Teenagers go through a series of socio-emotional and physical changes, which can be hard to deal with by themselves. Therapeutic activities for teens refer to a range of interesting activities that would be beneficial to work on their behavior, thinking, and self-identification. To overcome self-doubt, anxiety, loneliness, and more, engaging in these activities will help them rejuvenate and be a great stressbuster. Therefore, here’s a list of such activities to help your teen. Read on to learn more.
Therapy Activities For Teenagers
There are several therapies that can be recommended to a teenager, depending on their needs. The commonly used therapies are individual, group, family, art, and music therapies.
Individual Therapy Activities For Teens
In individual therapy, a teen would identify their problems by discussing them with parents. This self-awareness will help your child to be communicative by discussing the issues and receiving feedback (1).
1. My life CD
Music helps individuals express their feelings, moods, thoughts, and beliefs. For a teenager, who is filled with emotions, this activity will work on creating self-awareness by identification and expression of feelings. Some additional CD activities that you can try are “my greatest hits” (focusing on self-esteem) or “listen to my future” (focusing on goals). A combination of choosing songs and designing a jewel box can help the child vent their feelings through art and creativity.
2. My letter to me
Writing activities are a powerful tool to help teenagers come out with their feelings. It allows the expression of sensitive emotions that might be difficult to convey verbally. Such activities can help the teen gain a better perspective of their emotions while also building confidence and self-esteem.
3. Walk through the talk
Talking is a basic way of expressing feelings, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. It allows a teen to be comfortable with you (or their therapist) and build a strong, trusting relationship.
What are their plans for the future? Is there any issue that you as a parent should know to help them?
Group Therapy Activities For Teens
Several teens slide into isolation and loneliness due to their emotional and social issues. Group therapy activities are designed to help them realize that they are not alone in facing these challenges. Besides, it helps them realize the value of emotional support that facilitates healing.
4. The fear cap
This simple activity is often used as an icebreaker and helps identify and recognize fears and negative thoughts. It also helps develop confidence, self-esteem, and trust in teens. The activity suits better with a group where members are familiar with each other.
5. Mindful speaking
Mindful speaking is a great therapeutic activity that focuses on communication and mindfulness in participants. These two skills are essential for the management of emotions in teens.
slow down and bring yourself to the present moment analyze before speaking; emotionally and rationally reflect about the effects of what you said and how others felt about it
6. Spot the strength
This group activity aims to help teens identify and recognize psychological or character strengths in themselves and others. It even enables them to receive feedback about their strengths from others.
7. Gratitude mapping
This engaging activity gives the teen a chance to be creative while expressing themselves. It provides them a chance to focus on positive emotions derived from positive aspects of life.
What is gratitude? Why do we feel gratitude? How is gratitude helpful in developing positive self-esteem?
This activity creates a list of all the good things in life and the associated gratitude. It can help each teen realize that there are so many wonderful things in life to feel happy about.
8. Two truths and a lie
This activity is great fun when group members are familiar with one another. The activity allows each member to share three things about themselves, of which two are true, and one is a lie. The other members need to separate the lie from the truths. This activity provides an opportunity to learn exciting things about each other.
Art Therapy Activities For Teens
Art therapy is a therapeutic combination of art and psychology that helps individuals overcome emotional or psychological challenges. These activities focus on developing self-awareness, exploring emotions, and addressing unresolved conflict or trauma. All these are important aspects to develop self-confidence and fine communication skills in an individual.
9. The postcard activity
This art therapy activity is a self-discovery exercise that can be used for individuals or groups. The activity helps teens express their negative feelings or conflicting opinion to someone without having to say it to them. It might help dissuade the fear to face communication among teens.
what happened and how it felt what they would like to tell the person about the experience and how it made them feel
10. Creative collage
It is an amusing and engaging therapeutic exercise. In this activity, teens create a visual representation of their core beliefs and values through their imagination and creativity. Realizing core values is important as it helps develop coping strategies that are vital to guard mental health.
What are the positive words that come to them when they focus on their core value? What are the images/colors and shapes they feel are associated with these words?
11. Alter the photo
This activity helps boost the self-esteem of teens by providing them innovative ways to self-express. When they alter the image, they are also venting out their emotions and alleviating their stress.
12. Creating sculptures
Sculpture-making is a fantastic addition to art therapy activities as it enables teens to express through constructive creativity. Besides, it helps in coping with stress, anxiety, and other external pressures.
13. Paint the journal
Some teens have difficulty expressing themselves verbally. For them, writing a diary or journal is a way to express. But self-expression is not limited to words. Painting can also help them connect to their emotions and express them effectively. It will eventually boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Music Therapy Activities For Adolescents
Research shows that therapy practitioners find music successful in helping troubled adolescents engage in the therapeutic process with minimum resistance (4). It happens because teens connect with music with relative ease. Music can be a medium for a teen to express their feelings, alleviate stress, and overcome isolation.
14. Drumming
This activity facilitates the expression of emotions and provides an outlet for teens with depression. This activity can be performed individually or in groups.
15. Select your music
Select your music (commonly referred to as “music selection”) is an activity used for adolescents with difficulties in emotion management and self-regulation. The meditative practice helps teens develop self-awareness and acceptance.
16. Musical emotions
This music therapy activity works in a group setting and helps teenagers identify and express emotions. It also helps a teen understand the way another teen/individual could show the same emotion.
17. Songwriting
Songwriting helps a teen express their emotions constructively. It improves mental capabilities, such as self-regulation and positive social interaction.
Family Therapy Activities For Teens
Family therapy (or family counseling) is a mode of treatment designed to address specific issues that affect the health and normal functioning of a family. Identifying these issues is crucial to understanding their impact on the teen. This therapy type can be used to pass through a difficult period/transition or help with mental and behavioral health problems among the teen’s family members.
18. My happiest memory
This engaging and joyful activity enables a teen to focus on their positive memories of the time spent with their family. Remembering such memories can help a teen to stay positive. This activity also gives each family member a chance to know the different perspectives associated with the same memory/incident. This activity allows the teen to open up and share any differences affecting their positive relationship with the family.
19. Candy go around
This fun and engaging activity supports interaction among teen and their family members.
Red – words that best describe your family Green – ways/methods your family has fun together Purple – things your family needs to improve on Yellow – things that worry you Orange – things that make you happy
What was the most surprising thing you learned about other family members? How should you work towards making changes/improvements as suggested by the family?
20. Genogram
A genogram is a symbolic, simplified, yet detailed graphic representation of a teen’s family in generations. It can be used to represent a teen’s relationship with each family member and vice-versa. This technique could be used to manage emotional relationships and identify the strengths and weaknesses the family shares.
One green line = Friendly Two green lines = Close and harmonious One red line = Unfriendly Two red lines = Hostile One blue line = Manipulative Two blue lines = Apathy and lack of concern
You can add as many color codes you like based on how complex you want the activity to be.
