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Assignment No 02

Psychotherapy-I

Child and Adolescent Therapy

Submitted to:

Mam Naureen Azaad

SUBMITTED BY

Manahil Khan Bashir

Ozooba Asif

Iqra Saleem

Areej Mustafa

Department Of Applied Psychology (ADCP-I Morning), 2024

National University Of Modern Languages Islamabad

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Table of Contents
Art Therapy....................................................................................................................................3

Definition.....................................................................................................................................3

Art Therapy Techniques...............................................................................................................5

Activities......................................................................................................................................7

Case Example..............................................................................................................................9

PLAY THERAPY........................................................................................................................10

What is play therapy?................................................................................................................10

Types of Play Therapy...............................................................................................................11

Techniques.................................................................................................................................12

Case Example............................................................................................................................20

ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT):.......................................................21

Definition:..................................................................................................................................21

6 Core Components of ACT:.....................................................................................................21

Techniques of ACT:...................................................................................................................22

Session of ACT:.....................................................................................................................29

Interpersonal Therapy................................................................................................................29

Introduction................................................................................................................................29

Principle.....................................................................................................................................30

Interpersonal Therapy Types......................................................................................................30

Interpersonal Therapy Techniques and Exercises......................................................................32

Interpersonal Therapy Worksheets............................................................................................35

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Art Therapy

Definition

Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives

of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied

psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.” –

American Art Therapy Association, 2013

The term “art therapy” was coined in 1942 by British artist Adrian Hill, who discovered the

healthful benefits of painting and drawing while recovering from tuberculosis.

Art therapy, sometimes called creative arts therapy or expressive arts therapy, encourages people

to express and understand emotions through artistic expression and through the creative process.

Benefits of Art Therapy

● Providing opportunity for self-expression: Art can be a safe, positive way to express

thoughts, feelings, or memories that you might otherwise find it difficult to voice.

● Building self-esteem: The process of completing a creative project can be a way to find

value in yourself and build the confidence.

● Reduce stress and promote relaxation: Creative work is known to be an effective way

to deal with stress, so Art Therapy can help you calm worries.

● Help in processing emotions:

The boundaries of a creative project can provide a so-called “container” for strong emotions

both positive and negative, giving you a place to express

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● Help in Improving Self-Awareness:

The creative process involved with art therapy also helps individuals gain insight into

their behaviors and attitudes while becoming more aware of how they interact with their

environment.

Who can benefit from Art Therapy?

According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association

“Less than an hour of creative activity can reduce your stress and have a positive effect on

your mental health, regardless of artistic experience or talent.”

An art therapist may use a variety of art methods, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and

collage with clients ranging from young children to older adults.

Some situations in which art therapy might be utilized include:

● Adults experiencing severe stress

● Children experiencing behavioral or social problems at school or at home

● Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event

● Children with learning disabilities

● Individuals living with a brain injury

● People experiencing mental health problems

● People who haven’t found success in talk therapy

Use of art Therapy

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Some conditions that art therapy may be used to treat include:

 Stress

 Substance use disorder

 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

 Emotional difficulties

 Family or relationship problems

 Anxiety and depression

 Cancer

 Eating Disorder

Art Therapy Techniques

Collage

The collages are made out of magazine images, textured papers and other materials provided by

the therapist and clients piece these elements together with glue or tape to create their art.With

collage art therapy, clients use photos to create art that reflects their emotions or life experiences.

● Create a motivational collage. Collage a vision board. Fill it with images you find

motivating.

● Create Intuitive collage is a process of quieting your everyday mind and inviting

imagery to express the story of your inner world.

Coloring - Clients are provided with coloring pages or books and various mediums, such as

colored pencils, crayons, and markers, to color in or outside the lines. This promotes mindfulness

and quietness, which reduces the thoughts of a restless mind and allows it to unwind and relax.
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Painting involves using blank canvases, paintbrushes and different types of paint, like

watercolors, acrylic paints or spray paints to contrast and manipulate images. It can be useful for

expressing emotions, mood states that are difficult to express in words. Different colors are often

associated with specific feelings

Doodling and scribbling

Scribbling or doodling, like drawing, uses a writing tool and a plain surface, like paper or a

marker board, to create shapes. It involves making lines without a specific idea for a picture.

Scribbling can help the client to calm their thoughts and relieve stress. It also allows more

freedom and less pressure to create a visually pleasing piece of art, making it a very expressive

form. This can be particularly useful for people who struggle with self-criticism or perfectionism.

