Play Therapy for Schools

Counselor Games is Play Therapy for Schools

Learn how to use everyday games to teach kids anger control, stress management, study skills, making friends, decision making and more.  Learn how to integrate the counseling strategies into the games.  Use everyday familiar games such as Don't Break the Ice, Topple, Jumpin' Monkeys, playing cards, Jenga, and pick-up sticks and more.  Add the strategies.  It is hands-on, visual and auditory!  It is engaging, creative and FUN!  

Get your at home professional development

At Counselor Games

The demonstrations in the DVDs show you how.  Easy  and clear demonstrations for you to view by game.  

Your students will love the games.  They will interact and engage with the lesson.  They will be able to think through and apply the lesson ideas and return to your next session eager and ready for more! Content and lesson development comes naturally.  

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How to Help Kids Identify Angry Behavior

It is important to teach students that their behavior is noticed when they get angry.   When the external world and their internal world meet, or collide, will they be able to to manage their anger or will their anger manage them?  Use this article to help students:   How We Behave When We Get Angry       When the external world and the internal world of our feelings interact, the result is our behavior.  How we behave when we get angry determines whether the anger will fade or whether it will get worse.  There are two negative responses to anger.  The first negative response is withdrawal or avoidance.  The second negative response is hostility or aggression.       The first negative response is withdrawal or avoidance.  This is when a person does not actively deal with conflict and “goes away mad.”  The problem is not solved and the person may continue to think about it, get angry, and then eventually become depressed. Depression and the inability to deal with one’s problems results in low sense of personal worth, a sensitivity to unpleasant events, high self-criticism and a dealing of helplessness.  These are called the passive behaviors.       The second negative response to anger is hostility and aggression.  When we react too quickly and too intensely to feeling of anger, we become antagonistic.  This leads to more hostility which leads to more aggression.  Aggressive acts are often acts of impulse or desperation.  They may also be an attempt to overpower the other person.  These acts are called aggressive behaviors.      Did you know that there are also positive responses to anger?  When you manage your anger, you can make some good things happen because of the anger.  This is called anger management. Anger management is the utilization of assertive skills.  It is the result of self-awareness, self-confidence, and good communication skills.   First of all, you must learn to understand your own feelings.  This takes some thinking and self-instruction.  Feelings are linked to situations.  One way to understand what feelings are linked to certain situations is to keep a diary of things that happen to you and the feeling you have at that time.  Feelings are also linked to thoughts.  When you keep your journal or diary try to link the feelings you have to the thoughts you have.  Learn to view and think of the anger-producing incidents in an objective manner.  Try not to think of what is going on, or why, with a lot of opinions.  You must try to be objective.      You may find that sometimes your anger is unnecessary.  Unnecessary anger is often due to fatigue, pressure, conflict, and insecurity.             Second, you must try to understand the feelings of others.  Learn to understand things from the other person’s perspective to keep anger from becoming too intense.  Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.  Look at the situation from a different point of view.         Third, you must constantly instruct yourself to get composed and help deal with the situation.  This is self-instruction.  Learn to know what your body is telling you.     When you are tense because of a situation, you might get a headache or feel your muscles tighten.  You might feel your heart pound real hard or fast in your chest.  You may get sweaty hands or just sweat all over.  Your forehead may wrinkle and your eyebrows may become cross looking.  Some people start to breathe faster or heavier.  When these things happen, your body is releasing adrenalin.  These are signals of agitation and tension.  Your anger starts to build and so does the level of hostility you feel.  However, the anger will lessen as you start to solve the conflict.           Anger management also involves several ways you can learn to control yourself and take control of the situation before the situation takes control of you.  One way is to learn to relax.  Use relaxation techniques.  Anger is linked with tension.  You cannot be angry and relaxed at the same time.                    Another way to manage anger is to use humor.  Don’t take things to personally when they happen.  You can learn to see humor in things.             Anger is also managed by keeping it at a moderate level.  Use the arousal to be assertive rather than aggressive.  Communicate your angry feelings instead of acting on them.  When you feel anger, just say so and let the other person know what has made you angry.  If a person is doing something that stirs up the angry feelings in you, let him know how you are feeling with the right tone of voice and attitude.  Learn to communicate your anger in an appropriate way.  For example, it never will help in a situation if you scream or yell out your commands and demands.  You will only arouse anger in the other person you are dealing with.  You must learn to communicate your angry feelings in an effective and non-hostile way.           Communicating effectively is the most important skill in managing anger.  Good communication helps control the build-up of anger.  It prevents an aggressive over-reaction.  It also provides the opportunity to change the situation that has caused the anger.  An effective way to communicate is to use a power statement.   (see activity on power statements) Anger and Me is a workbook for students.  It includes articles about identifying anger and situations students and/or their friends may be a part of.  It is great for individual use or small groups.  It is reproducible, so make as many copies as you need.  It can be found on Amazon. Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with over sixteen years  experience.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more. Find out more about Play Therapy for Schools at Counselor Games. Grace will be presenting at the ASCA Conference in Phoenix June 29 and 30.  The session title on Monday is: Play Therapy and Stress Management for Students.  Tuesday she will be contributing in the Data presentation.  Her part will be Parent Involvement.   Like Counselor Games on Facebook Subscribe to the Counselor Tribe.

