a sample of things that I have used with clients that work really well to create new experiences for positive conversations. As always, continue to plant those seeds of change with your little sprouts :) 

No comments:

Post a Comment