Photography

Photography used in a therapeutic context is often called photo therapy or therapeutic

photography (Gibson, 2018).With a phone or other type of camera, clients can take pictures of

unique moments of their lives which capture their perspectives of the world, recreate memories

or help them think more deeply about their environment. Photography as part of an outpatient

treatment program.

Finger painting

Finger painting is a technique of spreading paint on paper and creating images with fingers. It

can be an excellent stress reliever. The experience of using fingers to create something fresh and

unique can be emotionally and psychologically uplifting.

Working with Clay

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Client who enjoys using their hands to feel textures can consider using modelling clay as art

therapy Modelling clay uses the heat from a person's hands to soften and mould the colorful clay

into various shapes. It can help to illustrate the possibility of change and transformation to a

client. This type of art is useful for patients to see and feel their pieces from different

perspectives.

Activities

Relaxation

Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Consider these exercises if you're looking to feel a little

more laid back.

Paint to music: Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out

feelings and just relax.

Encourage your client to “paint what they feel” or “paint what they hear”

Only use colors that calm you: Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find

calming.

Draw with your eyes closed.

Not being able to see what you are drawing intensifies intuition, touch and sensitivity.

Draw in sand

This activity will have you drawing shapes and scenes in the sand, which can be immensely

relaxing and a great way to clear your mind.

Gratitude
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Here you'll find a collection of projects that will help you be happy about what you have and

express your gratitude for it.

 Document your gratitude visually: What things are you grateful for in your life? Paint

or collage a work that represents these things.

● Create a family tree of strength. This exercise honors those around you who support

you. Paint those close to you who offer you the strength you need.

● Make something for someone else. Making something for someone else can be a great

way to feel good and help someone else do so as well.

● Draw all the positive things in your life.Everyone has at least one good thing in life, so

sit down and figure out what makes you happy– then draw it.

● Draw a gratitude tree: What are you grateful for? This project asks you to write those

things on leaves to construct a tree.

● Create a life map: A Life Map helps you discover what you want for yourself and your

life

Emotions

Deal with emotions like anger and sadness through these helpful exercises.

● Draw or paint your Emotion: In this exercise, you'll focus entirely on painting what

you're feeling. This technique allows clients to access emotions that might be difficult to

verbalize. The exercise can help clients understand their emotional triggers and patterns,
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● Create an emotion wheel: Using color, this activity will have you thinking critically

about your emotions more creative.

Self

Draw yourself as an animal. Is there an animal that you have a special interest in or feel like is

a kindred spirit? Draw yourself as that animal.

Materials for Play Therapy Animal Self-Portrait:

● White paper

● Markers, Paint, or Crayons

Directions for Play Therapy Animal Self-Portrait:

● Use this play therapy art activity after you have processed the "feelings" the play therapy

client has had that day, or during the week.

● Ask the play therapy client to draw an animal that represents the feeling(s) they have

been experiencing and discussed in play therapy.

● Discuss how the "feelings" relate to the animal.

Case Example

David, a 12-year-old boy, is referred to art therapy due to behavioral issues and difficulties in

expressing his emotions. He comes from a troubled family background with a history of

domestic violence and parental substance abuse.

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PLAY THERAPY

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy primarily for children working through emotional and

mental issues. It helps children express themselves and learn about the world through their

natural love of play. Therapists use it primarily for children. Play therapy may also be used to

promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or

dysfunctional thinking in the child.

Play therapy is the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process

wherein trained play therapist use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or

resolve psychological difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. (Association for

Play Therapy Board, March 1997)

Play therapy refers to a method of counseling and psychotherapy. Play therapy is generally

employed with children aged 3 through 11. It's introduced by Anna Freud and Melanie Klein. A

play therapist guides a person through play therapy in a comfortable, safe environment using

play activities such as Painting, dancing, and playing board games. Play therapists sometimes ask

other family members, parents or guardians to get involved in the playtime activities.

What Play Therapy Can Help With

Play therapy is particularly beneficial for people who struggle with communicating and

expressing themselves in a positive and healthy manner. Children who have been abused or

experienced extremely traumatic or stressful events might benefit from play therapy to regain a
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sense of normalcy in their lives. Children with certain disorders which hamper their emotional

and social expressions typically benefit greatly from play therapy.

