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Archive for games

Shadow’s Edge: A Mobile Game for Teens Who Struggle with Chronic Illness

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· November 30, 2018 
· No Comments

 

For young people who struggle with chronic illnesses or emotional challenge, the weight of their trauma is ever-present, yet rarely are they given the opportunity to talk about the dark or scary side of their situations, let alone have a tool to help them move through and grow from their experience.

Enter the Digging Deep Project, with the mission of empowering teens to take charge of their emotional health in fun and engaging ways.

The Project’s newest product, the recently released mobile game, Shadow’s Edge, is designed to build resilience in teens with medical or emotional challenges. Combining psychology and technology, this free app reaches teens with psycho-educational content right where they are—on their mobile devices and playing games!

Shadow’s Edge players are guided through a process of journaling and creative expression, helping these teen players come to terms with their challenges within an immersive, edgy game world.

The quest of the player is to revive Shadow’s Edge, a city that has been decimated by storm.  Through gameplay, teens learn they can rebuild their lives by trusting their feelings and finding meaning in their experience.

Teens struggling with hardship needn’t stay in an isolated or dark world—they have the power to reshape it. They can create beauty where there was once dilapidation: There can be light; There can be colour; There can be hope.

Available for free on the App Store and Google Play. For more information and blog for and by teens visit www.shadowsedge.com.  For parents and professionals, more information on www.diggingdeep.org.

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Categories : Behavior, Conflict, Depression, Feelings, Parenting, Play Therapy Games
Tags : anger, anxiety, board games, childhood stress, counseling games, family roles, feelings, games, Play Therapy, play therapy gams, teens, therapeutic games for teens, therapy games

October Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· November 2, 2017 
· No Comments

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning”

-Diane Ackerman

Blog

Dr. Gary talked this month about  how cooperative and non-competitive games are a great resource for play therapy. Because there is no individual winner or loser, these games can be used with children who can’t tolerate losing, have cooperation difficulties, or need to work on their communication skills. Both cooperative and non-competitive games facilitate therapy by becoming the place where therapist and client interact with each other. Non-competitive games typically involve more discussion and disclosure, while cooperative games require social skills and effective communication to achieve success. Find more info and great examples here!

Articles

According to the Washington University in St. Louis, research has found that a key brain structure involved in regulating emotions and decision-making is smaller in kids who have lived through three or more adverse experiences before the age of 8, compared with kids whose lives were more stable.  These children were found more likely to develop depression in their early teen years, and more likely to have more physical health issues. Read full article here.

The American Psychological Association has offered resources for coping with and understanding gun violence following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, NV. These resources included tips for talking to children about violent behavior, gun violence, and understanding the difference between mental illness and those in “extreme situational crisis.” Read full article here. 

A new type of self-harm is gaining awareness. Physical self-harm has been seen as a cry for help from teens and adolescents, one that has been known to lead to suicide. A study has been conducted on self-harm that involves teens posting anonymous, but damaging things about themselves online. Results of the study show that nearly 6 percent of the teens reported that they had anonymously posted something mean about themselves online. Among these, about half (51.3 percent) said they did it just once, about one-third (35.5 percent) said they did it a few times, while 13.2 percent said they had done it many times. Read the full article here.

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Categories : Monthly Wrap-Up, Wrap Up
Tags : board games, counseling games, games, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, play therapy toys, therapeutic games for children, therapy games

My Favorite “Non-Therapeutic” Games… Sorry! by Stacy L. Garcia, MA, LPC, NCC

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· May 31, 2017 
· 1 Comment

I’ve told you in my last two posts about how much I love using games in therapy, especially with children and adolescents. I’ve already explored how I use the games Jenga and Find It in therapy sessions, thus using otherwise “non-therapeutic” games and turning them into effective therapeutic interventions that I can use for multiple purposes. Like Jenga and Find It, I use numerous other “non-therapeutic” and therapeutic games to teach various topics and skills to my clients. If you’re new to reading this blog, the difference between “therapeutic” and “non-therapeutic” games is nothing more than what their intent and purpose were when they were created. “Non-therapeutic” games are those that you can find at your local department store in the game aisle, such as UNO and Scrabble. In my own experience, I have found that ANY game can be made therapeutic, just like any game can also be made educational. Today’s game is a popular classic among board games: Sorry! I use the game Sorry! to teach children to take responsibility for their behaviors and actions, as well as to demonstrate through role play how and when to apologize.

How to Play Sorry!

To start the game of Sorry!, each player chooses a pawn color and places his four pawns on the matching colored START circle. The included pack of game cards are shuffled and placed face down on the space marked “PLACE PACK” in the center of the game board. Then game play begins around the board. A player draws the top card from the pack and places it face up onto the “DISCARD” space on the board. He follows the card’s directions, moving his pawn a number of spaces. When a move ends on a square already occupied by an opponent, the opponent’s pawn is bumped back to his START.

