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September 17, 2023

10 Family Therapy Activities For Building Relationships

by Jessica Samora

• Pressures from everyday interactions may cause unhelpful behaviors and conflicts within families.

• Through family therapy, members can learn to express themselves better and listen more effectively.

• Engaging in activities such as open communication sessions and art therapy allows for emotional expression and bonding.

The outside world is tough

Pressure from workplaces, social interaction, or other outside influences can sometimes weigh heavily on family relationships, leading to inexplicable conflicts between family members. Getting frustrated and stuck in a cycle of unhelpful thoughts and behaviors related to negative family dynamics is easy. Will family therapy activities restore your relationships?

So, how do you establish or bring back happy family dynamics? How do you help your children, spouse, and other family members rediscover the joy in being together? How do you help them cope with the pressures of living in today's world? How do you encourage someone to be present with the family and see beyond their phone screen?

Could family therapy activities be the answer?

Family therapy is a smart step toward building relationships and restoring familial bonds. It involves activities designed to help the members express their emotions, understand each other better, and break down barriers, allowing families to function better together as one unit.

You can attend family therapy in person or from the comfort of your home, online via Teleheath .

Family therapy activities enhance overall connections within the family and encourage a healthier environment for everyone, young or old.

Understanding the Importance of Family Therapy

Family therapy empowers each family member to understand their roles within the family. It also helps build empathy and understanding of one another's feelings in a safe, trusting, and non-judgmental environment. More specifically, they learn and form healthy identities and create an atmosphere of collaboration and support within the family unit, while teaching families how to better manage their relationships.

In short, they help families gain a greater sense of well-being and operate in ways that are more open, empathetic, and curious in everyday life.

In this piece, we will explore the most common and effective family therapy activities for building relationships that can help you foster an environment of trust, love, and understanding within your family.

1. Open Communication Sessions

One of the fundamental aspects of any healthy relationship is open and honest communication. Family therapy often starts with dedicated sessions where each family member can express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

These sessions are facilitated by an experienced family therapist who ensures everyone can speak and be heard.

During these sessions, family members learn to actively listen to each other without interrupting. The therapist may introduce communication exercises like "active listening," where one person speaks, and the others listen without offering immediate feedback.

This practice promotes a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives and encourages empathy.

2. Role-Playing Exercises

Role-playing can be a powerful tool in family therapy. It allows family members to step into each other's shoes and better understand the challenges and perspectives of others within the family. For example, a child may role-play as a parent and vice versa. This exercise helps family members see situations from different angles and can lead to increased empathy and compassion.

Role-playing is also a great way to practice new behaviors and skills. For example, if one family member often has difficulty expressing their emotions, they can practice this in a safe environment with the therapist's guidance.

3. Art and Creative Therapy

For families who find it challenging to express themselves verbally, art therapy can be incredibly beneficial. Individuals can convey their emotions and thoughts nonverbally through painting, drawing, or other creative mediums. This can be especially helpful for children struggling to articulate their feelings. Art therapy provides an outlet for self-expression and can uncover underlying emotions that are difficult to put into words.

4. Chinese Whispers

Chinese whispers, also known as the Telephone Game, is a fun and educational activity highlighting the importance of clear communication. Family members sit in a circle, and one person whispers a message to the next person, who then passes it along to the next. The message continues until it reaches the last person, who shares it with the entire group. Often, the final message is quite different from the original, illustrating how miscommunication can occur within families. This activity emphasizes the need for clear and direct communication to avoid misunderstandings.

5. The Miracle Question

The miracle question is a thought-provoking exercise that encourages family members to envision a future where their problems are miraculously solved. The therapist asks each family member to describe what their life would be like if, overnight, their issues disappeared. This exercise helps family members articulate their goals and desires, providing a positive vision to work towards. It also opens up discussions about the steps needed to move closer to that ideal future.

6. Emotions Ball

The activity works well to express emotions, especially in teenagers or children who might not be comfortable articulating their feelings through words. The activity only requires a pen and a ball (preferably a beach ball) because it is big enough to write various emotions, and passing it around is more manageable.

On each colored section of the ball, write down different emotions, such as joy, happiness, sadness, etc.

Gather the family members in a circle and have them pass the ball back and forth.

When a family member catches the ball, encourage them to share a personal experience or moment when they felt the specific emotion written on the section they caught.

This exercise is meant to facilitate open discussions about various emotions within your family while practicing active listening and expressing your feelings.

7. Mirroring Activity

The mirroring activity is designed to improve non-verbal communication and enhance empathy within the family. Family members pair up and take turns mirroring each other's movements and facial expressions. They mimic the other person's movements while avoiding physical contact. Those involved become more in tune with each other's gestures and expressions, helping them develop a stronger bond of understanding.

This exercise encourages family members to be attentive to non-verbal cues, which are often essential in understanding each other's emotions. Mirroring can help family members connect on a deeper level and develop a heightened awareness of each other's non-verbal signals.

8. Lily Pad Swamp Crossing

The lily pad swamp crossing is a problem-solving activity that promotes teamwork and cooperation within the family. It involves creating a "swamp" on the floor using cushions or pieces of paper as a "lily pad." Family members, now frogs, must work together to cross the swamp without falling into the "water." This activity teaches important lessons about trust, communication, and collaboration.

The therapist listens and observes how the family interacts as they complete the activity. It provides insight into how family members work together, and they can use this insight to identify communication patterns or problem-solving strategies that can be improved. They learn to support each other through challenges, fostering a sense of unity and shared achievement.

9. Family Genogram

Creating a family genogram is like constructing a family tree but with a deeper emotional dimension. It helps family members understand their history, connections, and the patterns that may be affecting their relationships. In a family therapy session, a therapist guides the family in creating a visual representation of their family structure, including relationships, roles, and significant life events. This tool can reveal patterns of behavior and relationship dynamics that contribute to current challenges. It also helps family members see how their family history influences their present relationships.

10. The Magic Key

The magic key activity is a metaphorical exercise that encourages family members to collaboratively explore solutions to their problems. In this exercise, family members imagine they have a "magic key" that can unlock solutions to their challenges. They take turns sharing about one thing they believe money can never buy that they want to unlock in the family. This exercise aims for family members to identify their common values and develop a shared vision. It can help them recognize their similarities instead of focusing on their differences, thereby strengthening relationships within the family.

Building Trust and Empathy

Trust-Building Exercises:

Trust is the bedrock of any healthy relationship. Family therapy often includes trust-building activities that allow family members to work on regaining trust or establishing it for the first time. These exercises create a safe space where family members can express vulnerabilities and fears without judgment.

Trust-building activities may include sharing personal stories, setting boundaries, and gradually rebuilding trust through consistent actions and open communication. The therapist guides these activities and ensures each family member feels heard and supported.

Empathy-Building Games:

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Various games and exercises in family therapy are designed to enhance empathy among family members, promoting a more compassionate atmosphere. One common exercise involves family members taking turns sharing their feelings while the others practice active listening and reflecting on what they've heard. This practice helps family members connect on a deeper emotional level and fosters empathy, which is essential for resolving conflicts and building stronger bonds.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Active Listening Techniques:

One of the keys to resolving conflicts is active listening. Family members are taught how to listen attentively and without interruption, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives. Active listening involves not only hearing words but also paying attention to non-verbal cues and emotions. This skill is invaluable in family therapy and everyday family life, as it promotes effective communication and reduces misunderstandings.

Negotiation and Compromise Activities:

Learning how to negotiate and compromise is crucial in any relationship. Family therapy often includes exercises that teach these skills, enabling family members to find mutually beneficial solutions. These activities may involve role-playing scenarios where family members practice negotiation techniques or work together to find compromises in real-life situations.

Strengthening Bonds

Group Activities:

Participating in group activities as a family can be incredibly bonding. These could include outings, games, or even volunteering together, fostering a sense of unity and shared experiences.

Group activities provide opportunities for family members to create positive memories, strengthen their connections, and enjoy each other's company outside of the therapy setting.

Family Meetings:

Regular family meetings can provide a structured and safe space for discussing important issues, setting goals, and celebrating achievements. Family members can use these meetings to check in with each other, share their thoughts and feelings, and collaboratively make decisions. These meetings help establish a sense of routine and structure within the family and ensure that everyone's voice is heard.

Final thoughts...

Family therapy activities play a pivotal role in strengthening and nurturing familial bonds. The dynamics within a family can be complex, and challenges can arise for various reasons.

These activities, conducted under the guidance of a family therapist, offer effective strategies for addressing these challenges and improving family relationships.

They help family members build trust, increase empathy, resolve conflicts, and strengthen their connections. Family therapy activities create a safe environment for positive changes to occur, enabling families to move forward with healthier dynamics and more meaningful bonds.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. When is the best time to schedule family therapy activities?

Timing plays a crucial role when considering the ideal time to conduct these activities because it can really make a big difference in how your family processes and implements. Consider these activities when:

Dealing with a significant life event, such as a chronic illness, mental health condition, or substance abuse.

During transitions, for example, remarriage, a new sibling, or a new school.

Post-trauma or crisis, such as divorce, loss, abuse, or other traumatic experiences.

Addressing persistent or recurring issues, like communication breakdowns, arguments, and power struggles.

Resolving underlying issues that keep the family from functioning optimally.

2. How long does family therapy typically last?

Family therapy can vary in duration, but it often spans several weeks to several months, depending on the specific issues being addressed. The therapist will work with the family to determine the appropriate length of therapy based on their goals and progress.

3. Is family therapy only for families facing severe problems?

No, family therapy can be beneficial for families dealing with a wide range of issues, from minor conflicts to more significant challenges. It can help improve communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen relationships at any stage.

4. How can I find a qualified family therapist?

You can search for family therapists through professional associations, online directories, or by asking for referrals from people you know, your primary care physician or other professionals.

You can also find qualified family therapists at Healing Collective Therapy Group. We offer free consultations so you can get a feeling if the therapist you speak to is the right one for you.

It's important to choose a therapist who has experience in family therapy and with the specific issues your family is facing. Look for the therapists family therapy experience on our website.

5. Are family therapy activities suitable for children?

Many family therapy activities are designed to be inclusive of children and can help them understand and navigate family dynamics better. Therapists adapt activities to suit each family member's age and developmental level.

6. Can family therapy be done virtually?

With the advancement of technology, many family therapy sessions can now be conducted online, making it more accessible and convenient for families. Virtual therapy sessions can be just as effective as in-person sessions when conducted by a qualified therapist.

Try therapy — it's available at a low-cost to everyone in California. Learn new skills to help you grow.

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10 Best Family Therapy Activities and Exercises for Happy Homes

Intergenerational trauma or intergenerational wisdom? Parents’ unhealthy habits get passed down in endless cycles but so does their inner wisdom, even if it’s hidden away. As a mental health professional, you can help people unlock that wisdom through family therapy activities.

On the surface, family therapy activities are designed to improve communication, reduce conflict and build connections. Therapists go much deeper than this by uncovering patterns, biases, assumptions, narratives, values and everything else that makes us human.

The beauty of family therapy activities is that they bring family units together within their social and cultural contexts to explore behavior. Add to that some results-based accountability and mental health professionals can truly make a difference to both the younger and the older generations.

With digital tools now at our disposal, such interventions can be even more creative and most importantly, exercises can be done at any time and from anywhere. Our specialist’s thoughts on accountability apps are covered extensively in The Ultimate Guide to Accountability Apps .