Purposes

 Reduces anxiety about traumatic events in the child life

 Facilitates a child expression of feelings

 Develops sense of control

 Develops healthy coping strategies

 Promotes self-confidence and a sense of competence

 Develops a sense of trust in self and others

Types of Play Therapy

The two main forms of play therapy used by play therapists are:

1. Directive Play Therapy: With directive play therapy, the therapist takes a hands-on

approach and leads the child through guided play activities to help them express

themselves. They’ll typically give specific instructions and supervise the child as they go

through it. This approach allows the child to express themselves freely and explore their

thoughts and emotions at their own pace.

2. Non-directive Play Therapy: Non-directive play therapy makes use of a less controlled

environment. The therapist leaves the child to engage in whatever play activities they
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might enjoy and express themselves with limited interference. This approach might

include suggesting themes, providing materials, or leading the child in certain actions.

Toys and Materials

A fully equipped playroom is not essential for children to express themselves. Toys and

materials should be carefully selected for the contribution they make to the accomplishment of

the objective of play therapy. These materials are selected based on the child’s age, interests, and

therapeutic goals, and they provide a safe and supportive space for the child to explore and

communicate their inner world.

They can be grouped into three broad categories.

1. Real life Toys: Such as a doll, a small cardboard box, doll house, plastic furniture, play dishes

and cups, small car, a small airplane and a telephone. These real-life toys not only foster

imaginative play but also help children learn about the world around them, develop social skills,

and practice problem-solving and decision-making in a safe and fun environment.

2. Aggressive Toys: Clients use these to express anger and aggression and explore power and

control issues Guns, play knives, hammer and nails, toy soldiers, punching bag.

3. Expressive Toy: Clients use these to explore relationships, express feelings, deal with

problem/solution Crayons, paper, scissors, paint, craft items

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Techniques

Many different techniques can be applied during play therapy. The technique used during a

therapy session largely depends on your child’s needs and what play mediums they feel most

comfortable using. A typical play therapy session usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes.

During a play therapy session, the therapist will create a comfortable and safe environment for

the child to play. The therapist will then observe the child’s interactions with the toys that are

provided. Some of the most common techniques used by play therapists across the world

include:

 Role play

 Clay play

 Magic wand play

 Emotions Ball Play Therapy

 Puppet Play

 Super hero play

 Painting play

 Story telling

 Filial therapy
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 Blocks and construction

 Video and modeling

 Reinforcement

 Prompting and fading

 Dance and music

 Puppet and mask

 Environmental teaching

 Discrete Trial Technique (DTT)

 Picture exchange communication system

1. Role-Playing:

Role-playing is a valuable activity that allows children to explore different roles, situations, and

perspectives through pretend play. The child is asked to role-play and event that makes them

anxious. This way, the child works out the anxiety and resumes everyday life with courage.

Children practice resolving conflicts, making decisions, and negotiating roles and scenarios

during role-playing activities.

2. Clay play:
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Clay play therapy allows the child to show their creativity while expressing what they feel inside.

When sculpting, the technique help children relieve stress. They use art skills to sculpt characters

who maybe contribute to their mental health disorder. It provides a safe and supportive space for

children to process their emotions, develop coping skills, and foster self-awareness and

resilience.

3. Magic wand play:

The play therapist gives the child a magic wand and asks them to make three wishes. You will

find one of the wishes is likely to be a real-life problem the child has or is experiencing. Magic

wand play involves using a pretend wand, often decorated in a fantastical manner, to engage in

imaginative and magical play scenarios. Holding a magic wand can make children feel

empowered and in control, boosting their confidence and self-esteem as they pretend to have

magical abilities.

3. Emotions Ball Play Therapy:

Among the family therapy techniques, this one works well to express emotions, especially in

children who might be uncomfortable describing their feelings. Using a ball, write a feeling on

each side, then have the family toss the ball back and forth. You might have emotions like joy,

happiness, sadness written on the ball. Whoever catches the ball describes a time when they had

that particular feeling..

5. Puppet Play:
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Puppets are excellent tools for play therapy. A unique technique is the Family Puppet Interview.

The therapist presents the children and their families with puppets, then asks them to each choose

a puppet representing each member. The child and their family narrate a story using the puppets.

6. Super hero play:

The children are asked to draw their favorite superheroes with their superpowers. Therapists can

then help the child relate their strengths to these superpowers and use them positively. Children

often admire superheroes for their strength, bravery, and ability to overcome obstacles. Also can

help children develop coping skills and resilience.

