The Invisible String: This book is a powerful way to help children visualize connections with their loved ones, despite not being able to see many friends, family members, and teachers right now. “Read” the book with your client by watching the YouTube video, and talk about where their invisible string goes and who they are connected to. 

**Note**: One page in the book references religious language about a relative being in heaven. If this is not a part of your client’s spiritual beliefs, skip over that part in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNwqtr8Oww

Sample Progress Note: The focus of the session was to (tailor based on tx plan). The therapist and Ct read/watched a video about attachment and connection (The Invisible String). The dyad processed the important people in the Ct’s life and strengthened the Ct’s ability to feel connected to them, even from a distance, using their “invisible string.” The Ct was (engaged/not engaged) in the activity and  (was/was not) able to name several important people in their life.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Researcher, Dr. John Gottman, identified four communication patterns in relationships that are especially destructive. We all use them from time to time, but in order to make our relationships last, it is important that we understand which of the Four Horsemen we use most often and how to counteract the Four Horsemen.

Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist used psycho-education about Gottman’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to help the couple identify communication patterns and alternate ways of communicating. The couple (was engaged/not engaged/resistant), and they reported that it was (helpful/not helpful/challenging).

Spider Web: Creating a spider web of how our emotions, thoughts, and experiences relate to each other can give us insight into our core beliefs about ourselves and patterns in our lives. Start in the middle with an emotion, thought, or experience, and then write out all the other emotions, thoughts, and experiences that relate to it. Keep branching out and drawing connections to see how everything fits together.

Example:

Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist helped ct. complete an activity (i.e., spider web) to help them identify patterns in their emotions, thoughts, and relationships. Ct. was (engaged/not engaged) during the activity, and they reported that the activity was (helpful/insightful/not helpful/boring).

Meditation for Working with Difficulties

Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist led a mindfulness activity (i.e., Meditation for Working with Difficulties). Ct. (engaged/did not engage in the activity), and they reported that the activity was (helpful/difficult/not helpful).

Source: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/workfiles/MeditationForWorkingWithDifficulties_Transcript.pdf

 

Meditation for Working with Difficulties:

 You can use this practice to work with difficult emotions or body sensations 

Find a posture that’s comfortable to you 

And then check inside your body and try to locate a part of your body that feels good to you right now 

Pleasant, safe, at ease,

Or at the very least, neutral 

You can check out your hands or feet or legs 

But let your attention go to this pleasant part of your body 

Hands or feet or wherever you’ve chosen 

And let your attention rest there 

Feel it 

Sense it 

Notice what those sensations are 

Let your mind relax a bit 

Feeling that part of the body 

And now if there’s something difficult that’s happening for you 

A difficult emotion, or a physical sensation that’s hard 

Let your attention go to that 

So it may be an aching in your shoulder or back 

Or a headache 

Or it could be a sense of sadness 

Or anxiety

 Or anger

Where do you feel that sensation in your body 

Where do you feel that emotion in your body 

Notice it 

Just notice it for one moment 

Tap into it 

Feel it 

Make sure to breathe 

And now return your attention back down to that area that feels at ease Your hands or feet or legs 

And just let yourself stay there for a moment 

Feeling it sensing it 

Relaxing. maintaining the mindfulness

 Yet giving yourself a break from what could be potentially overwhelming to feel And now once again return your attention to that part of the body that feels unpleasant 

The body ache or pain 

Or the emotion the sensations of the emotion in your body 

The vibrations in your chest 

Or the clenching in your belly 

Or the tightness in your jaw 

Just notice 

And breathe 

And let it be there 

Let whatever is there, be there 

And then bring your attention again back down to this pleasant or neutral part of the body 

Hands, feet, so forth 

Relaxing 

Staying present and alert 

Feeling the safety 

The connection in that place 

Now let yourself stay connected to this place

 But see if you can cast what we might call a sidelong glance at the difficult area in your body 

Is it possible to still feel connected to you body in the area that feels good 

And yet know there’s something going on that feels unpleasant 

And just let it be there 

Keeping maybe 75% of your attention on the part that feels peaceful and at ease Still breathing 

Casting the side long glance at this difficult area 

Noticing what happens to it, is it growing or shrinking 

Is it changing, shifting into something else 

Becoming aware of whatever it is it’s doing 

Relaxing, breathing 

And now see if you can bring some loving kindness 

Just some kindness to yourself for whatever you’re feeling right now 

Physical pain, emotional pain 

Hold yourself with kindness 

You’re not the only one 

So may we all be free from our pain and our suffering 

May we all have happiness