We’ll walk you through some of the best family therapy activities from renowned psychiatrists who have witnessed their effectiveness. We’ll also show you how a platform like Quenza offers you another level of client engagement. With Quenza, you have access to hundreds of evidence-based exercises, visualizations and worksheets to complement your family therapy activities. We’ll show you how in this article but why not sign up for the free, full-access, one-month $1-only trial and see for yourself?

The Fundamentals of Family Therapy

Family therapy evolved from Freud’s concept of the autonomous self to the relational self with Adler and others. The structural, or orderliness, model first came out in the 1960s and also evolved through to symbolic interactionism which paved the way for systems and communications theory. In symbolic interactionism, each of us has both an inner and outer self but systems theory expanded this idea into having both an “I” and a “we” [1] .

Today we have the third generation of family therapy with evidence-based systemic approaches rather than purely following theoretical models to analyze the psyche. Family therapist Charles Fishman takes this one step further by challenging the industry that not enough documentation has taken place within family therapy.

As such, it seems that many healthcare professionals previously over-relied on models without taking the family system into consideration. Within systems thinking, Fishman also encourages the use of goal-setting or results-based accountability. Not only can family therapists lead the way with evidence-based outcomes but also bring family therapy to the forefront of mental healthcare [2] .

Implementation Intentions

Now let’s consider how family therapy works. First, it’s important to take into account how the family unit has changed from the traditional nuclear model with two parents of different genders. Moreover, roles have changed within families.

Family therapy aims to uncover all those roles and how they intentionally, or unintentionally, reinforce the current family interactions. The added complexity is that behavioral and emotional problems are often passed through the generations. Again, family therapists work to explore these levels of complexity.

Like any system, the family unit is more than just individuals brought together. They have processes, feedback loops, rituals and so much more that bring them together like an orchestra. Together with their therapist, families seek to understand what this means to them. From there, they can put together strategies to optimize how they function together. It’s almost like creating policies and procedures for teams in an organization [1] .

In summary, the reason why family therapy is important relates to creating healthy and functioning units. Healthy families interact more positively with each other but also with the wider community so better serving society as a whole.

What are the benefits of family therapy activities?

Another one of the core reasons why family therapy is important is that it empowers such units to manage change and stress. More specifically, they learn and form healthy identities, boundaries and relationships within the unit  [1] .

In short, what are the benefits of family therapy if not gaining a greater sense of well-being to then operate more optimally in everyday life?

For example, some family therapy activities focus the family on dealing with loss whether through death or an event such as children starting school. Other activities give families the resilience and emotional regulation to deal with crises such as conflict, separation, redundancy, illness and more.

Some family therapy activities focus specifically on communication and how their patterns form into feedback loops with cause and effect. Nonverbal communication is also often explored through games and activities.

One example of a nonverbal communication game is where family members express various emotions using their faces and bodies. Therapists can get creative and use cards, posters or digital images. It can essentially become a type of role-playing game which is particularly engaging for families with younger members.

Knowing Your Emotions

Most importantly, family therapy activities enable families to learn successful problem-solving techniques. Consequently, they become empowered in dealing with life and its challenges.

The Overall Purpose and Goals of Family Therapy

How family therapy works depends on what type of model you follow. The main ones that still come under the systems concept are structural and strategic.

Simply put, a structural family therapist focuses on the rules that impact communication within families, both stated and unstated, so essentially fixing the structure. Conversely, a strategic family therapist focuses more on the symptoms and will guide the family to devise communication strategies to encourage healthier interactions.

Both approaches have similar goals and outcomes. These include family therapy goals such as developing conflict resolution skills, nurturing parent leadership mindsets, practicing effective behavior management, balancing out power and redefining communication  [3] .

Family therapy activities are experiential and creative ways to meet those goals. They do this by opening up communication channels with the therapist as the guide and facilitator. Some exercises even involve some form of art creation, not too dissimilar from   art therapy for teens , to allow for new brain connections.

Motivational Vision Board

Naturally, it’s particularly important for the therapist to be aware of their own family influences to ensure they remain an impartial guide during all family therapy activities. The aim is to be fully present and empathetic so as to create a safe space. As such, they can create the right conditions for deeper connections to take place within the family over time.

The Nitty Gritty of Family Therapy Activities

Family therapy activity ideas are creative ways for members to open up and connect. Most critically, they’re engaging for children, especially younger ones.

Some families might be nervous or reluctant to show themselves as vulnerable or even flawed in front of their children. Family therapy activities aim to remove those inhibitions.

Children also give a viewpoint and honesty that most of us as adults have forgotten. In many ways, we have so much to learn from them. If nothing else, the concept of play is something that many adults no longer take part in. Again, family therapy activities aim to restore a level of playfulness that we all need for greater well-being.

Therapeutic family activities also shift the balance between logic and emotions. Adults tend to operate more at the logical end of the scale while children bring in raw emotions. A skilful therapist can guide families to adopt the benefits of both  [4] .

Other family therapy topics that such activities cover could be, for example, rituals. These are a major part of every family’s life whether they are aware of them or not. How families celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or even how they organize breakfast and start or end their day all have ritualistic elements.

Family therapists can work with existing rituals or guide families to create new ones to deepen their bonds. With the right rituals, families also gain a supportive framework that boosts their individual and group resilience.

Creating Rituals Around Loss

Best Family Therapy Activity Ideas

All family therapy activities are effective for different reasons. Your list of the best ones won’t necessarily be the same as someone else’s because it depends on context and experience. Nevertheless, these ones have been successfully applied over the decades.

1- Family Orchestra

(adapted from psychiatrists Ken Gardner and Lorri Yasenik whose activity is detailed in the booklet Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolescents and Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Interventions. Edited by Liana Lowenstein, MSW) [5]

Just like an orchestra needs practice to be in harmony, a family does too. One way to make this visual and nonverbal is to encourage each family member to make a sound with their body and whatever tools are at their disposal. Tapping shoes, clicking fingers, banging the wall and so on all count.

The most interesting part is when the family takes turns being the conductor and finding nonverbal ways to set the tempo and loudness. This gives the family an opportunity to explore roles, power struggles and how in harmony, or not, they can be.

Using Music to Express Feelings

2- Build Relationships with Colored Candy Go Around

Devised by therapist Katherine Arkell, the aim behind this activity is to open up communication. This can be done with colored candy or balls or even stickers. The point of candy is that there’s something fun to eat afterwards  [6] .

Everyone gets a handful of colored candy or stickers where each color has a question attached to it. The family members then take it in turn to answer the question according to the sequence of colors they pick. For example, blue can represent how the family plays together. Orange can be family strengths but red is family weaknesses or worries.

The Wheel of Life

3- Emotions Ball Game

The best family therapy activities are often physical or artistic because they allow everyone to think and interact differently. This one also enables family members to connect with their emotions and to start developing a common language. Moreover, this game can help a therapist see if there are any major mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

For this game, therapists buy a reasonably priced football or beach ball of whatever size they feel is appropriate. They then write on it all the possible “emotion” words that might be relevant for the family.

In the session, the family throws the ball to each other and each time they catch it, they talk about the first emotion they see written down on the ball. Depending on the situation, the therapist might ask them when they last experienced that emotion or even to mime it with the body. This helps clients connect with emotions in the body while disconnecting from the mental stories they attach to emotions  [7] .

4- Mirroring

A fun activity that often brings out laughter is where family members copy exactly each other’s movements and expressions. This game increases empathy and allows adults to experience a child’s world more closely.

Moreover, the therapist can guide the family to connect with whatever emotions come up. Consequently, they enhance further open dialogue and emotional wisdom.

Restoring the Broken Mirror Metaphor

5- Lily Pad Swamp Crossing

This interactive game promotes problem solving and collaboration. The aim is to get the whole family, who are now frogs, across a swamp with only one lily pad. The therapist can also observe how the family plans and listens to each other as they play the game  [8] .

Best Family Therapy Exercises

Of course, activities and exercises don’t replace therapy and therapists do much more than facilitate family therapy activities. Nevertheless, those activities can surface issues and allow family members to get to know each other in a whole new light. The mind is then liberated and more ready for change.

1- My Family Portrait

Therapeutic family activities often overlap with art therapy as in this exercise. For this one, the therapist cuts a large piece of drawing paper into puzzle pieces, one for each family member. Each member then takes a puzzle piece and draws another family member before they are all reconnected.

Family therapists use this activity to open awareness about how each family member is perceived as well as how they all connect back together. The discussion then revolves around what each person is doing and feeling. This allows the family to explore their roles and how this might impact their behavior and potential conflict  [9] .

A Value-Tattoo

2- Make your Genogram

This exercise usually serves as a good assessment tool for therapists but it can also be referred to during check-ins along the therapy journey. As they show family lineage as well as emotional relationships, things can, and do, shift.

A useful Therapistaid overview and worksheet on creating a genogram is a good starting point. With it, you can make sure you have the symbols and themes you need to guide a family to create their genogram. 

Once complete, it’s a beneficial visual chart for family members to start understanding how their family system operates. You can even include this step in session  feedback forms  such as whether this activity is useful and what they’re learning from it. 

Furthermore, the genogram highlights strengths and weaknesses within the family unit. So, unhealthy habits come to light as well as abilities they forgot they had. Seeing the bigger picture helps families be more empathetic towards each other for more effective problem solving.

3- Self Love 

Some of the best family therapy exercises involve connecting family members both as individuals with themselves and with the others within the family. Positive Psychology has over 20 exercises and worksheets to increase self love which, in turn, solidifies a positive self-image.

From there, it’s easier for family members to connect with what they need and to then learn how to ask assertively and patiently.

Alternatively, you can apply and customize Quenza’s ready-made exercises. With the wide choice of self love exercises, you can easily make your own set of family therapy activities. A selection of those exercises is shown below. Although, you can see the whole list of all the other self love exercises by signing up for the   free, full-access, one-month $1-only trial .

Self-Love Sentence Stems

Rating Behavior Rather Than the Self

4- What’s My Story?

Family therapy topics range in impact from conflict about who wipes down the kitchen table to physical or emotional abuse. Nothing will ever make abuse acceptable but everyone can learn to change their story and therefore, their mindset.

When children relate traumatic or bad experiences in the form of a story, it can help them create some distance. It can also feel less daunting and can even be told in the third person or drawn or role-played. Depending on the children’s ages, therapists can adapt accordingly.

Rewriting the Narrative with Humor

5- Support system

Every therapist knows that they need to close out the therapy journey at some point. Otherwise, their clients haven’t gained the empowerment and self-efficacy to operate skilfully in life. That’s why goals are an important part of the journey but are family therapy activities that give closure.

Whether a family member discusses, draws or role-plays this final exercise, the idea is for each of them to know who their support system is. Together, they commit to supporting each other according to the needs that are clearly listed as part of the exercise.

Investing in Valued Relationships

Becoming a Family Therapist or Counselor

So, what are the benefits of family therapy and is this something you want to contribute to? Many therapists are apprehensive about the idea of working with children but don’t let that stop you. 

As mentioned earlier, children contribute a new level of playfulness and creativity that even we, as mental health professionals, need to connect to. Moreover, you’ll be allowing families to potentially break the cycles of generations of trauma and abuse.

To work in this field, you need a family counselor certification. Although, the details and format will depend on the regulations in your state or country. A good place to start is by looking up the regulating bodies or major family therapy associations in your area and reviewing their list of accredited courses.