7. Painting play:

The child is asked to finger paint whatever they want on a paper. While they paint, therapists

continue to understand what the painting represents and affect their lives. Painting can serve as a

cathartic release for children, allowing them to externalize and process difficult emotions or

traumatic experiences. The act of painting can be therapeutic in itself, providing a sense of relief

and emotional release.

8. Storytelling:

Children create and tell stories, either spontaneously or with guidance, which can help them

make sense of their experiences and explore different perspectives. Children often find it easier

to express their thoughts and feelings through stories rather than direct communication. By

creating and telling stories, they can indirectly explore their inner world, experiences, and

concerns.
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9. Filial therapy:

Involving parents or caregivers in the therapeutic process by teaching them how to use play to

strengthen their relationship with the child. It focuses on using psychoeducation to teach parents

how to engage in one-on-one play therapy interventions with their children. Through guided play

sessions, parents learn to create a safe and nurturing environment where their child can express

themselves freely, build trust, and feel understood and accepted.

10. Blocks and construction:

Blocks and construction materials provide children with a medium for creative expression and

imagination. Through building and construction, children can create structures, landscapes, and

worlds that reflect their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Different colors, shapes, and

arrangements of blocks may convey specific meanings or themes that the therapist can explore

with the child.

11. Video modeling:

Video modeling in play therapy involves using videos to demonstrate specific behaviors, skills,

or interactions that a child can then imitate or learn from during play therapy sessions. It can be a

powerful tool for teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors, social skills, emotional regulation,

and problem-solving techniques in children.

12. Reinforcement:

After watching the videos, the child is encouraged to role-play or practice the modeled behaviors

during play activities. The therapist provides guidance, support, and reinforcement as the child
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attempts to replicate the behaviors. Therapists offer verbal praise, encouragement, and

acknowledgment when children exhibit desired behaviors or demonstrate progress towards

therapy goals. Positive feedback helps build confidence and reinforces the child’s efforts.

13. Generalization:

Over time, the goal is for the child to generalize the learned behaviors beyond the therapy

setting, applying them in real-life situations at home, school, or in social interactions with peers.

14. Prompting and fading

Prompting and fading are techniques used in play therapy to help children learn new skills,

overcome challenges, and promote independence and confidence in their abilities and achieve

therapy goals.

Prompting: Therapists provide physical assistance or guidance to help children perform a

desired behavior or task during play therapy. This may involve gently guiding the child’s hand to

complete a puzzle or demonstrating the correct way to use a toy.

Fading: Fading in play therapy refers to the gradual reduction or removal of prompts, cues, or

assistance provided by the therapist as a child learns and becomes more proficient in a particular

skill or behavior.

Dance and music:

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Dance and music encourage creative expression and imagination in play therapy sessions.

Children can experiment with movement, gesture, rhythm, and sound, exploring different ways

of expressing themselves and communicating their inner worlds.

15. Puppet and mask:

Children may find it easier to express their feelings and experiences through puppets or masks

rather than directly discussing them. They can project their emotions onto the characters

represented by the puppets or masks, allowing for a safe and indirect way to explore difficult or

sensitive topics. Puppets and masks can also be used symbolically in play therapy to represent

various aspects of the child’s inner world, relationships, conflicts, and fantasies.

16. Environmental teaching:

Environmental teaching in play therapy involves creating a therapeutic environment that is

conducive to learning, growth, and healing for the child. The therapeutic environment becomes a

dynamic and interactive space where children can explore, experiment, and develop essential

skills for emotional and social well-being.

17. Discrete Trial Technique (DTT):

While the Discrete Trial Technique (DTT) is traditionally associated with applied behavior

analysis (ABA) therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or developmental

disabilities. it can enhance the therapeutic process and promote positive outcomes for children

with diverse needs. In play therapy, structured play activities can be designed to resemble

discrete trials, with each activity focusing on a specific skill or behavior. For example, a therapist
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might set up a structured play scenario to teach turn-taking, with clear prompts and

reinforcements for each step of the interaction.

18. Picture exchange communication system:

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a widely used communication

intervention often employed in play therapy with children, especially those with autism spectrum

disorder (ASD) or other communication difficulties. PECS utilizes a system of picture symbols

to help children communicate their needs, desires, and preferences. In play therapy, therapists

introduce PECS by teaching children to exchange picture symbols for desired objects, activities,

or interactions during play sessions.