  

4 Internal Factors of Anger that Affect Kids

 Anger can come from internal or external factors. 

People have different dispositions.  This means that some people are easy-going and carefree, while others feel stressed out by little things.  Besides having different dispositions, people also have different ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.  Some of these ways have been learned since they were a baby.  They are learned both individually and culturally.  These internal factors affect how a person deals with anger.

Some internal factors contribute to anger

1.  Poor Thinking.  Having bad thoughts and high expectations are examples of poor thinking.  Another example is talking bad about yourself.  Self-talk is when we talk to ourselves.  Everyone does this and it is very normal.  However, it is not normal or healthy to use negative self-talk.  This happens when we say, “I am so stupid.”  “If I did it this way, that would not have happened.”  “What a jerk I am.”  “Who could ever like me?”  “No one cares about me.”  Sometimes we say these things so much that we start to believe them, even though at the beginning when we started to say them we knew they were not true.

2.      Personal Appraisal.  When something is very important to us it has a high value or appraisal.  Another way to appraise things highly is by taking too personally what happens to us.  We may feel bad or get angry about a referral we received at school, but losing sleep because of a poor decision is caused by high appraisal or wanting to be perfect.

3.      Tension.  Tension is accumulated stress.  When a lot of stress builds up in our life, we need to find a way to release the stress.  Stress that is not released causes anger.

4.      Ill humor.  Being moody, cross, or crabby gets us in the mood for anger.

What are some external causes of anger?

Name some internal factors of anger:

Join the Counselor Tribe at counselorgames.com  Be a part of the Counselor Tribe to help me with feedback and suggestions for my new book: Play Therapy for Schools.   I need your help!  

Simply join the mailing list at the website.  

Need more help with anger for your students.   Check out Anger and Me, a workbook for kids on anger control and management.  It is reproducible, so make as many copies as you need!

 Anger and Me

Questions?  Suggestions?  Contact me: grace@counselorgames.com 

Join the Counselor Tribe

Counselor Tribe

I am in the final phase of my book, Play Therapy for Schools.  It will include:

* anger control
* stress management
* study and organizational skills
* making friends
* communication skills
* lesson plans
* ASCA standards
* collecting and using data

...with using play therapy techniques.  This is play with everyday, familiar games such as

*Don't Break the Ice
* Jenga
* Tumble
* Pick-up sticks
* playing cards
* Barrel of Monkeys
* puppets

...and more!

But I need your help!  I need your feedback and careful eye to critique my writing, tell me what makes sense and what does not, what to add and what to delete.  Please join the Tribe by joining the mailing list at Counselorgames.com.  

The Counselor Tribe will receive a free copy of the completed book!

I look forward to your input, suggestions, and feedback.

I get lots of comments on my logo.  I am having them made into little dangling earrings.  Would you purchase them as earrings or necklace?   The happy boy and girl perfectly display all that counselors do for their students!

Contact me at grace@counselorgames.com



 Anger and Me  is a workbook for students on anger control and management.  It is perfect for individual, small groups, or classroom lessons on anger control.  The workbook is reproducible so you can make as many copies as needed.  Get your copy today!