Once you complete your family counselor certification, usually after 1 or 2 years, there’s a period of supervision. There’s no replacement for experience. Moreover, working with the right supervisor is hugely motivating and will set you up on the right path to success.

How Will You Benefit from Family Therapy Activities?

None of us operate alone and forgetting the context of families and culture means that so much potential healing is missed during individual therapy. We are stronger as families, even those with major issues, and by aligning family therapy goals, therapists can guide people towards a more balanced life.

The best family therapy activities combine a host of evidence-based models and theories to create experiential learning that enables family transformation. As such, therapists become skilled facilitators who are spontaneous and adaptable as they too step in briefly into each family system.

A family counselor certification is only the starting point in this fulfilling career where learning works both ways. Your role is also to remain fresh and creative and there’s no better way to do that than by partnering with a software platform like Quenza.

The family therapy activities and exercises you’ve seen in this article don’t do justice to the size of Quenza’s library or how easy it is to customize each one. For those who aren’t admin-focused, Quenza also takes all that away from you with its online  client intake  and other  critical documentation .

Try it out yourself by signing up for the  free, full-access, one-month $1-only trial  and get access to everything Quenza has to offer.

Life is hard and we all need help at times. Reaching out to a family therapist can be a brave starting point to save your family. Simply search for local organizations and ask them about their family therapy activities. Remember that you might also rediscover the fun in life once the suffering has stopped.

Enhancing Communication Through Digital Tools

The integration of digital tools in family therapy has revolutionized the way therapists engage with families. These tools offer a multitude of benefits, from providing convenient access to therapy resources to facilitating continuous engagement beyond the traditional therapy setting. Platforms like Quenza exemplify this evolution by offering a vast library of evidence-based exercises, visualizations, and worksheets that can be customized to meet the specific needs of each family. These digital resources allow families to engage in therapy activities at their own pace and from the comfort of their own homes, which can be particularly beneficial for those who may feel intimidated or constrained by in-person sessions.

Moreover, digital tools support the tracking and monitoring of progress, enabling therapists to gather data on the effectiveness of various interventions. This data-driven approach can enhance the personalization of therapy, ensuring that each family receives the most effective strategies for their unique dynamics. For example, a family working on improving their communication styles can use specific exercises and worksheets provided by Quenza to practice and reinforce these skills between sessions. This continuous engagement helps solidify new habits and behaviors, making them more likely to become permanent aspects of family interaction.

Digital tools also foster greater flexibility in therapy delivery. Therapists can offer asynchronous support, responding to family members’ reflections and questions at different times, which can accommodate varying schedules and reduce the need for frequent in-person visits. This flexibility can make therapy more accessible and less disruptive to daily life, encouraging more families to seek and maintain therapeutic support. Ultimately, the integration of digital tools in family therapy not only enhances the therapeutic process but also empowers families to take an active role in their own healing and development.

The Role of Cultural Competence in Family Therapy

Cultural competence is a crucial aspect of effective family therapy. It involves understanding and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of families, which significantly influence their values, communication styles, and overall dynamics. A culturally competent therapist is aware of their own biases and works to ensure they do not negatively impact the therapeutic process. This awareness is essential for creating a safe and inclusive environment where all family members feel understood and respected.

One of the key benefits of cultural competence in family therapy is that it allows therapists to tailor their interventions to align with the cultural values and practices of the family. For instance, certain cultures may place a high value on respect for elders and collective decision-making. A therapist who understands this can incorporate these values into the therapy sessions, making the activities and goals more relevant and acceptable to the family. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of the therapy but also builds trust and rapport between the therapist and the family.

Additionally, cultural competence helps in addressing intergenerational conflicts that may arise from differing cultural expectations and experiences. For example, immigrant families often face challenges as children adapt to the new culture faster than their parents, leading to conflicts around identity, behavior, and expectations. A culturally competent therapist can navigate these complexities by validating each family member’s experiences and fostering open communication about cultural differences.

Incorporating cultural competence also involves being knowledgeable about the specific challenges faced by minority groups, such as systemic discrimination and socioeconomic disparities. Therapists can then provide more holistic support by connecting families with community resources and advocating for their needs. By integrating cultural competence into family therapy, therapists can better support families in navigating their unique cultural landscapes, ultimately leading to more meaningful and sustainable therapeutic outcomes.

• ^ Marley, J. A., Rasheed, J., & Rasheed, M. N. (2011). Family Therapy Models and Techniques. Sage Publications, Inc.
• ^ Fishman, H. C. (2022). Performance-Based Family Therapy: Is anybody better off? Family Therapy Magazine. Retrieved from: https://ftm.aamft.org/performance-based-family-therapy-is-anybody-better-off/.
• ^ McLoughlin, S. (n.d.). Strategic and Structural Family Therapy Model Comparison. Prescott College. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/17619972/Strategic_and_Structural_Family_Therapy_Model_Comparison.
• ^ Lowenstein, L. (2010). Creative Family Therapy Techniques: Play, Art, and Expressive Activities to Engage Children in Family Sessions. Champion Press.
• ^ Lowenstein, L. (2011). Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Interventions. Champion Press. Retrieved from: https://www.lianalowenstein.com/.
• ^ Arkell, K. (n.d.). Colored Candy Go Around. Retrieved from: https://cls.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3019/2019/01/Skittles-Game.pdf.
• ^ CFCS (n.d.). Feelings Ball Game. Catholic Family & Child Service. Retrieved from: https://depts.washington.edu/hcsats/PDF/TF%20CBT/pages/4%20Emotion%20Regulation%20Skills/Client%20Handouts/Affective%20Expression/Feelings%20Ball%20Game%20Instructions.pdf.
• ^ Act for Youth (n.c.). Lily Pads. Act for Youth Center for Community Action. Retrieved from: https://www.actforyouth.net/resources/stya/stya-pd16-lilypad.pdf.
• ^ Art Therapy Resources (2022). Using Art Therapy with Families. Art Therapy Resources. Retrieved from: https://arttherapyresources.com.au/art-therapy-families/.

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8 Family Therapy Activities to Strength Connections

• Fact Checked

Written by:

• Eliana Galindo

published on:

• October 11, 2023

Updated on:

• June 20, 2024

Looking for a therapist?

Family therapy activities  serve as bridges  connecting individuals within a family, fostering understanding, empathy, and stronger bonds.

In the intricate web of family dynamics, these activities become  catalysts for change and healing , offering a structured platform to address challenges and celebrate successes together.

This exploration embarks on a journey to  understand the profound impact  of family therapy activities in strengthening family connections.

Understanding Family Therapy

Family therapy  is a form of psychotherapy that aims to  address mental health conditions and conflicts  within a family unit.

This therapeutic approach focuses on  understanding the complex dynamics  and relationships among family members, as well as aiding in the development of effective communication and problem-solving skills.

By  working together as a group , families can better address the issues and challenges they face.

One key aspect of family therapy is recognizing that each family has its unique  structure ,  culture , and  communication patterns .

Therapists will often work with families to identify and address dysfunction in these areas, as well as develop an understanding of the  influence that these dynamics have on the overall mental health  of the family members.

In order to provide the most effective support, family therapists utilize a  variety of techniques  and  activities tailored  to the specific needs of each family.

Some common methods  include :

• Establishing clear communication channels among family members
• Identifying and addressing patterns of behavior that may be contributing to conflict
• Exploring the role that each family member plays in the overall functioning of the unit
• Providing support for individuals with a mental health condition in the context of the entire family

One of the essential aspects of family therapy is  understanding and respecting  the cultural and  religious values  of the family.

This can help  build trust and rapport  among family members and ensure that the therapeutic process remains relevant and engaging for all involved.

By focusing on  the family as a whole  rather than solely on the individual, family therapy can promote  lasting change  and improved mental health for all members.

This holistic approach can lead to a more  balanced and harmonious family environment , ultimately contributing to the well-being of every individual member.

8 Activities in Family Therapy

Engaging in various family therapy activities enables family members to build trust, enhance communication, and foster emotional connections, which are  essential for creating a cohesive and functional  family unit.

Families can  learn new ways to navigate challenges  and improve their overall well-being by participating in these activities.

1. Family Sculpting

Family sculpting is a therapeutic technique used in family therapy to visually represent the dynamics and relationships within a family system.

In this activity the therapist asks family members to physically position themselves in the room to represent various family members or elements of the family system. For example, one person might stand to represent a parent, while another might kneel to represent a child.

The therapist may also invite family members to choose objects or props to symbolize significant aspects of their family dynamic.

Once the sculpture is complete, the therapist facilitates a discussion about what the arrangement represents, encouraging family members to share their observations, feelings, and insights .

This dialogue allows family members to explore their perceptions of each other, their roles within the family, and the overall family dynamic.

2. The Miracle Question

The miracle question is a powerful technique used in family therapy to help individuals envision a future where their problems have been resolved.

The therapist asks a hypothetical question that invites family members to imagine a scenario where their issues are miraculously solved overnight . Typically, the question starts with: “Suppose you woke up tomorrow, and a miracle happened, and your family’s problems were completely resolved. What would be different?”

By posing this question, family members are encouraged to visualize their desired outcomes and identify the specific changes or improvements they would see in their lives. This process helps shift their focus from dwelling on problems to envisioning solutions and goals for the future.

This technique can be a catalyst for meaningful discussions about aspirations, values, and the steps needed to achieve desired outcomes.

3. The Emotions Ball

Using an emotions ball is a  creative and interactive activity  commonly employed in family therapy to facilitate emotional expression, communication, and connection among family members.

The ball may be colorful and have different emotions or feelings written in various sections. The therapist initiates the activity by tossing or passing the ball to one family member who catches the ball and  reads aloud the emotion  or feeling closest to their thumb or index finger.

After reading the emotion aloud, the family member  shares a personal experience or scenario  related to that emotion. As the family member shares, the other family members actively listen without interruption or judgment.

Once the sharing is complete, the therapist  facilitates a discussion  about the emotions expressed and the experiences shared. Family members may reflect on common themes, patterns, or differences in how they experience and express emotions.

By participating in this type of activity, families can work together to acknowledge and  validate each other’s emotions , thereby enhancing emotional healing and reducing the impact of trauma.

4. Stand Up, Sit Down

The “stand up, sit down” activity is a popular  experiential technique  used in family therapy to explore family dynamics, roles, and communication patterns.

The therapist presents a series of statements or prompts related to family dynamics, relationships, or issues including  parental authority, sibling rivalry, or caregiver responsibilities . These statements are designed to elicit responses and insights from family members.

After each statement is read aloud, family members have the option to either stand up or remain seated based on their personal agreement or disagreement with the statement.  Standing  typically indicates agreement or affirmation while  sitting  indicates disagreement or dissent.

As family members stand up or sit down in response to each statement, the therapist  facilitates a discussion about the reasons behind their choices . Family members are encouraged to share their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives respectfully and openly.

5. Genograms

A family genogram is a  visual representation  of a family’s relationships, patterns, and history. This is often used as a therapeutic tool in family therapy.

Genograms help therapists and families explore the intergenerational transmission of traits, behaviors, and emotional patterns. By mapping out family history, including relationships, roles, and cultural background, clients gain insight into their family dynamics and how they may impact current relationships and challenges.

This representation serves as a visual aid during therapy sessions, facilitating discussions about family relationships and experiences. Family members can share their perspectives, memories, and emotions as they collaboratively construct the genogram.

