Strategy of the week:

Kid strategy of the week:

  • Deck of Card question game: Have the child find a deck of cards in their house, have them pick cards from your deck, or use an online deck of cards from this website while sharing a screen. Take turns asking each other the question that coincides with the drawn card from this list.

  • Use these questions to explore the Ct’s feelings about COVID, changes they are experiencing and grieving, strengths and successes, and coping strategies.

  • Sample Progress Note: The focus of the session was to (tailor based on tx plan). The therapist and Ct played a therapeutic game (Deck of Cards questions) to explore the Ct’s feelings about their current stressors and successes, as well as coping skills. The Ct identified (name a revelation, coping strategy, etc.) during the game.

Couples strategy of the week:

  • Fair Fighting Rules: When we get into arguments, sometimes we say or do things that create more distance in a relationship instead of creating closeness and safety. Creating fair fighting rules ahead of time can help arguments be more productive and healing. Here are a few examples

  • Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist provided psycho-education about constructive communication and helped the couple create fair fighting rules. The couple (engaged/did not engage) in developing fair fighting rules, and they reported that the fair fighting rules (could be helpful/seem difficult to remember/etc.)

Adult strategy of the week:

  • Johari Window: Over the past few months a lot of people have been learning new things about themselves, either through their own observations or through feedback from others. The Johari Window can help organize what we know about ourselves and illuminate parts of ourselves that we are still getting to know.

  • Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist led a self exploration activity (i.e., Johari Window) to help ct. identify behavior and relationship patterns. Ct. (engaged/did not engage in the activity), and they reported that the activity was (helpful/not helpful/difficult).

Mindfulness/meditation of the week: 

  • Light Stream Technique: This is a self-soothing meditation to help clients calm and care for themselves when experiencing uncomfortable emotions.

The Light Stream Technique

The first part of the light stream technique is to be mindful of what you are experiencing and feeling at that moment. Ask yourself what emotions am I feeling right now, and where do I feel it in my body?

The second step is to imagine that those feelings are an object. The goal is to take the first thing that comes to mind after recognizing the emotions, and location. Mentally ask yourself these questions about the object:

“If it had a shape, what shape would it be?”

“If it had a size, what size would it be?”

“If it had a color, what color would it be?”

“If it had a temperature, what temperature would it be? Hot or cold?”

“If it had a texture, what texture would it be?”

“If it had a sound, what kind of sound would it make? High or low pitch?”

Next, you are going to do a direct imagery exercise:

Pick a color that you most associate with healing. Imagine that there is a stream of light in this color that is coming from the center of the universe. This is a magic light, because the more you need of it, the more of it is available to you. Allow this light to flow into your head, and focus it down on the object. Let the light vibrate and resonate like a laser beam in and around this object.

Allow yourself to just notice what happens to the object.

Remember that the more light or energy that you need the more is available to you. Allow yourself to feel the light enter your mind, and allow the healing light again to vibrate and resonate in and around the object and notice what happens to the object.

When you notice that the object is gone or feels that it is contained, allow yourself to let the energy from the light flow into your body. Allow it to reach the tips of your finger, and the tips of your toes. Allow yourself to be engulfed, and overwhelmed by the energy, count to three and open your eyes.

  • Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist led a mindfulness activity (i.e., Light Stream Technique) to help ct. practice self-soothing and affect regulation. Ct. (engaged/did not engage in the activity), and they reported that the activity was (helpful/difficult/not helpful).