Benefits of Play Therapy

People are often dismissive of play therapy and the benefits they hold. Concerned parents often

find it hard to understand what benefits their children gain from “just playing.” However, the fact

is that with or without the guidance of a therapist, children like to communicate through play,

whether you might have noticed it or not.

Here are some of the benefits of play therapy:

 Play therapy gives children who are having a hard time communicating verbally to

express themselves through play activities. For instance, a child who refuses to speak

might instead draw or paint out their thoughts or needs.

 It creates a space where a child will feel comfortable being themselves instead of other

more traditional forms of psychotherapy.

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 It allows the child to take charge of their therapy process. Effective play therapy allows

the child to use toys and mediums they are most comfortable with and go at their own

pace.

CONCLUSION

Play therapy can be a beneficial approach for children and families. It allows children to enjoy

counselling in a way they can understand, free from stress and the pressure to understand adult

conversation. Counsellors who choose to use this form of therapy must be properly trained in

play therapy.

Case Example

Sarah, a 7-year-old girl, has been experiencing significant anxiety following her parents’ divorce.

She struggles to express her feelings verbally and often acts out in school.

ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT):

Definition:

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes

acceptance to deal with negative thoughts, feelings, circumstances.

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In ACT, clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and,

instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that

should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. ACT was developed in 1982 by

Steven C. Hayes.

6 Core Components of ACT:

 Acceptance: Instead of avoiding negative emotions, teens are encouraged to observe and

accept them without trying to change or deny them.

 Identifying Values: These are the areas of your life that are important enough to you to

motivate action. It is about recognizing what you want to be about and stand for.

 Committed action: This type of therapy also helps teens find ways to commit to behavior

that will help them stick to their values and achieve their goals.

 Self as context: The focus of this technique is to help see their thoughts as something

separate from their behaviors.

 One metaphor asks the client to think of themselves as the sky and their thoughts and

feelings as weather patterns. While the weather can shift from clear to stormy, the sky

remains the same despite the fleeting nature of the weather. "This metaphor conveys that

thoughts and feelings are transient, and we are not defined by them."

 Cognitive defusion: The focus of this step is to change how they react to their feelings or

thoughts. By changing this reaction, the emotion then has less power over them.

Exercises that can help with this include imagining your thoughts on clouds and then

watching them drift away.

 Present Moment Contact: ACT therapy encourages you to stay mindful of your

surroundings and learn to shift your attention away from internal thoughts and feelings. This
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involves a conscious and deliberate effort to focus on the world around you in the moment.

Staying engaged with the present can help you build greater awareness and prevent past

experiences, memories, and conditioning from negatively affecting your interactions in the

here and now.

Techniques of ACT:

1. Anchor Breathing – Mindful grounding:

When you’re stressed, you’re more susceptible to anxiety and overwhelm. This can even lead to

panic attacks when stress is prolonged.

When anxiety is aroused, grounding yourself through mindful breathing can help calm you.

Steps:

1. Imagine being on a boat, feeling calm, and safe

2. Attached to the boat is an anchor. It keeps you there, where you want, and happy

3. Our bodies, like the boat, also have anchors, and they can help us focus. Our belly, our nose

and mouth, and our chest and lungs can help us feel grounded.

4. With your hands on your chest, breathe in deeply.

5. Breathe out slowly.

6. Feel your ribs rise and fall

7. As your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the anchor point.

2. Radio Doom and Gloom - An ACT Defusion Technique:

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Your mind can be a bit like a radio playing the ‘radio doom and gloom show’, broadcasting

negative stories 24 hours a day. It reminds you of bad things from the past. Unfortunately, there

is no way to switch off the radio that is your mind thinking.There is an alternative. You can

simply leave the radio playing what it likes and not attend to it so much. Treat it as background

noise. You can focus your intent mindfully on what you are doing, and let it just rattle away.

Even though you can still hear it, do not listen to it as such. Try the following practice and

application to cultivate this skill.

a) Visualisation: Visualize yourself doing something that arouses anxiety because of the many

self-defeating thoughts that arise when you imagine yourself doing it. It could be a job interview,

a presentation, a first date, or joining a new evening class or workshop. Focus your mind on the

activity or event. Notice any unhelpful thoughts that arise, watch them come and go, and if a

cacophony of unhelpful thoughts arises, simply acknowledge the storyline as “radio doom and

gloom” and imagine yourself turning the radio down so that it becomes background noise, then

focus on what you are doing, anyway.

b) Practical action: When you next deal with a rising chorus of unhelpful thoughts, try this

“radio doom and gloom” technique. Acknowledge the radio doom and gloom show is playing,

see yourself turning it down, and do what it is you value doing, anyway.