This comprehensive tool allows therapists and families to  understand the roots of their behaviors better , paving the way for more focused therapy sessions and healing.

6. Worksheets and Directives

Worksheets and directives are valuable tools in family therapy, providing structure and guidance throughout the therapeutic process.

These materials allow therapists to introduce specific topics , encourage family members to open up about their feelings and experiences, and promote understanding and empathy among participants.

Many worksheets and directives are designed to teach specific skills or coping strategies that can enhance family functioning. These may include communication skills, conflict resolution techniques, stress management strategies, or parenting skills.

By practicing these skills together, families develop greater resilience and effectiveness in managing challenges.

7. Mirroring Activity

The mirroring activity is a powerful therapeutic technique used to improve communication and understanding within families.

Mirroring involves one family member reflecting back the thoughts, feelings, or experiences expressed by another family member in a nonjudgmental and empathetic manner. The listener paraphrases or summarizes what the speaker has said to demonstrate active listening and validation.

This exercise encourages active listening, empathy, and validation of emotions, contributing to stronger connections and improved communication among family members.

8. Chinese Whispers

Chinese whispers is a family therapy activity that highlights the  potential for miscommunication and misunderstandings  within families.

In this exercise, a message is passed from one family member to another through  whispered communication. 

As the message is relayed through multiple participants, it often becomes distorted or misunderstood in the process,  demonstrating how information can be misinterpreted  or inaccurately conveyed within families.

By experiencing firsthand how messages can be misinterpreted or altered, family members develop a greater appreciation for the importance of clear, open, and honest communication in maintaining healthy relationships.

Additionally, this activity can foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation among family members as they work together to successfully pass along the message. It emphasizes the value of collaboration and mutual support in overcoming communication barriers and building stronger family connections.

The Importance of Family Therapy Activities

Family therapy activities play a crucial role in  improving family relationships  and  fostering connections  among family members.

By participating in these activities, families can work on their teamwork skills, which enhances their ability to communicate effectively and  engage in healthy interpersonal relationships .

Emphasizing shared experiences, family therapy activities promote  open dialogue and compassion  among family members, creating a supportive and nurturing environment.

Therapists Specializing in Family Conflict

Jen Bachtold

Katlyn Maves

Marie Cordray

Structured family therapy activities  provide families with the tools  they need to address difficulties that may arise within their unit.

These activities encourage family members to  explore their emotions  in a safe and non-judgmental setting.

This aids in the development of empathy, helping each person in the family  better understand and appreciate  the feelings and perspectives of others.

Respect and Trust

Through family therapy activities, families can foster mutual respect and trust, which are essential components of  strong interpersonal relationships .

By engaging in these exercises, family members  learn to actively listen  to one another,  validate emotions , and develop  shared problem-solving strategies .

As each family member  feels heard and supported , self-esteem and resilience within the family unit can grow.

Communication Skills

Involvement in family therapy activities also  allows families to strengthen  their overall communication skills.

Family members can  gain insights into the communication patterns  that may hinder their connection through role-playing exercises, guided discussions, and other interactive approaches.

As each person  practices and refines these skills , they become better equipped to navigate conflicts and maintain healthy relationships.

When to Use Family Therapy Activities?

Family therapy activities are utilized in  various contexts  and can be beneficial for addressing a wide range of issues within the family system.

This section highlights  some situations  in which family therapy activities may be particularly useful.

Relationship Struggles

When family members experience strained or troubled relationships, family therapy activities can facilitate healing,  reconciliation , and  rebuilding trust .

Activities aimed at fostering empathy, understanding, and connection among family members can strengthen relationships and  promote a sense of unity  within the family.

Behavioral Issues

Family therapy activities can be valuable for addressing behavioral issues, such as  defiance, aggression, or acting out .

Activities focused on  setting boundaries , establishing rules and consequences, and reinforcing positive behavior can help address behavioral challenges and promote cooperation within the family.

Life Transitions

During periods of  transition or change , such as divorce, remarriage, relocation, or the birth of a new family member, family therapy activities can help families navigate adjustments and transitions more effectively.

Activities focused on coping with change, managing stress, and supporting one another through transitions can promote  resilience and adaptation .

Trauma and Loss

Families experiencing trauma, loss, or grief can benefit from family therapy activities that  provide opportunities  for processing emotions, sharing experiences, and supporting one another through difficult times.

Activities focused on  honoring memories, expressing feelings , and fostering resilience can help families cope with trauma and loss together.

Parenting Challenges

Family therapy activities can support parents in developing effective parenting strategies, enhancing communication with their children, and fostering  positive parent-child relationships .

Activities focused on parenting skills, child development, and family bonding can strengthen the parent-child bond and promote a  nurturing family environment .

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective family therapy activities for conflict resolution?

There are several effective family therapy activities that can  help families  in resolving conflicts.

One popular technique is  The Talking Stick , which is a tool that allows each family member to  take turns sharing  their thoughts and feelings.

Another activity is  role-playing , where family members  “swap” roles  and attempt to understand each other’s perspectives.

Additionally,  collaborative problem-solving  can help families learn how to work together toward a  solution  instead of focusing on individual issues.

Which virtual family therapy activities can be helpful in building trust?

Virtual family therapy activities can  also be effective  in building trust among family members.

Online tools like video  chats and online games  can facilitate virtual therapy sessions.

One helpful activity is the  Online Trust Walk , where family members  guide each other  through virtual environments while  blindfolded .

Another activity is  virtual art therapy , which encourages family members to express their emotions through  digital drawings .

Finally,  virtual group storytelling  can create positive connections by encouraging family members to collaborate on a narrative.

Can you suggest some family therapy games for sibling relationships?

Games can be an enjoyable way for siblings to  enhance their relationships  during family therapy sessions.

One such game is  Sculptors and Molders , where siblings  take turns shaping each other  into various positions or forms to promote non-verbal communication.

Another game is  “The Strengths Game,”  in which siblings  identify each other’s positive qualities  by listing their sibling’s strengths.

These activities can help siblings better understand, appreciate, and  support one another .

What types of activity worksheets are used in family therapy?

Activity worksheets are a  valuable resource  in family therapy sessions.

Some worksheets focus on  emotion identification and expression , asking family members to identify and discuss their feelings.

Other worksheets may address communication skills, such as  active listening ,  empathy , and  assertiveness .

Lastly, some worksheets might  center around problem-solving , where families identify a specific issue and work together to develop possible solutions.

These worksheets can provide a  structure for families to explore  their thoughts and emotions while also offering guidance on strategies for  improving family dynamics .

Barker, P., & Chang, J. (2013).  Basic family therapy . John Wiley & Sons. Link .

Joseph, B., Dickenson, S., McCall, A., & Roga, E. (2023). Exploring the therapeutic effectiveness of genograms in family therapy: A literature review.  The Family Journal ,  31 (1), 21-30. Link .

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Mental health activities to help you and your clients thrive.

11 Fun Family Therapy Activities for Sessions and at Home

Updated: May 3

Try these ideas to help your family learn, bond, and find more peace and connection. 

It can be awkward and intimidating for families to sit down and communicate directly, especially at first. This is tricky at any age, since younger kids might feel in trouble and teens may feel a violation of privacy. Even parents and adult children may feel at a loss to get started.

So whether you’re in a formal family therapy session or working on communication at home, you can find gentler but still effective ways to connect . Therapeutic family activities can be helpful, non-threatening, and fun! 

Here are 11 family therapy activities you can try out during therapy sessions or at home.

Article Contents

Therapeutic family board games

Sand tray therapy

Family vision board

Natural play

Family movie night

Kid-friendly genogram

Favorite things activity

Coping skills kits

Creative expression

Musical activities

Family adventure

1. Therapeutic Family Board Games

We’ve all heard of family game night (which I highly recommend), but how does a game of competitive Monopoly really help family dynamics? Well, there are ways to make traditional games more therapeutic, and there are actual board games created for family therapy . 

One example is Family Pursuit , a game loosely inspired by Trivial Pursuit but geared towards helping families communicate. Family members work together instead of against each other, completing challenges such as drawing from prompts, answering questions about their favorite things, or voicing things they like about each other.

Family pursuit is a family therapy activity available as a PDF game. Download it here and print it today  to use in a session or at home.

Another way to make board games therapeutic for families is to add prompts to games you already have. Write simple topics you’d like to discuss, such as questions about coping skills, and add them to turns in the game. Before placing a Jenga block, for example, you must answer a prompt to complete your turn.

And even if you’re not ready for a game with prompts, enjoying fun games together can be a way for many families to bond. Kids especially may find games special and bonding, even if they are a bit tedious for the adults or teens in the family. 

Check out Family Pursuit and other printable PDF therapy games ! 

2. Sand Tray Therapy

There’s something special about playing in the sand. Although your child might be beyond an actual sand box, an activity called sand tray therapy may still do the trick. 

Sand play was created as a way for kids to express their world and feelings in an intuitive way. Family members, even those made of all adults or adults and teens, can create a world together. 

To give you an idea, sand tray sets usually include small people, animals, structures, symbols, and more. Just like you might sit down and draw whatever comes to mind, you use the miniatures to create a 3d depiction.

That’s the intuitive version – there are also more structured ways to use sand tray. For families you might try prompts such as: 

Show what it’s like when you hang out with your siblings/parent/friends

What’s a fun thing you like to do together? 

Show something you and a family member have in common

Create a family vacation you’d like to go on

Create any scene and tell your family about it

Following the scene creation you can discuss the display itself or ask what it was like to make or show the creation.

Most sand tray setups include plastic figurines, but you can also use paper dolls and printouts to start or supplement your set. Check out these printable PDF sand tray miniatures! 

Shop Sand Tray Miniatures

3. Family Vision Board

You may have created a vision board collage in school or as part of your New Year’s resolution. This version is a joining vision board that brings the family together. You can do this in many different ways – here’s one way I recommend. 

Use a bulletin board and stick pins so you can easily move things around. Gather sets of old magazine, stickers, PDF printouts, etc. You’ll also need scissors, or you can tear out the pictures you want to use. 

Depending on how large the family is, have each person choose 5 to 10 images or phrases to represent themselves, things they like, or something they want more of in the future (ie travel, Leggos, etc.)

Loosely section off an area of the vision board for each person, leaving a decent space in the middle blank. Have each person take turns adding their images to the board. 

For the middle section, family members work together to choose things they want as a family. This might include having more fun, having movie night, getting along better, listening well, etc. Make sure everyone is included in the discussion and comes to a consensus about what to include. 

The family can then move things around, consolidate, make changes, etc., until everyone is happy with the board. Display it somewhere everyone can see it and you can check in, discuss it, or make updates if needed. 

4. Natural Play

It may not seem like play is therapy. After all, it’s supposed to be serious business. But young children bond, learn, and process during play, and parent participation adds to the benefits. If more processing is needed due to trauma or recent stress, you can supply toys that encourage communication such as puppets, dollhouses, or blocks.

In exploratory play you are not directing the activity itself. Generally the child chooses the toys or activity and the parent and/or therapist play along with their direction. Some good toys to have on hand are: 

Paper dolls

A family session can be entirely about play, or families can make a point to play with their child one-on-one each day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes or so. Every little bit can help with bonding and building your relationship. 