Regardless of whether in his favor or not, a player must make a move with one of his pawns as directed by the card he has drawn. The player who first moves all four of his pieces from his START to his HOME of the same color wins the game. The frustration Sorry! usually elicits in its players is often attributed to the cards’ directions not being in one’s favor, as well as being bumped back to his START space, either as a result of his opponent or because he has drawn a Sorry! card forcing him to land in an unfavorable position.

How to Make Sorry! Therapeutic

Enter Therapeutic So Sorry! When playing the game in therapy, I add So Sorry! cards. Each time a pawn is bumped back to its START circle, the opponent who caused the bump back must draw a So Sorry! card. These are cards with questions and role play tasks in which the player has to either discuss or role play his taking responsibility for pretend behaviors and actions in which he should be “so sorry.” The set of cards also includes questions about the client’s own behaviors/actions and prompts them to explore whether he needs to take responsibility for said actions. To use the “So Sorry!” cards that I have, you can click here. Game play resumes as normal after the So Sorry! task has been completed.

Therapeutic So Sorry! is a lot of fun to play, and I’ve found it especially helpful when working with children who have difficulty taking responsibility for their actions and those with behavior and/or impulsivity disorders. It can also be used to reinforce appropriate social skills to use when having to take responsibility for one’s behavior. Best of all, the children I work with love playing the game just as much as I do!

***

Stacy Garcia, MA, LPC, NCC

“Following attainment of a B.S. in Psychology in 2001, I earned my M.A. in Counseling from West Virginia University in 2004. I returned later to obtain certification in School Counseling.

I have extensive experience in working with children and adolescents, though I also see adults. I also specialize in treatment of trauma-related issues and concerns (including PTSD), behavior disorders (such as Oppositional Behavior Disorder), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I am skilled at working with parents and families who are experiencing issues at home, focusing on each individual’s strengths and needs while they rebuild the family unit.”

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Categories : Child Development, Communication, Intervention Ideas, Play Therapy, Play Therapy Games, Reader Submissions
Tags : board games, games, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, therapy toys

March Play Therapy Wrap Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· March 28, 2017 
· No Comments

girl spinning

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

– Kay Redfield Jamison, professor of psychiatry

 

Blog

Thanks to Leah Davies for the insights and tips into aggression in girls. Aggression, or bullying, with girls is often different than aggression in boys, as boys tend to cause physical harm, where aggression in girls manifests itself as covert or relational aggression. Relational aggression is when a  person uses manipulation to withhold friendship as a form of punishment, or creates problems within the relationships of others in an attempt to control or punish others. Because girls typically value their personal relationships with other girls, this type of bullying can be very damaging. Davies explains how schools and parents can increase awareness of the issue as well as prevent further bullying in the classroom.

Articles

Sandplay Therapy is a unique and effective tool for children in therapy. It’s a great resource for younger children who dont have the vocabulary to put into words how they are feelings. During sandplay therapy, chidlren and adults use various toys and objects to create a scene in their sandbox. The scene is then interpreted by the child’s therapist and talked about with the Child. “Through play, children work through many types of life lessons, conflicts and mysteries,” said  S. Sugatt, a licensed clinical social worker.

Arunima Basu’s article highlighting the symptoms and concerns for children who have been or are being abused. Some tale-tale signs of abuse in a child are isolation, lack of interest in usual activities, sleep disturbance, and chronic stress. Basu tells us that it is the responsibility of the family of the child to watch for the signs of abuse and communicate with the child so that they understand what inappropriate behavior is and can identify when it is happening to them.

Research has shown that childhood trauma can reshape the brain and behaviors of children. “Previously, what were labeled as behavioral and learning-related issues, such as non-compliance, learning disabilities, depression, oppositional disorder and even Attention Deficit Disorder, are undergoing a reexamination as the understanding of the effects of traumatic stress on a child’s brain grows,” said Theresa O’Neil of Second Wave Michigan. Rather than ask what is wrong with the child, we should be asking what happened, and how can we help.

Veronica Mackey also shared tips on how to stop bullying on campuses. Mackey introduced James Gavsie, an author, martial arts and bullying expert. According to Gavsie, without continuous support and instruction on the topic of bullying, schools will never see the changes needed. Gavsie provides insights and tips on how teachers and parents can stop bullying and implement programs at schools to keep bullying under control.

It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men. That is the motto of ToyBank, a company that has set up 277 toy libraries and game centers in Maharashtra. ToyBank understands the strong mental and social benefit children can have from playtime with peers. Board games and toys are used as tools to help children learn about academic subjects, such as math and reading, as well as learn about themselves and their own bodies and feelings. The games are determined based on the needs of the children. ToyBank does not use games that promote violence or lifestyle toys.