3. Clarifying your personal values across 10 life domains:

This worksheet has 10 categories:

 Romantic relationships – What sort of partner would you ideally like to be? How would

you describe your ideal relationship? What sort of behaviors do you aspire to show toward a

significant other?
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 Leisure and fun – What kinds of activities appeal to you for fun? How would you enjoy

spending your down time? What’s exciting for you? Relaxing?

 Job/career – What career goals matter to you? What kind of employment? Do you aspire to

particular qualities as a worker? What sort of professional relationships do you want to

develop?

 Friends – What social relationships do you consider important to develop? What do you

consider an important social life to have? How would you like your friends to see you as a

person?

 Parenthood – What kind of mother or father do you aspire to be? Are there particular

qualities you’d like to role model for your kids? How would you describe your ideal

relationships with them?

 Health and physical wellness – These questions will be based on fitness goals, aspirations,

as well as the importance of personal health, physical well-being, and personal care.

 Social citizenship/Environmental responsibility – This category is about being part of the

community, environmental aspirations, and can include volunteer work.

 Family relationships – Like parenthood above, these values pertain to relatives like

siblings, extended family, and so forth.

 Spirituality – Relevant questions here will concern religion, personal beliefs about anything

that’s meaningful at a deeper or bigger level.

 Personal development and growth – Reflections in this category should relate to personal

capabilities, competencies, skills, knowledge, and growth.

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4. Values clarification – Write your own 80th birthday party speech:

Ask your client to do this quick exercise from their heart. Ask them to imagine how they would

want somebody else to sum up their life as a life well lived. What would they like to hear about

themselves at their 80th birthday party?

You can guide your client as follows. “Consider what you want your life to stand for as you

approach your later years. What kind of person do you want to be remembered as? An

adventurer? A loving parent? A generous and charitable member of your community? A

pioneering businessperson?

“Write your own 80th birthday party speech and include what you would most like to hear. You

might want to draft the speech according to your most valued life activities.”

This exercise can help clarify values, which are necessary to set realistic, achievable goals.

5. Experiential avoidance – The Clean and Dirty Discomfort Diary:

Each time you experience such a situation in which you feel ‘stuck’ or where you are struggling

with unwanted or difficult thoughts and feelings, complete one row as follows:

1. Describe the situation - what happened to cause your discomfort?

2. What was your initial reaction? What did you think or feel? What immediately ‘showed up’ in

the way of thoughts, feelings, and sensations?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 0 = none and 10 = extreme, what was your level of distress?

4. What actions did you take to avoid the discomfort? Did you struggle with things you didn’t

like? Did you criticize or bully yourself? Did you try to shove your reactions back or pretend

they weren’t there? Did you try to distract yourself with food, alcohol, smoking, TV, etc.?
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5. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 0 = none and 10 = extreme, how did your distress level change

after your distractive action?

6. Group mindfulness:

Instructions:

1. Ask all the group participants to walk around the room silently. Ask all members to try and

communicate with one another silently - no speaking is allowed!

2. Using only non-verbal cues such as eye contact, smiling, and facial expressions, encourage

participants to immerse themselves in the experience of building silent connections.

Debriefing:

After a few minutes, regroup. Consider the following questions together:

 How was the activity for you?

 How do you feel? How did you feel during the exercise?

 In your day-to-day life, what prevents you from building silent connections with passer-bys?

 Do you think non-verbal communication can help us build connections effectively?

 What else do you feel you have learned from Silent Connections?

7. Ranking Your Values and Finding Your Life Deviation Score:

The aim is to help you prioritize your values and recognize those areas of your life that remain

under fulfilled. Rank them in terms of their importance to you not what you think their

importance should be, or what you think their importance is in society’s terms.
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1. Rate the importance (A) of each value in each domain on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 1 meaning

not at all important and 10 extremely important.

2. Rate each value according to how much fulfillment (B) that valued life domain brings to your

life right now on a scale of 1-10, with 1 meaning no fulfillment and 10 meaning total fulfillment.

3. Subtract the second rating from the first (A-B) and see what you are left with. This number

represents your life deviation score in each valued life domain.

4. Compute the total by adding up all the scores from all valued life domains and subtract the

second total from the first total to obtain your overall life deviation score.

8. Values-driven action planning:

Committed action is an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy process that involves goal-setting.