5. Family Movie Night

I find family movie night is one of the simplest, most straightforward activities a family can do together, plus it doesn’t involve a lot of prep (or even energy) from parents. Yet for many children it means quite a lot. Make it a real event with special snacks, pillows, and comfy blankets to share. 

The idea for family movie night is for everyone to be engaged. No phones, tablets, toys, or work allowed! Choose a movie everyone can enjoy and discuss what you liked about it afterwards. 

While kids’ movies in the background may be a staple in your house, it’s a lot different when the entire family sits down and is present together. You might be making some pretty meaningful memories for your kids without realizing it. 

6. Kid-Friendly Genogram

Genograms are a type of family tree that includes notations about the types of relationships and issues your family struggles (or sometimes benefits) from. Some of them can get pretty intense with notes about child abuse or affairs. However, your family can create a kid-friendly genogram, depending on your child’s age, using some of the more basic symbols. 

On the other hand, if you have older children or teens who already know about affairs or abuse in the family, it may be validating to go ahead with a full genogram. In that case it can be validating for kids to simply see their parents recognizing the issue. 

Adults often shy away from topics they think kids will be uncomfortable with (or that they themselves don’t like to talk about). There could be some situation where that’s appropriate, but in many cases kids silently wonder why their parents don’t bring it up. Visit here to learn more about genograms. 

7. Favorite Things Activity

The favorite things activity for family therapy is kind of like a family bucket list. It can be as simple as having more movie nights to as ambitious as going to Disney World. The idea isn’t to plan a lot of expensive events though, but more to get an idea of the experiences that your family can enjoy together. 

Maybe one parent wants to take the family camping in the coming summer, and one child wants to go back to the awesome waterpark they went to when they were 5. Make a list with two columns including one of fun things your family has enjoyed, and the other with fun things the family might like to do together. 

Make sure everyone knows that you’re not necessarily going to get to do all of the things. Plus, ensure 50% to 75% of the activities are free or low-cost. Money doesn’t grow on trees after all! 

8. Coping Skills Kit

Every parent knows that it’s difficult to always keep your cool. If we’re being honest, parenting is just too hard! If you’ve never lost your cool or raised your voice to your kids you should probably let researchers know so they can study your brain. 

Kids may already be familiar with creating a coping skills kit from their own therapy or from school. This can be a family event as well. Each person can create their own kit, including teens and adults, and discuss them with each other. This can also open up the discussion for how the family can handle stressful situations. 

Each coping kit is different, but generally you start with a container and put soothing activities inside. Ideas include: 

Stress ball

Coloring sheets

Fidget toys

Stuffed animals

Even if you don’t always use the kit the activity itself can validate that everyone in the family needs support and space sometimes, and that can certainly include adults. 

9. Creative Expression

Most kids are natural creators. Lego buildings, dinosaur enclosures, pretend kitchens, stuffed animal towns, drawings, cardboard crafts and more have probably taken over your house at some point. 

It can also be fun for kids, teens, and parents to create together. One easy example is to play with Legos and create structures on a theme, such as forest animals or Disney princesses. 

You can also sit down and draw out scenes together or simply color. The idea is to be present and allow creativity to flow. There’s no need to judge, fix, or be perfect. Just have fun! Here’s a list of creative expression ideas:

Make a family collage

Create a Lego town

Dress up paper dolls

Color on blank paper or coloring sheets

Finger paint

Practice drawing together

Play with air-dry clay

Complete pre-made crafts like Diamond Dotz

10. Musical Activities

Many kids and families for that matter love music. If you have instruments or are musically inclined already, make Friday nights your jam session. Otherwise, put on your favorite music and have a dance party. 

Better yet, have each family member choose and share their favorite music, or take turns song-by-song. If you have time to kill in the car, like when waiting for school drop-off or when going on a road trip, create a playlist. 

As a parent, share your own love of music and what it was like listening to music growing up. Technology changes every generation and your child may have never heard of 8-track tapes, CDs or MP3 players. Most kids are amazed at the similarities and differences of their parents’ childhood versus their own, so it can be a great starting point for conversation. 

11. Family Adventures

Who doesn’t love an adventure! This is similar to the favorite things activity, except you’re going to choose one activity and do it. The idea is mainly to do something new that the family (or some family members) haven’t done much or ever before. 

Make it a special day, talking about it ahead of time and planning together. Here are some ideas: 

Go thrift shopping or garage sales-ing

Visit a waterpark

Walk around downtown (for older kids/teens)

Drive around and look at Christmas lights

Volunteer at a local charity

Go to a local pet-rescue

Try a new sport like disc golfing or pickleball

Go roller skating

Visit a bowling alley

Go on a road trip

You get the idea. These are just a few ideas to get you started. Your family is unique and you can brainstorm to find the right next adventure for you. (I know family activities can be stressful as well – just remember that even the most stressful days for adults can be lifetime family memories.)

Family therapy is just a starting place. The overall idea is to open up communication, build closeness, and get to know each other on a more meaningful level. When it comes down to it most kids want to feel close and accepted, and having more of that in childhood will transfer into an easier and happier time as an adult. Making the time now will be worth it.

For some help with family therapy ideas, check out our downloadable activities . I particularly recommend Family Pursuit which covers many of the aspects above. Visit here for more.  

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10 Family Therapy Activities

Oct, 14 2020.

Life's pressure from school, workplaces, social interactions consumes everyone in the family. Unexplainable conflict arises at home.

What's happening? Anxiety is the new norm. The dynamics break trust, and all the tears wash away the love that once filled the air.

You can feel the tension in every room. The household is a minefield with stress explosives, anger grenades, and chocking grief.

How do you bring back your family members to the table and involve them in activities?

How do you help your children cope with sudden changes such as a divorce, a family member's death, a severe physical or mental health disorder? How about an adolescent lost in themselves they can't see beyond their phone screen?

Could family therapy be the solution?

What is family therapy anyway?

Family therapy is a class of psychotherapy crafted to help family members identify problems, patterns, mental and behavior disorders in each family member. Therapy for family helps therapists analyze the habits presented by their clients and use proven methods to solve and mend interpersonal relationships.

Communication is one great way therapists use in family therapy.

What is the Goal For Family Therapy

Family therapy primarily seeks to open up communication in the family. Once there is talking, the therapist helps your family walk through every person's issues. They make you understand each loved one point of view. You learn how to handle delicate family situations in an open and safe environment.

Family therapy also helps family members cope with a mental health condition. What other family members thought was a burden becomes more comfortable. Because you learn how to love and nature for the one affected mentally.

Other notable situations, for example, merging stepfamilies, can be overwhelming for most people. However, a therapist, through family therapy activities, walks you and your family through the discomfort and hurdles of the merger. Death, another joy stealer can render a family dysfunctional, especially when the main contributor passes on. A therapist holds your hand through the process of grieving.

How Does Family Therapy Work?

In family therapy, "family" is defined as anyone who has and is playing a long term nurturing and supportive role in your life. A family goes beyond blood relations to members in the same household.

A family gives you a source of direction and being. It plays a significant part in your psychological health. When there is a dysfunction in your family, a therapist takes time to help solve the underlying issues. The whole family might opt to see the therapist, or is reserved for one member. However, therapists advocate attendance for everyone.

The therapy time will typically last about an hour over 12 detailed sessions. However, your family situation and depth of the matter, coupled with your therapist's recommendation, will determine the length.

What to expect during your sessions with your family therapist;

During the therapy for families, the counselor will examine your family's problem-solving skills. Here, everyone expresses their thoughts and emotions in a safe and trusting environment.

You might be asked to;

• Describe each person's hopes and aspirations
• Clarify your beliefs, needs, values, and assumptions. This creates a better understanding of each individual
• Stop blame games and accommodate weaknesses positively
• Learn and stop hurtful language embracing love and kindness in daily life.

Therapy will help every member talk about their life challenges and how to overcome them. Additionally, you learn how to work through setting goals for success.

You shall explore and define family roles, rules, and behavioral patterns to spot conflict triggers and use the information to work through the triggers.

Family therapies help identify your family's strong points and how to nurture them to better yourselves. Moreover, the time spent in treatment also helps weed out the weakness like lack of communication. You learn how to handle mental health issues easily.

Family Therapy Activities

For the therapy sessions to be successful, the specialist incorporates group therapy activities to ensure clients are active and willing to get through the storm together. The activities are based on the initial conversations and build-up activities to help through the sessions.

Some family therapy activities include;

Coloured Candy Go Around

For icebreaking activities, the colored candy go works well. It engages everyone and allows them to let loose. You will need like M&M or Skittles. Give each member seven pieces of candy and let them sort them out by color. Instruct them, depending on the number of colors each has, to respond to the following prompts;

• Green - Use words to describe the family
• Orange - What needs to be improved in the family set up
• Red - What worries them
• Yellow - Describe their favorite memories
• Purple - To describe fun activities the family does

Emotions Ball

Among the family therapy activities, this one works well to express emotions, especially in children who might be uncomfortable describing what they are feeling. Using a beach ball(preferred) on each color, write a sentiment on it. Have the members gather in a circle and toss the ball back and forth. You might have emotions like joy, happiness, sadness, etc. on the ball. Once a family member catches the ball, let them describe a time when they the particular emotion.

The goal of this group therapy activity is to help families discuss their emotions while the rest listen.

Miracle question

Everyone has dreams and aspirations for their future. The goal is to allow others to listen in and understand the future desires of each member. With this understanding, supporting each other becomes effortless.

Family Gift

During family therapy, members are provided with art supplies and a gift bag. The family comes up with a gift idea that every member wants, and it should be useful for the whole team.

Watch how each member takes on the work. The goal is to create teamwork, define roles, analyze how they overcome conflict and challenges. The activity helps therapists better under family interactions.

A genogram represents a schematic of your family tree. While it can be used to map out blood and medical relations, a therapist similarly uses it to draw a family's emotional relationships.

With the genogram, your family can root out emotional ties and their impacts. For example, abuse and divorce are major family disruptions.

Mirroring Activity

In this activity, each member will play a mirror for the other. The goal is to copy every move of the lead without touching each other. This way, members become more in tune with each other's gestures and emotional reactions.

Stand Up, Sit Down

Therapy will be more fun with this activity, as some truths will be revealed. How? A member will make a statement, and if it applies to another in reality, they sit down. This gives the team a chance to open up in a fun and casual manner with no reservations.

Feelings Hot potato /Stress balls

Depending on what you chose a potato or a stress ball, play some music as they pass the ball around. The music stops, whoever has the ball shares a thought, a memory, or an idea depending on the topic. Therapy activities are meant to be fun, and this one will surely bring in the giggles.

Feelings Walk - Family Therapy Activities

Like in musical chairs but with a twist, arrange sits in a circle and place sticky notes with feeling words on them. As the music plays, each member goes around and sits when it stops. When they sit, call out the word and let members give you an emotion relating to the name. It helps you understand members easily.

Feelings Charade in Therapy

Using feelings on written charade cards, clients pick cards and act out the emotion written. This allows the therapist to analyze how clients express their feelings in family therapy activities. Best for teens and very therapeutic.

Feeling Faces

Like in feelings walk, while you describe situations, each member walks towards a face drawn on a poster. The posters can be distributed in the room randomly.

