Emotional Regulation

This week's handout is also from Pinterest.

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Crisis Intervention Model

Found this on Pinterest!

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Brain Chemicals Handout

Found this on Pinterest...super interesting!

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Letter to My Future Self

This is an alternate to the "Letter to My Younger Self" activity.

Materials:

White or Lined Paper

Pens/Markers

Construction paper

Description:

Help patients make a small book using the white or lined paper.  Use the construction paper to make a cover.  Entitle the book "Letter to My Future Self."

Talk with patients about the challenges and difficulties they are currently facing.  Ask them to think about what lessons they can learn from these experiences.  Help them identify how they will be stronger and better people because of these challenge.

Instruct patients to write down these thoughts and any other things they would want their future selves to know or remember.  This may relate to life lessons, relationships, etc.  Be as specific as possible.

Afterwards, process with the patients.  What kinds of things did they include in their book?  Why?  How can they apply these lessons in their lives now, not waiting until the future? 

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Addiction Art Activity

Talk about various things that people can be addicted too (drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping, sex, etc.). Then have patients draw what their addiction looks like.  Process with patients about the addictions and how learning about who their addictions make them feel can help them work toward overcoming those addictions.  Help patients come up with a realistic plan for overcoming addiction in their lives.

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Starry Starry Night

Here's another art therapy idea submitted by Heidi Bolster, CTRS.  We use this at our facility and they turn out so cool!!

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Intervention:

Give each patient a half a sheet of black paper and a pack of oil pastels. Show them Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting and talk about the history of the painting. Discuss with patients the following discussion questions. Give Pt. time to complete their artwork, and process what they included in their picture.

Questions:

Van Gogh painted this during a difficult time in his life. For hope and inspiration he looked to the stars. What do you look to for help in difficult times? What is helping you in your current situation? –Talk about the symbolism of the color on the black paper and relate the color they choose to their hope and inspiration during a dark time.

Note for the CTRS:

As the Pt. completes their pastel have them think about these questions and allow them to add pictures, symbols, or words to their starry night to represent the things that give them hope.

History of the Painting:

In September 1888, before his December breakdown that resulted in his hospitalization in Arles, he painted Starry Night Over the Rhone. Van Gogh wrote about this painting:[4]

"... it does me good to do what’s difficult. That doesn’t stop me having a tremendous need for, shall I say the word – for religion – so I go outside at night to paint the stars.'"

The painting depicts the view outside his sanitarium room window at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (located in southern France) at night, although it was painted from memory during the day.

Emotion Wheel

I originally found this art therapy project here, and modified it slightly to meet the needs of my patients.

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Materials:

Copy of Emotion Wheel for each participant

Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils

Description:

Give each patient a copy of the emotion wheel.  (A circle divided into 8 pie sections).  Have them write above each of the eight sections with an emotion they have felt over the last few days, week, etc.

Then, instruct the patients to come up with a color/picture to decorate each section of the pinwheel to match the emotion they listed.

Processing:

Have the patients share their emotion wheels.  Consider the following questions:

*When did you feel that emotion this week? What was the situation?

   *When else in your life have you or will you feel that emotion?  How can you cope with it?

*What made you choose that color/picture to represent that particular emotion?

*How do the emotions you chose differ from those selected by another patient?

*Did you include more positive or negative emotions in your emotion wheel?  What does that say about your overall mood?

*Are there any emotions that you feel regularly that you did not include on the will?  

   *What would those emotions have looked like?

*How does the way you experience a particular emotion differ from the way someone else experiences it?

Here was our finished product!

Inside Outside Bags

This activity was submitted by the Activity Therapists at Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital.

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You’ll Need: Magazines

                         Glue or Tape

                         Paper

                         Markers or Colored Pencils or Crayons

                         Brown Paper Bag for each participant

Patients should be instructed to decorate the outside of their bag with things that represent how other people see them and put things inside that represent how they really are on the inside. Patients can tear out of the magazines, so scissors are not needed!

Then, patients should share the outside and inside of their bags with the group.

Can process:

1.     The difference between who we really are and how we present ourselves.

2.     Why it can be difficult to share what is inside the bag, what are we afraid of?

3.     How can communicating who we are be important in relationships?

4.     What happens if we don’t communicate who we are?

Box of Chocolates

This activity was created by Heidi Bolster, CTRS.  It's a lot of fun!

