The 10 Best Board Games to Play During Recovery

We have assessments, practice forms, and worksheet templates mental health professionals games for substance abuse groups can use to streamline their practice. View all of our mental health forms, worksheet, and assessments here. Group sessions provide group members with an opportunity to practice life skills including communication and establishing boundaries.

Role-playing difficult situations with peer feedback takes practice to a whole new level. It’s like a real-time strategy game where the goal is developing better coping mechanisms. It’s more like a marathon through a minefield of triggers and temptations. By injecting a dose of enjoyment into the process, we’re not just sugar-coating the bitter pill of addiction; we’re creating an environment where healing can flourish organically. Substance abuse support groups must address unique ethical considerations and challenges to ensure a safe, supportive environment for participants.

Who leads group therapy?

Participants can share how they are practicing self-care to encourage and inspire their peers. Clients are given a judgment-free space and are encouraged to be open and honest to facilitate recovery and healing. Group therapy is used to guide clients through the process of gaining insight about themselves, others, and the world around them. When it comes to addressing addiction, the approach taken can significantly impact the outcome. Soft intervention offers a gentle yet effective way to help a loved one recognize and tackle their… This game is great for mindfulness and can be done with a chocolate chip or any other small food item.

Art therapy is a creative way for individuals to express emotions that may be difficult to verbalize. Art therapy allows for emotional release and fosters self-expression, without the need for words. There is another game with situation cards that gives the players situations that they may face in real life.

Self-care includes creating a sleep routine, eating healthy meals, staying hydrated, exercising, and spending time with loved ones. Question balls are a resource that group leaders may use to get topics of conversation going. They write recovery-related questions on a ball for participants to toss around, with the person holding the ball answering the question. In order to keep participants engaged and focused, leaders may offer different activities during sessions.

Financial planning might not sound like a barrel of laughs, but turn it into a game, and suddenly budgeting becomes bearable. Competitions to create the most effective spending plan or interactive simulations of real-life financial scenarios make money management engaging and relevant. Creating personalized coping strategy toolkits is like assembling a superhero utility belt for recovery.

• Some people find it hard to say no to substance use in social gatherings or parties.
• This can be done using a diffuser, or people can be offered a selection of different oils to find one that appeals to them to dab on their wrists.
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• The discussion prompts can be related to positive habits, gratitude, the recovery process, or any other general group therapy questions.
• What principle underlies cognitive behavioral therapy, and why is it so essential in the treatment of addiction?

Frequently Asked Questions Related To CBT Group Activities

Setting short- and long-term goals gives people in recovery something to work for, but they can sometimes struggle with determining what those goals should look like. Participants can also share different coping skills that have worked for them, as well as what hasn’t worked. Sound therapy may be most beneficial when offered by a trained practitioner, but music, instruments, or nature sounds may also be incorporated informally into group and peer sessions. Participants can try making gratitude lists or having open discussions on ways to find and show gratitude in daily life. In meditation sessions, participants will practice focusing on their breathing or on affirmations while allowing thoughts to come and go without engagement or judgment.

Two recovering addicts developed it, one of them being a comedian, Mark Lundholm. In this game, players move around a game board similar to the Snakes and Ladders game board but with some interesting and hilarious spaces. Skinner’s ABC model of operant conditioning and the Fogg Behavior Model (FBM), which helps by supporting small habits that motivate addicts to change.

It helps the players find the best way to their plan of recovery by going through a path of real-life events. From ‘bad day’ spots to ‘strength’ spots, each space on the gameboard has a real-life situation that many people face in addiction recovery. By incorporating these topics into group therapy sessions, participants can develop a comprehensive toolkit for recovery, supported by the camaraderie and shared experiences of their peers. Although the exercises mentioned earlier can be conducted for adolescents, here is a list of fun and engaging CBT group activities for youth. These are designed to help teens and young ones feel supported in their recovery journey.

Group therapy can be used to explore and process a member’s triumphs, challenges, and relapses. Talking about these experiences in a group setting will not only benefit the client experiencing them, but also other members of the group who can learn from their experience. This can include learning to cope with uncomfortable emotions and situations. Additionally, this can promote an environment where group members feel comfortable asking for help when they find themselves struggling.

This activity can help individuals manage stress, reduce anxiety, and focus on their goals. The experiences include interactions with family and friends as well as coworkers or even strangers. Playing CBT works well for recovering persons, teaching them to change their actions by learning more about their thoughts and feelings. Learning coping skills and expressing emotions is an effective way for anyone to learn so they can use it in any situation. For those in a relapse prevention program, Dr. Berthold Berg created the Relapse Prevention Game. It is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and works by teaching the players how to cope with issues that come up in recovery.

• In this post, I highlight 58 Substance Abuse Group Therapy Activities for Recovery that you can use with your clients.
• Dance and movement therapy is an experiential therapy activity that allows participants to express feelings through physical movement.
• For group members who are new to recovery, group sessions can provide valuable education about addiction and recovery.
• Recovery capital as prospective predictor of sustained recovery, life satisfaction, and stress among former poly-substance users.

Recovery Games for Groups

Going around the board and talking about feelings is the main point of this game based on Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). REBT is a psychotherapy that helps players identify their self-defeating thoughts and replace them with healthier choices. As these situations arise, the players are encouraged to talk about their feelings and work out solutions to avoid relapse. Group therapy in addiction treatment consists of three or more people, led by a licensed therapist, working together through issues related to addiction using behavioral therapy. Zainab is a skilled member of the ChoicePoint team of medical content writers. With 4 years of relevant experience, she is passionate about conveying accurate and up-to-date information through her writing.

Why Group Therapy?

Today’s addiction recovery landscape is bursting with innovative approaches that breathe new life into the healing process. Role-playing offers a safe space for group therapy participants to confront their fears and negative thoughts. Acting in different scenarios can help patients to develop better coping strategies for difficult situations.

This peace will help you stay motivated towards your recovery journey. Daily mood charts or mood trackers are a great way to help clients understand the link between their environment, situation, and feelings. Therapists can then help members understand the relationship between situations and emotions and how clients can better cope with those emotions in the future. Addiction treatment is challenging but a very transformative experience. Some group members may be ambivalent about participating in activities because they struggle with commitment to recovery. Facilitators can create a nonjudgmental space where participants feel comfortable discussing doubts, allowing for open expression while encouraging self-reflection.

For example, a teen is facing a negative stigma for going through addiction treatment. The therapist can enact the scene with group members and help the teen practice taking a stand for himself in a real-life situation. Cognitive behavioral group therapy aims to create a collaborative environment that fosters emotional and mental well-being. Working with clay or other sculpting materials allows participants to create three-dimensional representations of their emotions, experiences, or hopes for the future.

Process groups are focused on self-exploration and giving/receiving feedback. They provide a safe environment in which members can practice newfound interpersonal skills and behaviors. Process groups are mostly unstructured with no singular topic of discussion.

Practice Forms and Assessments

Listening to what other members share can provide a sense of validation and normalcy for members who may have thought that they were alone, or wrong for feeling as they do. This game is different from the rest in that it encourages accountability even after the game is over. During the game, each player will choose to commit to real-world actions they may have to perform immediately or later on. If the player decides to do something, later on, they have to choose a partner who will follow up with them after the game to see if they have fulfilled their commitment. Let’s take a look at some games that we think are fun, educational, and beneficial to anyone in recovery. Forms of charades like emotions charades can also encourage participants to explore their emotions and become more comfortable with them.