Each family member has a part to play for the sessions in activities for group therapy to be fruitful. It takes time to heal past deep wounds or navigate change. Include every member in discussions and define their part to making family therapy worthwhile and its effects long-lasting.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Uncategorized
• Positive Psychology
• Self-esteem
• Family Systems Theory
• Psychopharmacology
• Social Skills
• Play Therapy

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Building Stronger Bonds: 22 Fun and Effective Family Therapy Activities

November 9, 2023 //  by  Keren Dinkin

Fun, therapy-oriented activities are often suggested as effective ways to build a stronger bond with your family – and for good reason! From a new take on the family tree to a playful beach ball toss, family therapy activities can help reduce conflict and improve interactions between family members. Incorporating family therapy activities can also lead to healthier boundaries, stronger emotional relationships, and more positive interactions. Choose one of these 22 fun engaging family therapy activities and get ready to redefine family time!

1. Family Genogram

This family genogram activity is a twist on the traditional family tree! Instead of tracing blood relations, your kids will map out the emotions and behavioral patterns connected to each family member. This activity is often used in family therapy to identify sources of tension and promote understanding between family members.

Learn More: Optimist Minds

2. The Miracle Question

Imagine that your family unit wakes up tomorrow and everything about your family is magically ideal. How would it be different from family life today? This is a super way to help your family identify current issues and future goals while fostering healthy relationships and reducing conflict.

Learn More: Mango Clinic

3. Family Sculpting

In this activity, one family member will be the “sculptor” who arranges the others in different positions that best represent how they see these family members. The sculptor can direct them to sit, stand, or strike a pose, prompting everyone to see how their family dynamics are really taking shape!

Learn More: IHBT OHIO

4. Emotions Beach Ball Toss

This activity throws some energy into family time! Use a dry-erase marker to write emotions on a beach ball. Then have one member throw it to another who will share a family memory connected to the emotion their hand ends up on. This playful activity will improve communication and bring everyone closer together!

Learn More: Treat N Heal

5. Colored Candy Go Around

Sweeten up family therapy with candies! Assign different topics to colored candies and prompt each family member to share things like their likes, worries, and favorite family memories. Watch the barriers melt away as everyone begins to communicate more effectively by opening up and sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Learn More: Liana Lowein s tein

6. The Spoon Game

This is a perfect dinner table activity to support healthy interactions. The family member who holds the spoon is the speaker of the house! This game is fun, but it also serves another purpose; it promotes active listening and balances family dynamics by giving everyone an equal opportunity to share.

Learn More: Kids Fun Family

“Rumors” is the perfect game for practicing communication! Have one of your family members whisper a sentence to the person next to them who will repeat that same sentence to the next person, and so on. Will the sentence make it around your family intact?

Learn More: Family Games Treasure House

8. Mirroring Activity

This mirroring activity is an excellent way for your family members to boost their cooperation skills while exploring nonverbal methods of communication. Get two family members to stand face-to-face; one will make movements and facial expressions for the other to mirror. This is a super creative way to liven up your family time!

Learn More: Ascend HC

9. Make a Family Crest

A family crest project is a creative way to encourage interaction and bonding between your family members by exploring what makes your family unique. Your artistic family members will love using markers, crayons, photos, and other supplies to create a crest showing your family’s history and identity. Once it’s completed, display it proudly in your home!

Learn More: Local Anchor

10. Stand Up, Sit Down

This family therapy exercise encourages honesty and transparency while also revealing deeper family issues. All family members will begin in a standing position and one family member will make a statement. If the statement applies to you, simply communicate that in a non-confrontational way by sitting down.

Learn More: North Point Colorado

11. The Feelings Walk

This activity is a fun spin on musical chairs! Write the names of different emotions on paper or sticky notes and place them on chairs, then play some music and start circling the chairs. When the music stops, your family members must sit in the nearest chair and take turns sharing something related to the emotion written on that chair.

Learn More: Confident Counselors

12. The Family Gift

Turn gift-giving into a lesson in teamwork by creating a present for your whole family. Collect art supplies and a gift bag and work together to decide on and make your family’s gift! This activity will reveal how your family uses decision-making and problem-solving skills to reach a common goal.

Learn More: Your Tango

13. The Magic Key

This activity is geared toward children who struggle to express emotions. It is an exercise that encourages your child to visualize holding a magic key while they’re walking through a house. Explain that the key only opens one door and behind it is the one thing that will make them happy, that even money can’t buy. Next, have them draw what this would be for them!

Learn More: Forces Children Trust

14. The Fish Game

Take a deep dive into family dynamics with this idea! Start by cutting paper sea creatures – from angry angelfish to calm crabs – and put them together to create a unique underwater portrait. Your family will take turns explaining what the portrait symbolizes and which family member is represented by the different sea creatures.

15. Family Questioning

This therapy activity helps develop understanding among your family members. One person will begin by answering a question about themselves and then take a guess at how other members of your family would answer that same question. Your family members will get to know each other much better through this activity and may even find some common ground!

16. The Family Portrait

With just paper and some markers or crayons, this activity can open up a world of family secrets. Each member will draw their perspective of your family and then share their drawing, revealing important information about family dynamics. What a super way to spark some much-needed discussions.

Learn More: Creative Counseling 101

17. Boat Storm Lighthouse Assessment

This activity works best when guided by a skilled therapist. Your family will use a large sheet of paper to silently draw a storm, lighthouse, and boat. Each member will then write a story describing what happened and then share this while the therapist guides them to explore feelings about fear, danger, and family support.

Learn More: Creative Expression

18. The Eye Contact Exercise

In this therapy activity, your family will divide into pairs to stare into each other’s eyes. This is not a competition, but rather an opportunity to deepen connection and understanding between family members. This eye-opening activity is a powerful way to strengthen trust and build stronger relationships.

19. Family Movie Night

A family movie night creates the perfect relaxed environment for family bonding. Make some popcorn and choose a movie that depicts another family’s relationships. Then start a conversation about how the film family dealt with struggles and solved issues, and compare this to the way your family handles situations.

Learn More: Cave Home Theater

20. The Snowballing Game

Tell a familiar family tale to strengthen collaboration and listening skills. Have each of your family members contribute to a retelling of a well-known and loved family memory and notice how everyone works together! Each different perspective weaves details into a rich story that captures your family’s cherished past.

21. Expressing Individuality Activity

Gather everyone in the kitchen, roll up your sleeves, and get baking! Begin by making an easy cookie dough and have each family member create a shape that represents an aspect of their individuality. Bake the cookies, and before taking a bite, explain how this shape represents your unique self! What’s better for bringing everyone together than food?

Learn More: Psych Reel

22. “What If” Game

This fun activity improves communication. Each person writes a question and its answer on separate slips of paper and places these into two bowls – one for questions and one for answers. Take turns picking a strip from each bowl and reading these aloud which is sure to result in hilarious combinations!

Family Therapy Activities, Worksheets, & Questions

Discover engaging family therapy activities, practical worksheets, and insightful questions to foster better communication and strengthen familial relationships.

By Karina Jimenea on Jul 04, 2024.

Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.

Why are Family Therapy Activities helpful?

Family therapy activities play a crucial role in resolving conflicts, enhancing communication, and strengthening the bonds among family members. These activities are designed to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where members can freely express their feelings and thoughts.

Through activities for family therapy, family members gain insights into their interactions and behaviors, leading to the identification of unhealthy patterns. Consequently, these realizations pave the way for developing effective coping and interaction strategies. Importantly, these communication activities for family therapy encourage empathy and understanding, nurturing stronger relationships.

Furthermore, family therapy activities for relationship building can foster healthier dynamics and resolve underlying issues. They can also be instrumental in dealing with significant life changes, such as marriage, divorce, or death, which may affect the family structure and dynamics. These activities are powerful tools for addressing family challenges, fostering resilience, and enhancing overall family well-being.

10 Family Therapy Activities

Family therapy activities are therapeutic exercises designed to improve communication, build empathy, and encourage positive behavioral change within the family unit. These activities provide a safe space for families to express emotions, share experiences, and work towards resolving conflicts. 

Here, we will explore ten activities that can significantly strengthen familial relationships and understanding.

1. Role-play

This activity can help members understand the perspective of others by stepping into their shoes in a particular scenario.

2. Family Portraits

Each member draws a picture of the family, revealing how they perceive the family dynamic and their role.

3. Positive Affirmation Jars

Members write positive notes about each other and place them in a jar, promoting self-esteem and positivity.

4. Conflict Resolution Role-Play

This involves acting out conflicts and practicing different resolution strategies.

5. Family Meetings

Regular meetings allow members to express their feelings and thoughts in a structured environment.

6. Storytelling

Each member tells a personal story, promoting empathy and understanding.

7. Values Clarification

Members write down their values, promoting respect for different viewpoints within the family.

8. Colored Candy Go Around

An icebreaker activity that uses candies to promote sharing and communication about family dynamics and personal feelings.

9. Feelings Ball

An engaging game that encourages members to express their emotions.

10. Mirroring Activity

This activity promotes empathy as members mirror each other's movements and gestures.

5 Family Therapy Worksheets

Family therapy worksheets are practical tools that help families navigate the therapeutic process. They encourage reflection, aid in identifying problematic patterns, and facilitate constructive communication. These worksheets can be instrumental in mapping out the family dynamics and highlighting areas of strength and potential growth. 

We will delve into five worksheets that have proven significantly effective in family therapy.

1. Genogram Worksheet

This worksheet is a graphical representation of a family tree with a twist. It not only includes information about kinship ties but also details about relationships and how they have shaped the family's dynamic. Genogram worksheets can reveal patterns, such as repetitive occurrences of divorce, mental illness, or conflict, providing valuable insights for therapeutic intervention.

2. Communication Style Worksheet

Every individual communicates differently, and these differences can often lead to misunderstandings within a family. A Communication Style Worksheet helps identify each member's unique communication style – passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or assertive. 

Understanding these styles can enhance communication efficacy, thereby fostering healthier relationships.

3. Family Strengths Worksheet

This worksheet allows family members to identify and explore their collective strengths. These include good listening skills, willingness to support each other, and the ability to work well under stress. Recognizing these strengths can help families feel more connected, encouraging them to leverage these positives during challenging times.

4. Coping Skills Worksheet

Dealing with stress or conflict is an inevitable part of family life. The Coping Skills Worksheet aids in identifying and developing effective strategies for managing these difficult situations. It may involve relaxation techniques, problem-solving strategies, or seeking support. Over time, these coping mechanisms can enhance resilience and improve overall family well-being.

5. Problem-Solving Worksheet

This worksheet helps families effectively approach and resolve conflicts or problems. It encourages family members to define the problem clearly, brainstorm possible solutions, consider the pros and cons of each, and then decide on the best course of action. 

Using a structured approach, families can handle conflicts constructively, reducing the likelihood of escalated tensions or unresolved issues.

10 Family Therapy Questions

Family therapy questions are insightful prompts designed to open up meaningful conversations among family members. They help uncover underlying issues, explore feelings, and foster understanding of each other's perspectives. Asking the right questions can spark open discussions, allowing every member to express their thoughts and feelings, thus promoting healing and growth. 

Let's look at ten common yet impactful family therapy questions.

1. What do you love most about our family?

This question encourages family members to think about the positive aspects of their family, fostering a sense of gratitude and appreciation.

2. What do you think is our family's biggest strength?

This allows members to focus on the resilience of the family unit and how they can leverage this strength to overcome challenges.

3. What's a recent situation where you felt upset with a family member?

Members can express their feelings more openly by discussing specific incidents, leading to a deeper understanding and resolution of conflicts.