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You Never Know What You’re Gonna get in a Box of Chocolates…

Materials:
-Cut up about 20 small strips of paper
-Something for patients to write with
-Candy (preferably chocolate)

Directions:
Talk about the different elements of communication (tone, verbal, no verbal, etc.).  Discuss why it is important to communicate appropriately and clearly with others Discuss emotions in relation to communication and talk about how difficult it can be to assume someone else’s emotion at times.

Hand out strips of paper and writing utensils to patients and have them write down and discuss different emotions on the strips of paper. Have patients put strips of paper in a bag.

Show the patients the written statement, “You Never Know What You’re Gonna get in a Box of Chocolates…”

Instruct patients to, one at a time, pick an emotion from the bag and act out the emotion while saying, “You Never Know What You’re Gonna get in a Box of Chocolates…”  Allow the other patients to try and guess the emotion; once the emotion is guessed, the person who guessed it correctly goes next This is similar to emotion charades.  After everyone has had a few turns discuss the ease or difficulty with which the patients could act/guess the emotion that was picked from the bag.  Talk about the importance of tone & body language in the absence of words.

Discuss how the difficulty of presenting/guessing the emotions relates to their current situation in treatment.  How can they be more clear and appropriate in communicating their feelings? How can this benefit them in the hospital and how can this benefit them after discharge?  Give the patients chocolate for participating and encourage them to make small goals to help them improve their communication skills.

Pieces of My Heart

This is an activity I found on Pinterest around Valentine's Day, but I think it works really well when discussing self esteem and identity development.  The original idea was posted here.

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Materials:

Construction paper

Markers/colored pencils/crayons

Description:
Have each patient draw a large heart on their paper.  Have them divide the heart into sections for various thins that are important to them, for example people they love, activities they enjoy, things that make them who they are, etc.  Have them decorate each section of the heart.

Talk about how each person is unique and there are lots of different things that define who we are.

Hunt For Happiness

This is an activity originally found here.

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The idea is to create a positive thinking scavenger hunt, for either children, adolescents or adults.  Instruct patients to make a list of things that they feel make life worth living, or things that make them happy, or make them smile.  Then go on a "scavenger hunt" to try and find as many of these items as possible.

Variations:
Create a collage using magazines.  Search through the magazines for the things listed and then create a visual reminder for the patients of all the things they love.

Coloring with Emotions

This is a great art therapy activity!

Description:

Discuss with patients how emotions relate to color.  Consider the following chart.

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Next, have patients fill out the following emotion grid. Instruct patients to choose one color to represent each emotion and color in the square. After all the squares are complete, discuss the choices as a group. What color did each patient choose? Why? What emotions did the patients choose similar colors for?  Etc.

Feel free to add/change emotions as needed

Then give each patient a blank piece of paper. Have the patients identify some of the emotions they are currently feeling. Using the colors they chose to represent those particular emotions, have the patients create a new drawing. Explain that they can express their emotions by the colors they choose. They do not have to draw objects in the typical colors, although they can. For example the sun could be yellow for you or black for hatred. Afterwards process the pictures with the patients and talk about how color can be helpful in expressing emotions.

*Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures...hopefully you get the idea!

How Are You Peeling?

I read this book in a group during my internship.  My co-intern Katie Greenland and I had a blast preparing this lesson!

As we read this book with the kiddos, we had them play special attention to the pictures.  We then talked about what the faces looked like and how different emotions are expressed differently.

Emotion Charades

This game is always a hit at my facility!!  Hope you enjoy it!

Materials:
Emotions Charades pictures (I usually just cut up one of the charts for this)
Emotion faces chart for participants.  There are lots online, here is one sample:

Description:
Begin the group by introducing the daily theme- recognizing and expressing emotion. Begin playing Charades. Each person draws a face, and then has to get the group to guess the emotion they are feeling. NO WORDS! If they are having a hard time, they can ask one person in the group to help them.

After playing for a while (make sure everyone has at least 1 turn), pass out the emotion faces chart. You can keep playing, and it will be easier to guess the emotion because of the chart. Or you can go straight into the processing.

