Fun & Functional: My Mental Health Counseling

Through Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), clients are taught “distress tolerance skills”, which are designed, with practice, to help a client lower their overall stress response to upsetting events or reminders.  One small part of the distress tolerance puzzle is the category “Activities”.   Activities for distress tolerance can be anything that requires the client to think about what they’re doing, or to focus on the task.  These activities can be work- or school-oriented, like preparing a presentation or doing homework; chore-related, such as cleaning tasks in the house; or recreational.  

In my work with teens and young adults, I’ve discovered that many seem to be missing one of the five basic human needs (according to Glasser):  FUN.  With that in mind, I’ve developed ways to incorporate fun activities not only into client sessions, but also into client “homework”.   When the DBT skill of doing an activity is combined with meeting the Choice Theory/Reality Therapy’s basic need for fun, clients seem to be more actively engaged in sessions.   They have something to look at and something to do with their hands, which can put them more at ease, especially in the first few meetings when we’re just getting to know each other.  

Of course, not every session can be fun.  We are sometimes discussing serious and highly personal issues that must be handled appropriately, and in these sessions, I work carefully with clients to help them describe and process their experiences and emotions.  We then work together, at the client’s pace, to learn and use the appropriate coping skills for their individual situation.  

The activities my clients and I do will vary based on the client’s interests, their treatment goals, and on whether we are meeting in person or by video.  Below is a list of activities some of my clients have enjoyed both during and after sessions.  Please let me know in the comments what you would add to this list, and as always, if you live in Florida and would like to make an appointment, please call or text 863-268-5802 for a free 15 minute consultation.  

Fun & Functional Activities:

• Play chess
• Clay sculpting
• Painting
• Crochet
• Sandtray/Sandbox
• Legos
• Coloring
• Glue books
• Passing a football
• Art Journals
• Play with baby animals
• Sticker books
• Bubbles
• Interior design planning
• Character creation with storytelling
• Sewing
• Paper bead making
• Playing cards (Slapjack is especially good for kids with ADHD)

​Heidi Jameson, LMHC is the founder of The Mangroves Seeds of Change, LLC.  You can read more about her here. ​

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