4. How can we improve communication within our family?

This question prompts reflection on communication patterns and encourages brainstorming strategies for improvement.

5. What is something you wish our family did more of?

Asking this question can reveal individual needs or desires that might have been overlooked and encourage the family to incorporate more of these activities to strengthen bonds.

6. What is a recent conflict that our family resolved well?

Reflecting on successfully resolved conflicts can help the family identify effective strategies for future reference.

7. What is a recurring conflict in our family, and how do you feel about it?

This question can uncover persistent issues within the family, offering a chance to address them openly and honestly.

8. How can we better support each other during challenging times?

Families can prepare themselves to navigate stressful periods more effectively by discussing how to offer support.

9. What are your family roles, and are you content with them?

This question can help family members express discontent with their roles and discuss possible changes.

10. What family traditions do you enjoy or want to start?

This question encourages families to celebrate their shared history and create new traditions, strengthening their unity and togetherness.

When is it best to conduct Family Therapy Activities?

Family therapy activities are versatile tools that can be deployed at various times and for multiple issues. Timing is essential when considering the best time to incorporate these activities, as their effectiveness can significantly impact a family's emotional health and resilience.

During Transitions

Life is full of changes, some of which can disrupt the dynamics of a family. For instance, remarriage can introduce new family members, which could necessitate adjustments in roles and expectations. Similarly, moving to a new location might create a sense of disorientation and loss. Welcoming a new baby, particularly in cases where there are already other children, can also evoke feelings of jealousy or neglect. 

During such transitions, family therapy activities can aid in smoothing the transition process by facilitating communication, understanding, and acceptance of the new family configuration.

Addressing Persistent Issues

Families may also experience ongoing problems such as communication breakdowns, recurring conflicts, or behavioral issues, particularly among children. These issues can create a tense environment, affecting family harmony and well-being. 

Family therapy activities can provide a structured platform to unearth these issues, understand their roots, and devise strategies to address them, thereby enhancing family harmony.

Dealing with Significant Life Events

Sometimes, a family member may face a significant life event, such as a mental health condition, substance abuse, or chronic illness. These circumstances can be challenging for the individual and their family members, who might feel helpless or confused about how best to provide support. 

In such instances, family therapy activities can play a crucial role. They can promote a better understanding of the condition, develop effective coping mechanisms, and foster a supportive environment. These activities encourage collective strength and resilience, making the challenge more manageable.

Post-Trauma or Crisis

Family therapy activities can be instrumental in the aftermath of a crisis or traumatic event, such as losing a family member or a disaster. They can help process the grief, trauma, and loss experienced, providing a safe space for expressing feelings and fears. They can also help establish a sense of normalcy and develop coping mechanisms during these difficult times.

Families can navigate challenging circumstances more effectively, strengthen their bonds, and foster a supportive, loving environment by conducting family therapy activities at these appropriate times.

How can Carepatron help with Family Therapy-related work?

Carepatron is a versatile platform designed to streamline healthcare and therapy-related work, making it an excellent tool for managing family therapy. It provides a centralized space for organizing therapy sessions, tracking progress, and facilitating communication between family members and therapists.

Its intuitive design allows therapists to quickly and easily schedule sessions, share worksheets and resources, and record notes and observations. Furthermore, it can handle sensitive information securely, maintaining client confidentiality. Carepatron also enables real-time communication, making it a vital platform for remote or online family therapy sessions.

Commonly asked questions

Some everyday activities include role-play, family portraits, positive affirmation jars, and family meetings.

The Genogram, Communication Style, Family Strengths, Coping Skills, and Problem-Solving worksheets are commonly used.

While beneficial, family therapy can initially increase conflict or distress as underlying issues are addressed. Also, its effectiveness relies heavily on the commitment and participation of all family members.

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10 Family Therapy Activities to Strengthen Relationships

Starting family therapy can be daunting, but it’s an excellent avenue for individual and collective healing. If you’re experiencing pressure at work or school or struggling with family relationships, trying your hand at family therapy activities can be the stepping stone to restoring happy dynamics. Whether you’re new to family therapy or feeling stuck, the diverse range of family therapy activities for emotional connection offers you the power to steer your journey toward stronger relationships.

Understanding Family Therapy

Family therapy aims to improve communication between family members and strengthen dynamics. It may take different forms, such as psychoeducation, which helps family members understand mental health conditions, and functional family therapy, which is a short-term treatment appropriate for adolescents demonstrating risky behaviors.

Benefits of Family Therapy Activities

Family therapy benefits people by addressing communication issues and household-specific problems. It can also benefit families in the following ways:

• Improved conflict-resolution skills. Family therapy aims to equip families with coping mechanisms that resolve conflicts in ways that don’t damage relationships [ * ]. It focuses on how family members can meet each other’s individual needs and provides specific guidance for members with mental health conditions.
• Addressed adult-focused problems.  Studies show that family therapy helps treat adult-focused issues like mood and anxiety disorders, psychosis, substance use, and relationship distress [ * ].
• Enhanced well-being in children. Studies have demonstrated that family therapy can improve sleep, eating, and attachment problems experienced during infancy and help adolescents with mental health conditions [ * ].

Are you on the hunt for family therapy activities? Consider these in your next session!

1. Play Therapy

Play therapy is most appropriate for families with children, as it helps them regulate emotions and articulate problems. In addition, it encourages children to take responsibility for certain actions, demonstrate empathy and respect for others, and improve social skills.

This form of therapy can also benefit adults with dementia, intellectual disabilities, PTSD, or unresolved childhood issues.

Play therapy can take many forms, such as storytelling, puppet shows, creative visualizations, and musical play.

2. Arts and Crafts

Families that struggle to express themselves verbally might prefer art therapy as an outlet. Some techniques include:

• Making collages
• Taking photos
• Drawing and doodling
• Molding clay

Art therapy works in conjunction with other psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy and provides opportunities for family members to connect.

3. Role-Playing

Part of progressing in family therapy is stepping into another person’s shoes. For this activity, children can role-play as parents and vice versa, gaining different perspectives on the same situation.

Role-playing offers a unique opportunity to discuss what participants learned about themselves, how they felt in each role, and whether they understood the other person better.

4. Positive Affirmations

Validation plays a significant role in family healing. Family members want to feel acknowledged for their efforts, and incorporating positive affirmations about one another can help do just that.

This activity is simple—start with intention. How do you want the other person to feel? Comforted? Praised? From there, craft an empowering statement. For example: You are loved and appreciated. Recite your affirmations to one another, incorporating them into your daily routine.

Use our Positive Affirmation Worksheet to get started.

5. Musical Activities

If anyone in your family is musically inclined, incorporating music into therapy sessions can benefit them. Still, not everyone needs to know how to play an instrument.

Family members can share their favorite songs and music, bonding over shared interests or delving into each song's meaning. Parents can share the different ways of listening to music from older generations, such as vinyl, cassette tapes, and MP3 players.

6. Genograms

Genograms are visual representations of a person’s family, with symbols indicating gender identities, diagnoses, and connections between members. In creating genograms, family members can identify patterns and behaviors that might affect their relationships and dynamics.

Participants can also study how their family history might affect present relationships and behaviors. Overall, genograms offer valuable insight into why certain events happened and allow professionals to understand families better.

7. Coping Skills Kits

It can be challenging to keep your cool, whether you're a parent or a child. By building coping skills kits together, all family members can gain insights into what makes someone feel comfortable and how they can help.

Each coping skill will look different, but they might include stress balls, fidget toys, prayer cards, affirmations, and other comfort items.

8. Meditation & Breathing

You’ll be surprised to see how far a meditation session can take you and your family. When parents are peaceful, so are their children!

There is no “right” way to meditate. You can follow a guided meditation on YouTube or sign up for a family meditation class to continue the therapeutic benefits after your session. Meditation involves the basics of breathing. Use our breathing exercises or diaphragmatic breathing handout to get started.

9. Board Games

Family game nights can be fun, but they can also get heated! Fortunately, there are ways to make traditional games like Monopoly more therapeutic, such as trying board games created specifically for family therapy.

Family Pursuit is one such game—it’s like Trivial Pursuit, only it includes prompts that help family members connect. It aims to help family members get to know each other better and show more appreciation for one another.

10. Family Vision Board

A family vision board is a fun and creative way to identify shared goals. Use printouts, photos, magazines, and mixed media, and ask each family member to add five to ten things representing their aspirations to the board.

Leave the middle section for your family's vision. For example, you might want to travel more together, move to a new city, or find better communication methods.

The Bottom Line

All families encounter disagreements and fallouts, but you can do something before relationships become irreparable. You can create essential stepping stones toward healing with the right mindset and the activities we listed above.

Explore our CBT worksheets collection to help facilitate CBT-related interventions and activities in family therapy.

• Reiter MD. “Family Therapy: An Introduction to Process, Practice and Theory.” Routledge, 2017.
• Carr A. “Couple therapy, family therapy and systemic interventions for adult‐focused problems: the current evidence base.” Journal of Family Therapy, 2019.
• Carr A. “Family therapy and systemic interventions for child-focused problems: the current evidence base.” Journal of Family Therapy, 2019.

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10 Family Therapy Activities to Create a Stronger Bond

Family therapy can be a hugely beneficial form of treatment for many individuals. It provides an opportunity to build stronger familial relationships and work through any issues that may have been holding the family back. Family therapists help members learn how to communicate better, reduce conflict, and understand each other’s perspectives. They also develop strategies for managing stress, solving problems, and managing emotions. This can help families to better cope with difficult situations that arise in their lives.

How could therapy help your family? Contact Serenity Grove today at 844.904.3485 or via our online form for information about our family therapy program in Athens, Georgia.

What Is Family Therapy?

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps families work through conflicts, improve communication, and better understand one another. It also helps family members learn how to express themselves in an emotionally healthy manner. Family therapists can help families identify problems and create strategies for dealing with them. They can also offer guidance on making changes to the home environment that will foster healthier relationships between family members.

Family therapy often treats issues such as divorce, abuse, addictions, depression, and eating disorders. It can also be used to help families dealing with the death of a loved one or any other life change. By providing a safe space for family members to talk about their feelings and learn how to better support each other, family therapy can be an effective tool in helping families work through difficult times.

It is important for all family members to communicate effectively and work together. Family therapy activities can help families learn how to manage problems better, build trust, and create a stronger bond. Here are ten family therapy activities that will help you do just that:

• Brainstorming together – Working together as a team can help families develop creative solutions to problems. Have each person write down a list of ideas and then work together as a team to come up with the best solution.
• Role-playing – Taking on different roles can help family members gain insight into how their actions affect others in the family. Try assigning each member different roles and acting out scenarios that could happen in real-life situations.
• Art therapy – Art therapy is a great way for family members to express their feelings without using words. Encourage everyone to create artwork that expresses how they feel about the family and work together to come up with solutions for any problems.
• Storytelling – Telling stories can be an effective way of expressing emotions and working through issues. Ask each family member to write a short story about the family’s dynamics and then have everyone discuss the stories together.
• Journaling – Writing in a journal can provide an outlet for expressing emotions, as well as be used as a tool for problem-solving. Have each family member keep a journal and encourage them to express their ideas and feelings.
• Group games – Playing group games can help build trust and family unity. Try to pick something that everyone will enjoy, such as a board game or an activity like running a relay race.
• Outdoor activities – Going outside together can be an excellent way for family members to bond and have fun. Whether it’s going on a hike, playing sports, or having a picnic, getting out in nature can be a great way to connect with each other.
• Discussing goals – Discussing goals the family wants to achieve and how they will get there can help foster communication and teamwork. Sit down together and make a plan for how everyone can work together to reach their desired outcome.
• Listening exercises – Working on active listening skills can help family members understand each other better. Have each member take turns talking about a topic and then have the others practice listening without judgment or interruption.
• Problem-solving – Working together as a team to solve problems can be an effective way for families to learn how to work through difficult issues. Have everyone come up with ideas for solving the problem and then make a plan of action together.