Processing:
Talk about the game. What was difficult about it? What made it difficult? Talk about the idea that the way one person expresses an emotion may be different than how someone else expresses that same emotion. Also talk about how one emotion may be interpreted as another emotion. Share experiences of when that may have happened. Talk about the importance of clearly recognizing and expressing emotion to those around us so that we can get the help we need.

In the Manner of the Adverb

Here's another fun game!  This can be used as an activity itself, or as a filler if you have a little extra time.

Choose one person to leave the room.  This player will be the guesser.

Everyone else stays in the room and quietly chooses an adverb (i.e. clumsily, loudly, flirtatiously).  After agreeing on the adverb, invite the guesser back into the room.  The guesser chooses someone in the room and then asks them to do an action "in the manner of the adverb."  For example, say "Player A, will you brush your teeth in the manner of the adverb?"  Player A then proceeds to brush his teeth (pretending) in the manner of the adverb.  The guesser continues to ask various players to do various actions until he is able to guess what the adverb is.

After successfully guessing the adverb, another player steps out of the room and a new adverb is chosen.

Examples of actions might include:
-Brush your teeth
-Do a pushup
-Walk to the door
-Drink a glass of water
-Write your name
-Shake someone's hand
-Wave
-Do a jumping jack

Examples of adverbs include:
-Happily
-Angrily
-Romantically
-Slowly
-Hesitantly
-Shamefully
-Bitterly
-Majestically

Afterwards, process this activity.  You could relate it to communication and how nonverbal communication affects how we pass information from person to person.  You could also talk about different emotions and how we express these emotions to others around us.  It could also be used to discuss how we cope with anxiety, as some participants might be nervous about having to play the game.  Be creative and see how your group does; adapt the processing to meet their needs.

My Many Colored Days

Here's another one of my favorite groups because it's so easy to adapt for whatever functioning level of the group.  Plus, it's a Dr. Seuss book, so how can it not be awesome? ;-)

Talk about how colors represent various emotions, and how emotions are expressed through colors. For example,
   I’m feeling blue
   Rage represented by red
   Gray being a “blah” color
   Green with envy
   Etc.

Then read the book “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss with the patients.

Discuss the book with patients. How well did Dr. Seuss express emotions through colors? Do you agree with the emotion he gave each color? Why or why not? What would you change? What emotions would you add?

Ask patients what kind of day they are having? A blue day? A purple day?

How do you know what color of day you are having.

Give patients colored paper and markers. Have them create some kind of artwork using the colors to express the emotions they are feeling. Share and discuss the artwork with the group.

Feelings Jenga

Here is another Jenga game.  If you haven't seen the Communication Jenga or the Social Skills Jenga, be sure to check them out as well.  Jenga has endless possibilities for rec therapists!!

I saw this picture on Pinterest and immediately thought it would be perfect for my facility.  The geriatric unit especially loves telling stories, and this would be a good way to keep them involved and on topic.

Basically, you write an emotion on each Jenga piece.  Examples of different emotions might include:
-Happy
-Grief
-Lonely
-Worried
-Excited
-Angry
-Disappointed
-Hurt
-Sorrowful
-Exhausted
-Hopeless
-Confident
-Friendly
-Embarrassed
-Ashamed
-Proud
-Indifferent

Play Jenga as normal.  When a player pulls out a Jenga block, he/she must read the emotion listed on the block and then share a time when he/she felt that emotion.

You could also write the same emotion on several different Jenga blocks, so that more than one person will draw that block and share that emotion.

Afterwards, process with the group.  Which emotions were easy to talk about?  Which were more difficult?  Which emotion do you feel the most?  The least?

Emotion Painting

                                                   
Objectives:

Patients will gain an understanding of how much of a role emotion plays in artmaking. The connection between line, color, texture, shape etc. will be explored as patients create a painting which expresses a certain emotion or feeling.

