Finding activities for kids group therapy can feel a lot easier than group therapy activities for adults. With the rise of adults seeking out mental health services in the united states, it is important to know how to keep them engaged in such settings. Group therapy activities for adults are meant to build trust and a bond between the group so that everyone in it feels safe and comfortable. While they may seem silly at times to some clients, they are a really useful tool for helping individuals work through different issues they may be experiencing.
Group Therapy Activities for Adults:
Art
Art therapy has been an activity for all age groups for several years. Research has shown that group therapy activities for adults that involve art can be a great practice for mindfulness, self-perception, personal integration, behavior analysis, and comprehension. There are many different kinds of art therapy that can be offered, so therapists should do their research on different versions and applications based on the common issues in the group.
Cooking
A common group therapy activity for adults that deal with anxiety is cooking. No matter what someone has been through in life and no matter how different everyone in your group is, everyone loves and needs good food.
How to:
This group therapy activity for adults focuses on teaching participants to work together on a common task. Each member of the group is assigned a different part of the dish to handle, from chopping to sauteing and garnishing, everyone has their own job. The meal does not have to be complicated, rather it could be something super simple. Just make sure everyone in the group has a participating role and the right tools to complete it.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers or small games are used in all kinds of group environments to help each member get to know each other better and build trust. Small group therapy activities for adults can help everyone loosen up and feel comfortable in the space they are in. They do not have to be complicated and can include games like hangman, charades, or even simply listing off one of their favorite places to go or eat. This can be a great tool for socializing the group.
Music
In the same vein as art, music group therapy activities for adults can be extremely therapeutic. Music is a common thing that people identify with, find comfort in, and use for personal healing all of the time. Doing a group therapy activity for adults that involves music can encourage vulnerability, personal growth, and socialization.
How to:
Have each member of your group bring in a song that they have an emotional connection to or they feel like calms them down/reduces their stress. Then, have a discussion about why they think that particular song helps them.
Goal Identification
Goal setting is a common component of most kinds of therapy. In group therapy activities for adults, it is a little different because each person in the group might share a similar goal and others might have different ones. Goal identification activities can be a great place to start. This activity is meant to establish how people might go about accomplishing their different goals.
How to:
Have each member of your group write down a short-term (few months), a mid-length goal (one year), and a long-term (a few years) goal. Each one should relate to a larger goal. Once every member of the group has finished, they display their pieces of paper to the group. Participants then try to guess the larger goal and discuss how the participant might accomplish it.
The ultimate goal of adult group therapy will differ from group to group. The thing that therapists need to remember is that their clients have taken a huge first step in their journey to better their mental health. Group therapy activities for adults are meant to establish trust, comradery, and connectivity between the group so that they feel safe and comfortable. While group therapy activities can be both silly and serious, they should always have a purpose and a goal. In the right setting and with the right group therapy activities for adults, your participants can benefit in a huge way from their time there.