by Working with children, teens, and adults with anxiety has shown me just how important it is to get creative with different concepts. With many children and teens, I use a humanistic, client-centered approach where the focus is on the client feelings heard, understood, valued, and safe.
However, there are times when particular concepts or psychoeducation interventions are necessary as well. I’ve found mindfulness to be one of these concepts that is highly effective in therapy work around anxiety with all ages.
Luckily, when engaging in a creative activity or when you access that “flow” state – this is the mindfulness we are looking for! There are some days when it’s harder to naturally get in that headspace and I find myself needing some sort of particular intervention to guide the way. This is where I find a simple game like “I Spy” to be incredibly effective, even for my teens!!
I always like to remind my clients (and myself!!) that mindfulness is not about having an empty or blank mind. Mindfulness is the practice of coming back to the present moment when you notice your mind has drifted. I like to frame mindfulness as action oriented — bringing the mind back — which can really help for people who tend to be anxious (a lot of us LOVE action/doing).
This download takes the simple game of “I Spy” and expands the game to include art, music, movement, sandtray, and other creative mediums! It’s such a universal game with the concept of grounding and mindfulness build right in. Take it to the next level with these creative expansion ideas to make the game much more fun and expressive!
If you want to hear more about this free download, check out episode #93 on the podcast where I discuss a bunch of creative intervention ideas or download your copy below!
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