What You Need:

• a large sheet of heavy paper (or canvas)
• acrylic paint (for older students)
• tempera paint - or crayons (for younger students)
• paintbrushes
• water
• containers
• mixing trays (could be styrofoam trays or sheets of old cardboard)
• paper towels
• newspapers
• old shirts or painting smocks
• music (various styles)
• scrap newsprint
• pencils

What You Do:

1. Talk about emotion. What does the word emotion mean? What kinds of emotions do we experience on a day-to-day basis.
2. Talk about color. How do certain colors make us feel? Why?
3. Talk about line. What kinds of lines are there? Straight, jagged, squiggly, zig-zag, etc.
4. Warm up by having patients draw lines (using pencil on newsprint) based upon certain feelings. IE: draw happy lines, draw angry lines, etc.
5. You can also encourage your patients to draw lines based on the music they are hearing (IE: jazz, classical, pop etc.)
6. Once everyone is "warmed up" begin working with the paint. Make sure each patient has a paintbrush, water and access to at least the three primary colors (red, yellow and blue).
7. Give a quick demonstration of how paints are used properly (always clean brushes before dipping into a new fresh color ... treat the brushes well by not squishing them down on the paper etc. Also, review color mixing (yellow + blue = green; red + yellow = orange; red + blue = violet)
8. Everyone can then decide on an emotion or feeling which they will express using various paint colors, lines, textures and shapes.
9. Allow your patients to take as long as they need to create the final work, encouraging them to stand back from time to time to have a really good look at what they are doing. Is it moving in the direction they want it to? Are the desired feelings starting to emerge?
10. Remember too that this is a very intuitive and subjective exercise and as such the works should not be analyzed by the instructor, but rather by the kinderartists themselves.
11. When the paintings are complete, hang them up and see how others interpret the work. Does everyone see similar emotions in the same works? Yes? No? Why? Refer

This idea was found via

Relationships Art Therapy Project

I found this awesome activity from http://www.arttherapyblog.com

Choose the people who matter most to you in life and create unique art for each.

Are you the type of person that feels stretched too thin? Do you try to please and accommodate everyone under the sun? Could you be spending more of your time on the people that matter most in your life? If so, this may be a good art therapy exercise for you.

There’s only so much time in a day, a week, a month, a year, and even a lifetime to do the things we want. There’s just never enough time. We live life one moment to the next and when it comes time to reflect on those moments, we want them to be well-spent, memorable, and hopefully un-regrettable.

Here’s a simple activity that you can do to help prioritize and focus your energy on the people that matter most to you. I’m talking about the people that help you maximize the moments of joy in your life. It’s easy to become misguided and distracted, and to focus on the bad energy that surrounds you. Therefore, sometimes it is helpful to focus on the people that make you smile, treat you right, and really have a positive influence in your life.

So, for this exercise, you can use as many, or as few, materials as you like. This is meant to be as open and unique as you want with regards to the art you will create. This activity may need to be spread out over some time, but it will be well worth it.

Okay, think of 5-15 people in your life that matter most to you. In other words, if you had to choose 5-15 people to go with you to a deserted island, who would they be? Write their names down, and try to limit who you take to 15.

Now, create a unique piece of art for each individual that reflects their relationship with you and why you chose them to go with you to the island. You can draw, paint, photograph, collage, craft, or sculpt anything you like. There are no limitations on the art materials you use or the art you create. It could be a poem or a painting or whatever you think fits best.

When you’re done creating your pieces of artwork, you should have some newfound positive energy in your life that you can then put forth with the people you named. Use that energy and motivation to call them up or do something fun, whatever it is that you want to do, as long as you’re spending time and energy with these people.

Emotion Word Art

Purpose:

Materials:
   Colored pencils/crayons/markers
   Blank paper

Give each patient two pieces of paper.  Divide each paper into 4 squares.  Label the squares 1-8.

State one emotion word.  Have the patients draw this emotion (what it means to them, what image they get in their minds when they hear this word, a time when they felt this emotion, etc.)  Continue until each square is complete.  Try to include both positive and negative emotions words, such as:
   Happiness                                
   Peace
   Love
   Excitement
   Accomplishment
   Optimistic
   Fear
   Sorrow
   Anger
   Worry
   Frustration
   Boredom
 
Processing:
Afterwards, go through and have each group member describe one or two of their pictures.  Talk about what each emotion means to each person individually and how they are different.  Talk about why it is important to understand what each emotion means to each person, so we know how to relate to them.

Submitted by Andrea Call