Use this worksheet to help you or your client design long-term life goals that are based on

personal values.

This worksheet has 3 parts:

 In the first column, Commitment, there is space to write down a life goal related to one’s

personal values. This should be concrete and clear so as to allow for feedback on your

potential progress.

 The second column considers Potential Obstacles. Use this to list any possible challenges

that are linked to the identified goal, and which may slow down or hinder their commitment

to its pursuit. These could be practical or personal, including emotions and perceived

psychological hurdles to overcome.

 Strategies for boosting commitment can be generated and listed in the third column to help

you or your client overcome their perceived obstacles. A plan for dealing with possible
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obstacles will enable effective action toward them and greater commitment to their

achievement.

Benefits of ACT:

ACT may be effective in treating:

 Anxiety

 Depression

 Eating disorders

 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

 Stress

 Substance use

 Psychosis

 Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

 One core benefit of ACT is the impact it has on psychological flexibility. Psychological

flexibility is the ability to embrace your thoughts and feelings when they are useful and to

set them aside when they are not. This allows you to respond thoughtfully to your inner

experience and avoid short-term, impulsive actions, focusing instead on living a meaningful

life.

 One of the primary benefits of ACT is that it helps individuals build a different relationship

with their internal experiences. This means learning to relate to oneself and one's inner

narrator with kindness and gentleness.

 ACT can be a helpful treatment for teens who are struggling with emotional challenges. By

understanding and accepting their emotions without judgment, teens are able to better

regulate and manage their feelings.

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Session of ACT:

During ACT sessions, teens work with their therapist to assess issues in their life that may be

creating emotional challenges including relationships, negative self-talk, and stressful events.

Sessions often focus on addressing immediate challenges in a teen's life and then move on to

addressing past issues and developing new skills.

Interpersonal Therapy

Introduction

Interpersonal Therapy (also known as IPT for short) is a type of therapy that is geared towards

addressing mental health-related problems by focusing on the current relationships that a client

has. The reason why the focus of this type of therapy is a client’s relationships is that it operates

on the idea that relationships impact a person’s mental well-being.

IPT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on relieving symptoms by improving interpersonal

functioning. It addresses current problems and relationships rather than childhood or

developmental issues.

History

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a form of therapy developed by Gerald Klerman and Myrna

Weissman as a treatment for major depression in the 1960s and 1970s.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) began in the late 1960s with a research experiment to

understand pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy’s efficacy in treating depression. Subsequent

research confirmed that targeting a client’s interpersonal context yielded positive results and led

to what became IPT.

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Principle

The underlying principle of IPT is that while the problem presented by a client may have many

factors and causes, it typically occurs within a social and interpersonal context. Losing a job,

divorce, death of a loved one, relocation, and retirement impact our environment and

relationships.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) techniques help you learn about yourself and work on the

relationships in your life. Working with a therapist, you will get a better understanding of your

thoughts and feelings, as well as those of the people around you. If you have a specific mental

health condition like depression or are going through a major emotional change, interpersonal

therapy techniques can help you in your day-to-day life as well as in the long term.

Interpersonal Therapy Types

There are a couple of adaptations of interpersonal therapy: dynamic and metacognitive.

Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy

Dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT) is also called psychodynamic interpersonal therapy or

mentalization-based therapy. DIT is designed to help you better understand your own thoughts

and feelings, as well as the thoughts and feelings of others. If you do this kind of IPT, you’ll

typically have 16 sessions over the course of five months.

Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy

Metacognitive interpersonal therapy (MIT) is an integrative approach to personality disorders

that involves holding back your emotions (emotional inhibition) or avoidance. One 12-week
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study found that MIT helped reduce depression symptoms and improve a person’s ability to

identify their emotions.

Benefits of Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy can have a number of important benefits, including:

Better relationships: IPT can help people understand how their relationships affect their lives.

The goal of IPT is to help people function better socially and to reduce their feelings of

depression.

Less depression: IPT is based on the idea that your relationships can potentially increase or

decrease your depression, and feeling depressed can affect your relationships. The goal of IPT is

to relieve depressive symptoms by helping you improve the way you interact with others.

It is also used to treat:

• Anxiety

• Bulimia nervosa

• Chronic fatigue

• Mood disorders such as bipolar and dysthymic disorders.