Anger and Me

Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with experience in mental health and school counseling.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more.  Find out more at counselorgames.com

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/counselorgames

15 Stress Relief Tips for Kids

Too many students today suffer from anxiety and stress related problems.  Teach your student simple ways to reduce stress and its effects.  Remember to do at least two everyday.

15 Stress Relief Tips for Kids

   

        1.  Read a book
        2.  Learn a new craft: paint, crochet, knit, beading, model, create with clay
        3.  Join a discussion group or club at school
        4.  Visit a museum
        5.  Learn to do something new: bake a cake and decorate, build a model plane, new card game
        6.  Play basketball
        7.  Forgive someone
        8.  Have a cup of tea
        9.  Establish a support system
       10.  Make a list of positive things about yourself
       11.  Make a schedule
       12.  Take a bubble bath
       13.  Talk to your parents
       14.  Do something to have fun
       15.  Go bike riding
              Add 5 ideas here
       16.
       17.
       18.
       19.
       20.

How to be engaging, creative and FUN!
Play Therapy for Schools

 
Check out our demonstrations in the DVDs that show you how easy it is to integrate counseling strategies into everyday games that kids love.  Teach stress management with Don't Break the Ice, make friends with Barrel of Monkeys, build relationships with pick-up-sticks, get organized with Perfection! and much more.


During the month of December, you will receive Topple FREE with the purchase of Games and Play Volumes I and II.  This is an $84 value for $57.  Only in December 2015.  

 This offer cannot be combined with any other offers.    

Buy Now

http://counselorgames.com/

Games and Play is one of the most effective and easiest programs to implement.  We show you how to integrate counseling strategies into the games.  

Use simple play therapy techniques with everyday games.  

"I have used Games and Play with students in Elementary, Middle and High School.  I love it because of the simplicity of using common games that families have at home. How practical to use these games in so many different ways!   The students love it because these are games that they are familiar with and it makes it easy for them to share their feelings, while playing a game!  The games can be used for developing so many different  lessons on social skills, assertiveness, conflict resolutions and character traits!  The possibilities are endless! I would recommend Mrs. Wilhelm's, Games and Play lessons to all counselors who would like to add some fun into the day!"
Ms. Patricia Yon
Florida School Counselor


The Play Pack

The Play Pack includes everything you need to get started:  

 Two DVDs, Volumes I and II: Games and Play to Enhance Counseling and Teaching Strategies. 

Jumpin' Monkeys, Tumble, Topple

Booklets are included with the DVDs.

Be Creative, Engaging and FUN!

 http://counselorgames.com

      

 Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with experience in mental health and school counseling.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more. 

      Grace's past achievements and awards include ASCA National School Counselor of the Year Semifinalist, RAMP, and FLDOE Parent Involvement Award and Teacher of the Year.  

contact Grace at grace@counselorgames.com

Do you need more resources for stress management for your students?  Get Stress Busting stress management self-assessment workbook for your students.  Ask us to send it to you. Contact Grace at

                                                grace@counselorgames.com

10 Super Sentences to Name Feelings

                         Sentence Completion Activity
                        to help students name feelings. 

Many times, students express themselves with only three feelings: happy, sad, angry.  Use this activity to get them to recognize and define other feelings. 

Complete the following sentences using a feeling.  Try to use a different feeling for each sentence.

When someone is rude to me I feel 

________________________________________________________

When someone is kind to me I feel 

________________________________________________________

If I were given a surprise party I would feel

 ______________________________________________

When I say something stupid I feel 

________________________________________________________

If someone bullied me on-line I would feel

 ___________________________________________

When all of my friends are out of town I feel

 _____________________________________________

Just before test grades are passed out, I feel

______________________________________________

When I talk to someone I really like I feel 

_________________________________________________

When I am criticized I feel 

____________________________________________________________________

When I win at a sport I feel

 _________________________________________________________________

Can you name different feelings?  Did you think of some of these?

            Angry, mad, sad, depressed, annoyed, happy, elated, terrified, worried, distraught, confused, lonely, excited, stressed, fatigued, anxious, nervous, belittled, surprised, relaxed, frustrated, degraded

Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with experience in mental health and school counseling.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more.  Contact Grace at grace@counselorgames.com.  It is play therapy for schools.  

Counselor Games Website 

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