Create Your Own Baymax (c)!!

I created this intervention for one of my early clients who was dealing with complex PTSD. He exhibited intense fear responses to certain stimuli and it was causing him to act out in an aggressive nature.

He had seen Big Hero 6 the week before we had done this activity in session, and he had reported to me that he LOVED the movie. The inspiration struck after that session and I sat down and worked on this activity for him:

We created our own Baymax (c)!! 

I provided my client with a blank sheet of paper that would be his space to be able to draw his picture. I prompted him for this activity by explaining that sometimes when we are afraid, we would love to be able to have someone to hug and snuggle with, just like Hero did with Baymax. 

I allowed him to be creative and draw what his Baymax looked like (humorously enough, he redrew the same character) and then we explored what he would do with his Baymax, what he would name his robot, and how his robot would help him feel a little less afraid.

This activity was extremely effective with this client, and I think that it is a positive activity for all children dealing with fear-like responses to external stimuli. I would use this activity again since it appeared to be very effective for this client. 

Parents/guardians, if you would like to complete this activity with your child, I would set it up much like I set it up for a therapy session with a client. You can change the wording in the ways that you would like to make it more appropriate for your child. The same goes for therapists: change the wording! Make your own handout! 

I hope this activity proves useful for you in your practice or with your child. If you use this activity in your practice and someone is curious where you got it from, please direct them to my blog. I hope to update this as frequently as possible, so keep checking back for more material.

Enjoy planting the seeds of change with your little sprouts. :)