Need group therapy topic

[Ashley]

So I finally start my internship in a couple weeks. Part of it is that I do group therapy. I will be working with school age kids and need some ides on topics....

On a side note here are. Few new pics of my munchkin and Bodie.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Since you have such an adorable new puppy, how about the topic of how dogs are so good for us. Petting a dog can lower blood pressure below its resting point and help folks recover from surgery and heart attacks. Animals can extend our lives... that sort of topic. How animals can be used in therapy and service dogs etc. rescue dogs, search dogs. I love those dog topics.

Your puppy is really growing and is so cute. Your munchkin is gorgeous.

 

[Debby - LB]

wow love your photos! those are so cute, beautiful little girl!! shorthorsemon good ideas!! don't forget horses too, big or little =great therapy.

here are some ideas of mine for topics for school age kids: dealing with their emotions, learning respect for themselves and others, how to converse with people in person, which leads to --> cell phone etiquette..also anger management could be one too.

 

[Ashley]

Thanks! Yes both our four legged and two legged children are growing. He was cuddling up to grandma who is allergic to dogs.

 

[vickie gee]

What some cuties! I would suggest forgiveness as a topic. Everyone has the need for it at some time whether it be to receive it or to extend it.

 

[shorthorsemom]

How about the topic of "random acts of kindness" and how you can pass this to others.. Or about someone finding some money and giving it to charity... passing along the good fortune to others.

Also how about the topic of malicious jesting and how something might seem funny and even the person being poked fun at is laughing outwardly, but inside might be feeling sad or cringing. Like saying someone is fat or their eyes are too close together as a joke, but not realizing that this is not funny at all and hurtful humor is something to think about. I did this chat with my kids last night as I watched my son get offended when his sister was joking about his best friend and how his eyes are "too close together" and his hair looked like "Mick Jaggars hair". My son was upset at the comment and our daughter didn't understand why he would be so upset. I asked my daughter if she would be offended if I described her close friend as "fat" and she said "of course, but saying somebody is fat is mean and that her comment was just to describe this other persons looks and was intended to be funny."

I remembered a lesson from a church retreat 40 years ago and our speaker talked about "malicious jesting" and I realized that all these years later that my kids needed that same chat and that even if somebody thought something was funny and was sure that everyone was laughing along, but may not realize that they are hurting someone unintentionally and it could even be hurting the friend of someone.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I thought of something else... an exercise we did at work once with a group of people. We were to write something on a piece of paper that you liked about someone. You needed to write something for each person in the group. If you didn't know this person well, you might say "they have nice kind eyes or a great smile or laugh".. Or if you knew this person well you might say "they are detailed oriented, or a good worker or a kind friend" "something descriptive and sincere. Folks were asked to really think about what they wrote and even if you only wrote a thank you on that paper for a kind deed that person had done for you would be ok. All the notes were put in individual envelopes for each person in the group.

The only guideline was that it could not be negative and it must be sincere and well thought out. We did not sign our names on our gift notes of kindness.

It was very uplifting to read those notes that I received for me. I have kept mine for over 20 years.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Shorthorsemom that is a brilliant Idea- "Random Acts of kindness".. It could be a concept a little like the Movie "Pay it forward" (Great movie if you haven't seen it, don't forget the tissues tho)

Another good one could be "Treating others as you would like to be treated:"

 

[shorthorsemom]

I never heard of that movie...will have to look at that one.

I have been the recipient of a random act of kindness and I think this would be a good place to share it.

My vet has a photo of a sweet faced beagle named "bindy" on her front desk and on the picture frame it says "bindy's random acts of kindness. My vet never said what the photo was for, but it is displayed right on the front desk in her office.

Once when I found myself with an enormous vet bill on one of my rescue dogs I saw my vet do a reduction of the bill for me. She looks at me and she says "I think Bindy would love to gift you one of her random acts of kindness."

I discovered the meaning of that framed photo that day,

I discovered that Bindys owner had donated a cash reserve to my vet to be used for gifts to be used for special needs circumstances.

This was Bindy's random act of kindness to me and I will never forget how touched I was by this gift in my time of need and to Bindy's owner for thinking of such a unique way to pay tribute to a beloved dog.

 

[sfmini]

How about the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Even this atheist fully believes in this concept.