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Categories : Monthly Wrap-Up, Wrap Up
Tags : board games, development, family roles, feelings, games, mental health disorders, Play Therapy, sand tray miniatures, therapy intervention, therapy toys

Using board games in Child and Play Therapy

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· January 8, 2011 
· No Comments

Child clinicians are at the forefront of dealing with social and emotional competence. Social and emotional competence contributes to physical and mental health, academic achievement, and personal and social development. We contribute to the social and emotional development of our clients in a variety of ways. One tool that we can use in psychotherapy is board games. Spending time playing games helps children: identify new skills, role play new skills, learn how to problem solve, improve their attitude toward school, peers, and family, increase motivation for life tasks such as learning, and enhance creativity. Playing games teaches how to: identify and express feelings, identify their needs, and formulate requests and demands. Children learn to listen and communicate, be responsible, have a positive attitude, and think creatively. Children who play games can build self-esteem, learn appropriate assertiveness, develop self-confidence, a sense of self and a self-identify, and conflict resolution skills.

Below is a partial list of games by category. The list is meant be suggestive rather than all inclusive. Many games can fulfill multiple purposes. For example, The Social & Emotional Competence Game promotes insight, can be used to role play new skills, such as conflict resolution, and can be used to enhance self-esteem.

PARTIAL LIST OF GAMES BY CATEGORY
(All games available from childtherapytoys.com )

Games that promote social and emotional competence
The Social and Emotional Competence Game
The Social and Emotional Competence Card Game
My First Therapy Game
Helping, Sharing and Caring Board Game
The Helping, Sharing and Caring Card Game
The Self Control Card Game
The Self-Control Patrol
Emotional Bingo
Journey to Friendsville
Consequences “The ultimate behavior game”
Relationality (Educator’s Edition): The Amazingly Real-to-Life Game About Relationships
Rules and Reasons
Don’t Be Difficult
Mixed Emotions Game
The Feelings Wheel Game
Feelings Fair
Circle of Respect

Skill building games
The Social Skills Game
Let’s Get Rational
Talk it Out: Support Therapy with Teens
Use Your I’s
Too Much, Too Little, Just Right: A Social Communication Game
Clue Cards: 5 Card Packs to Improve Social Communication
The Ticket Store
The Conduct Management Game
The Understanding Faces Board Game
The What If Game
Boundaries Baseball
Bridge Over Worried Waters
Alcohol Prevention Bingo
Bully Prevention Bingo
Coping Skills Bingo
Drug Prevention Bingo
Social Skills Bingo
Stress Bingo for Teens
The Self-Control Board Game
Stop, Think, and Go Bears Self-Control Game
The Impulse Control Game
Stop, Relax, and Think Board Game
Don’t Be Difficult
Monster Stomp
Let’s Get Rational Board Game
Stare Jr. (develops attentional skills)
Smart and Angry
Life Stories
No More Teasing
No More Bullies
No More Arguments!

Traditional games
Original Candy Land Game
Uno
Checkers

Family therapy/counseling games
Family Quest: A Family Therapy Board Game
The Family Living Game
The Changing Family Game

Cooperative games
Mr. Troll
Teamwork
SHHH Mom’s Sleeping
Bus Depot Diner
Mountaineering

Nurturing Game
There’s a Growly in the Garden
Hugs and Tickles
Ungame Board Game
Kid’s, Teen, and Family Ungame card sets
Max
Old Spider and Fly
Oasis

Group games
Peace in Our Time
Ice Breaker Thumball
Who Are You? Thumball
Emotions Mania Thumball
Debriefing Thumball
Conflict Resolution Thumball
Choices

Games that promote self-esteem
Self-Esteem Bingo
Dinosaur’s Journey to High Self-Esteem
The Self-Esteem Game
Totika Game

Games that promote self-control
Angry Animals 2: A Board Game Teaching Healthy Expression of Anger
The Anger Solution Game
Stop Being so Mean
The Angry Monster Machine
Escape from Anger Island

Games that promote insight
My Two Homes
Positive Thinking
Dr. Gardner’s Pick and Tell Game
The Good Mourning Game
The Upside Down Divorce Game
The Big Top Game (Autism, Asperger’s, PDD NOS)
The Talking, Feeling and Doing Game

Games that promote conflict resolution skills
Peacetown: A Conflict Resolution Game
The Conflict Resolution Game
Furious Fred
Conflict Cruncher: Play-2-Learn Dominoes
Puzzled: How to Solve Problems by Picturing Solutions

Games that address school issues
The Classroom Behavior Game

Childtherapytoys.com also lists games by age on its website:
http://www.childtherapytoys.com/store/games5to12.html
http://www.childtherapytoys.com/store/games5andUnder.html
http://www.childtherapytoys.com/store/Games4teens.html

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Categories : Intervention Ideas, Play Therapy Games
Tags : board games, games
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