For both the socialites and those who prefer to keep to themselves, group therapy activities are one of the most effective ways to overcome a personal addiction. It’s easy to feel like you’re in your own head about addiction, but it’s hard to open up to others even knowing it may be worthwhile. At Promises Washburn House, we don’t just offer group therapy—we do the most to make it both fun and inviting. When the Massachusetts heat is in full swing, we plan to make the most of the weather with some summer group activities.
Group therapy is important because it’s one of the biggest perks of inpatient treatment. It’s not common that a group of people come together to achieve a shared goal. When therapy is constructed around the central goal of both individual and collective recovery, it can make the process easier for not just the individual, but every member of the group.
Great Games For Group Therapy
A good group activity is something that gets would-be strangers talking about shared experiences and growing together during their rehabilitation. Without going into particularly heavy or personal subject matters, clients are encouraged to tell a bit about themselves to the other members of their group. Games like two truths, one lie are perfect for a little bit of competitive trivia-sharing with a classic, simple premise: get in a circle, tell two facts about yourself, but throw a lie in the mix to see who can guess correctly.
Another similar game that lets clients impart a bit of their personality is anonyphobia, in which each participant quickly jots down their greatest fear, whether it be spiders, airplanes, or heights on a strip of paper. Afterwards, every participant anonymously drops their strip in a hat (if no hats are available, bowls and jars are acceptable) while the group leader calls them out one at a time, asking those who share the fear to raise their hand and explain why. Opening up about fears, and especially learning which of your peers share them, is an immediate way to form a bond.
Summer Group Activities
While the other activities can be played either in- or outdoors, the next three are best enjoyed outside in clear weather.
- Group meditation is perfect for enjoying what the outdoors has to offer. This one’s the most open-ended, allowing for any location on campus for a few minutes to an hour of serenity and deep thought.
- I-spy is a road trip essential. Not only is it engaging with the outdoors, making participants aware of the minutiae of the world, it’s also a commonly shared childhood experience. Letting others into something familiar like that allows for clients to familiarize themselves with each other.
- Trust maze is the most complex of the bunch, but builds the strongest trust between participants. First, fashion a maze out of cones, chairs, or other obstacles and sort the group into pairs. Each pair includes a navigator and another tasked with walking through the maze backwards or blindfolded. The navigator uses verbal direction to walk the other through the course. While this works just fine indoors, it utilizes more space than other group therapy activities.
Explore Group Therapy Activities at Washburn House
Find out what a support group can do for your recovery, and meet people in a similar struggle to overcome addiction. Meeting the right group of people can make all the difference. We provide the resources and motivation you need, all in a facility with plenty of outdoor accommodations. If you’re interested in the services Promises Behavioral Health provides, call us at 855.298.3104 for questions and concerns.