IPT has been adapted to treat patients from adolescence to old age. It is effective as a stand-alone

treatment and in combination with medication

IPT focuses on four areas:

Conflict in relationships that is a source of tension and distress

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Life changes, such as job loss or the birth of a child, that affect people’s feelings about

themselves and others

Grief and loss

Difficulties in starting or sustaining relationships

When people learn effective strategies for dealing with their relationship problems, their

symptoms often improve.

Interpersonal Therapy Techniques and Exercises

1. Interpersonal Inventory

It’s safe to say this is one of the most important techniques you need to do for this type of

therapy. This technique will have you and the client identify the most important relationships in

the client’s life. Through this technique, therapists will learn how their client views their

significant relationships, including how they play a role in their mental well-being. This will set

the groundwork for the rest of the program.

2. Communication Analysis

This is a common technique in therapy. This technique will have the therapist discuss

communication styles, but before doing so, they will ask about their client’s relationships

regarding how they interact with people. More importantly, the therapist will try to probe the

client about potential conflicts they have with certain people and see if such conflicts are

ongoing.
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Once conflicts have been identified (and detailed, if possible), the therapist can discuss

communication styles and approaches to help clients build effective communication and conflict-

resolution skills.

3. Role-playing

The therapist and client can work together by having the client take on the role of a certain

person in the client’s life. The client will talk to the therapist as if they were a person in their life.

This is a good way to gauge what the client is like when it comes to interacting with certain

people.

This might give them a sense of self-awareness and the chance to reflect on what they are like

when communicating with certain people. They can think about how they can communicate

differently (healthily), especially if they have unresolved conflicts with those people.

4. Grief Analysis

This technique will likely involve worksheets since this is all about helping people work through

their grief and the loss of a loved one. Depending on your client, they might be grieving a recent

loss, or they might have been dealing with grief and loss for a long time. This is the therapist’s

chance to find out how grief and loss have affected their client’s life and their relationships.

By talking to their client about their dearly departed, the client can see how negatively the grief

has affected their life and relationships. By becoming aware of this, they might become more

willing to accept the loss and work through the grief. Adding worksheets that deal with grief and

loss might help them come to terms with their feelings, and they can better prepare themselves

for the inevitable loss of another person in the future.

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5. Guided Imagery

This technique will come in the form of an exercise. The client will imagine themselves in a

certain environment. Have them describe this environment in detail, including what they see,

what the atmosphere is like, and who are the people around them. The therapist and client will

work to develop a scene, and the client will discuss what they are like whenever they are in this

environment, especially regarding how they interact with others.

To cover as much ground as possible, the therapist can also have the client describe a more

stressful or even upsetting environment, then have them describe what they are normally like in

such an environment. This can help the client realize things about themselves whenever they are

in certain environments and situations. This can lead to an opportunity to teach them strategies to

cope healthily when they are in upsetting environments.

6. Social Skills Training

This is a type of therapy technique that has the therapist teach their client important social skills

like assertiveness, empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution. This is so the client can

learn how to adjust themselves when interacting with certain people. Not everyone is the same,

after all, and people conduct themselves differently depending on the person or people they are

with at the moment.

The aforementioned skills are essential for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Who knows? Maybe some of the client’s conflicts are based on the fact that they lack these

skills, so teaching them these skills will go a long way.

Interpersonal Therapy Worksheets

Interpersonal Relationships Worksheet

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If the therapist has a difficult time trying to get the client to talk about their significant

relationships, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t want to talk. Some people find it

difficult to talk about the important people in their lives, especially if these relationships affect

their well-being. If they struggle to articulate themselves through conversation, issuing this

worksheet might do the trick. Some people can express themselves better through writing

activities.

This worksheet normally has writing prompts to help the client write, like:

• Indicate five to ten of the most significant people in your life. Dead or alive.

• What are these people like?

• What do you like about these people?

• What do you not like about these people?

Closeness Circle Worksheet

This worksheet is similar to the Interpersonal Relationships Worksheet because the client will

identify all the significant relationships in their life, but this time, they will arrange them in a

circle. This circle has several layers. The closer the layers are to the center, the closer the people

are to the client. They will arrange their significant relationships in terms of how close they are

to the person. If they’re unsure, the therapist should guide them to determine that.

This is an opportunity to see which of their significant relationships are lagging behind in terms

of maintenance, and the client can identify why they’re on certain parts of the circle instead of

the one closest to the center. This can become the gateway to teaching the client better social

skills and communication strategies in order to help them maintain their relationships and keep
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them healthy. They can also learn how to set boundaries if they indicate a person as very close,

but they find them to be problematic.

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