No matter which activities you choose, it is crucial to have patience and compassion when working with family members. Make sure that everyone feels heard and respected, and be willing to compromise in order to come up with the best solution for the family. Working together as a team can be a great way to strengthen the bond between family members.

Heal Together in Family Therapy at Serenity Grove

By providing families with the skills to better understand and interact with one another, our family therapy program in Athens, GA, can be invaluable in creating a healthier environment for each individual. This improved understanding can increase trust and respect, creating greater cohesion within the family unit. By working together as a team, family members can learn how to listen to one another’s needs and provide support when it is needed most. This can create an atmosphere of love and acceptance that will benefit each member of the family for years to come. Contact Serenity Grove at 844.904.3485 or online today to learn more.

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We all start this life with a family, whether that family is composed of blood relatives, adopted parents, a close-knit neighborhood, or a foster family. This family that we acquire when we are born influences every aspect of our lives, from our first moments to our last.

Our family affects who we are and who we become, for better and for worse. We learn our vocabulary, our habits, our customs and rituals, and how to view and observe the world around us.

We also learn how to love and how to interact with others from these first important relationships.

If we are born into a healthy family with healthy relationships, we are likely to learn how to maintain healthy relationships. If we are born into a dysfunctional family that struggles to connect, we may also struggle to connect with others.

While it is certainly unlucky to be born into the second kind of family, it’s not an unchangeable situation. Nearly all families deal with some sort of dysfunction at one time or another, yet most families retain or regain a sense of wholeness and happiness.

Family therapy offers families a way to do this—a way to develop or maintain a healthy, functional family.

What is Family Therapy / Family Counseling?

Family therapy or family counseling is a form of treatment that is designed to address specific issues affecting the health and functioning of a family. It can be used to help a family through a difficult period, a major transition, or mental or behavioral health problems in family members (“Family Therapy”, 2014).

As Dr. Michael Herkov explains, family therapy views individuals’ problems in the context of the larger unit: the family (2016). The assumption of this type of therapy is that problems cannot be successfully addressed or solved without understanding the dynamics of the group .

The way the family operates influences how the client’s problems formed and how they are encouraged or enabled by other members of their family.

Family therapy can employ techniques and exercises from cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, or other types of individual therapy. Like with other types of treatment, the techniques employed will depend on the specific problems the client or clients present with.

Behavioral or emotional problems in children are common reasons to visit a family therapist. A child’s problems do not exist in a vacuum; they exist, and will likely need to be addressed, within the context of the family (Herkov, 2016).

It should be noted that in family therapy or counseling, the term “family” does not necessarily mean blood relatives. In this context, “family” is anyone who “plays a long-term supportive role in one’s life, which may not mean blood relations or family members in the same household” (King, 2017).

According to Licensed Clinical Social Worker Laney Cline King, these are the most common types of family therapy:

• Bowenian: this form of family therapy is best suited for situations in which individuals cannot or do not want to involve other family members in the treatment. Bowenian therapy is built on two core concepts: triangulation (the natural tendency to vent or distress by talking to a third party) and differentiation (learning to become less emotionally reactive in family relationships);
• Structural: Structural therapy focuses on adjusting and strengthening the family system to ensure that the parents are in control and that both children and adults set appropriate boundaries. In this form of therapy, the therapist “joins” the family in order to observe, learn, and enhance their ability to help the family strengthen their relationships;
• Systemic: The Systemic model refers to the type of therapy that focuses on the unconscious communications and  meanings behind family members’ behaviors. The therapist in this form of treatment is neutral and distant, allowing the family members to dive deeper into their issues and problems as a family;
• Strategic: This form of therapy is more brief and direct than the others, in which the therapist assigns homework to the family. This homework is intended to change the way family members interact by assessing and adjusting the way the family communicates and makes decisions. The therapist takes the position of power in this type of therapy, which allows other family members who may not usually hold as much power to communicate more effectively (King, 2017).

What is a Family Counselor Trained For?

As the different types of therapy described above show, a family therapist may be called upon to take on many different roles. These many roles require a family therapist to undergo a great deal of training, formal education, and testing to ensure that the therapist is up to the task.

“In this therapy, the therapist takes responsibility for the outcome of the therapy. This has nothing to do with good or bad, guilt or innocence, right or wrong. It is the simple acknowledgement that you make a difference.” – Eileen Bobrow

While therapists may have different methods and preferred treatment techniques, they must all have at least a minimum level of experience with the treatment of:

• Child and adolescent behavioral problems;
• Depression and anxiety;
• LGBTQ issues;
• Domestic violence;
• Infertility;
• Marital conflicts;
• Substance abuse (All Psychology Schools, 2017).

In order to treat these and other family issues, therapists must:

• Observe how people interact within units;
• Evaluate and resolve relationship problems;
• Diagnose and treat psychological disorders within a family context;
• Guide clients through transitional crises such as divorce or death;
• Highlight problematic relational or behavioral patterns;
• Help replace dysfunctional behaviors with healthy alternatives;
• Take a holistic ( mind-body ) approach to wellness (All Psychology Schools, 2017).

In order to gain the skills necessary to perform these functions, a family therapist usually obtains a bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, sociology, or social work, followed by a master’s degree in counseling or marriage and family therapy.

Next, the therapist will most likely need to complete two years of supervised work after graduation, for a total of 2,000 to 4,000 hours of clinical experience. When these requirements are met, the therapist will also likely need to pass a state-sanctioned exam, as well as complete annual continuing education courses.

This education trains therapists for guidance with a wide range of problems, including:

• Personal conflicts within couples or families;
• Unexpected illness, death, or unemployment;
• Developing or maintaining a healthy romantic relationship at any stage;
• Behavioral problems in children ;
• Divorce or separation;
• Substance abuse or addiction;
• Mental health problems like depression and anxiety .

This wide range of problems makes it clear that the answer to “What is a family therapist NOT trained to do?” may be shorter than the question of what they ARE trained to do!

To learn more about how marriage and family therapists are trained and how they practice their craft, the following websites are great resources:

• The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy website ;
• The All Psychology Schools website ;
• The Careers in Psychology website ;
• The Marriage and Family Therapist Licensure website ;
• The Learn website .

What is the Goal of Family Therapy?

“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” – Confucius

In a nutshell, the goal of family therapy is to work together to heal any mental, emotional, or psychological problems tearing your family apart (Lee, 2010). To guide a family towards a healthy life, family therapists aim to aid people in improving communication , solving family problems, understanding and handling family situations, and creating a better functioning home environment (Family Therapy, 2017A).

The goals of family therapy depend on the presenting problems of the clients. For example, goals may differ based on the following scenarios:

• A family member is suffering from schizophrenia or severe psychosis: The goal is to help other family members understand the disorder and adjust to the psychological changes that the patient may be undergoing;
• Problems arising from cross-generational boundaries, such as when parents share a home with grandparents, or children are being raised by grandparents: The goal is to improve communication and help the family members set healthy boundaries;
• Families deviating from social norms (unmarried parents, gay couples raising children, etc.): The goals here are not always to address any specific internal problems, but the family members may need help coping with external factors like societal attitudes;
• Family members who come from mixed racial, cultural, or religious backgrounds: The goal is to help family members further their understanding of one another and develop healthy relationships;
• One member is being scapegoated or having their treatment in individual therapy undermined: When one family member is struggling with feeling like the outcast or receives limited support from other family members, the goal is to facilitate increased empathy and understanding for the individual within their family and provide support for them to continue their treatment;
• The patient’s problems seem inextricably tied to problems with other family members: In cases where the problem or problems are deeply rooted in problems with other family members, the goal is to address each of the contributing issues and solve or mitigate the effects of this pattern of problems;
• A blended family (i.e., step-family): Blended families can suffer from problems unique to their situations. In blended families, the goal of family therapy is to enhance understanding and facilitate healthy interactions between family members (Family Therapy, 2017B).

Family Psychotherapy: Taking it One Step Further

We tend to think of therapy and psychotherapy as two different forms of treatment, but in fact, they are the same thing. This ambiguity is enhanced when we introduce the term “counseling” as well.

In truth, therapy is simply a shortened form of the word “psychotherapy” ( www.drpatrick.com ). However, counseling is sometimes called “talk therapy,” blurring the lines even further (Eder, “What is the Difference”).

Generally, counseling is applied in situations where an individual (or, in the case of family counseling, a family) engages the services of a counselor or other mental health professional to help with a specific problem or set of problems. Therapy, or psychotherapy, is a more in-depth and usually long-term form of treatment in which the client or clients discuss a wider range of issues and chronic patterns of problematic feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (Eder, “What is the Difference”).

A family who is struggling with a situation that brings added stress , such as the death of a family member, addiction, or dire financial straits, may benefit from counseling to help them through their struggles to emerge on the other side as a stronger and more cohesive unit.

If a family is struggling with more chronic mental or behavioral problems, such as a father dealing with schizophrenia, a mother fighting depression, or a child who has been abused, psychotherapy is likely the better choice.

This type of therapy is appropriate for families with problems such as these because a family therapist has a different perspective on treatment than an individual therapist. While the individual therapist works with one client on solving or curing a problem, the family therapist views problems in the context of the “system” of the family. To solve a problem in a system, you need to consider all parts of the system.

Fixing the alternator in a car will not fix the problem if it also has flat tires, a faulty transmission, and a plugged exhaust pipe.

Issues within a family are similar to the car with several problems. A parent struggling with alcoholism is not a problem in isolation; the parent’s struggle has likely affected their spouse and their children as well. A family therapist believes that problems must be addressed at the level of the whole family rather than on an individual level (Schwartz, 2009).

What are the Benefits of Family Therapy?

This more holistic approach to treating problems within a family has proven to be extremely effective in many cases. In family therapy, families can work on their problems with the guidance of a mental health professional in a safe and controlled environment.

The benefits of family therapy include:

• A better understanding of healthy boundaries and family patterns and dynamics;
• Enhanced communication;
• Improved problem solving;
• Deeper empathy;
• Reduced conflict and better anger management skills (10 Acre Ranch, 2017).

More specifically, family therapy can improve family relationships through:

• Bringing the family together after a crisis;
• Creating honesty between family members;
• Instilling trust in family members;
• Developing a supportive family environment;
• Reducing sources of tension and stress within the family;
• Helping family members forgive each other;
• Conflict resolution for family members;
• Bringing back family members who have been isolated (American Addiction Centers, 2017).

Family therapy enhances the skills required for healthy family functioning, including communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Improving these skills also increases the potential for success in overcoming and addressing family problems.

In family therapy, the focus is on providing all family members with the tools they need to facilitate healing (Teen Treatment Center, 2014).

6 Examples and Exercises

If family therapy sounds like a treatment that would benefit you and your loved ones, the best course of action is to find a licensed professional with whom you can build a good working relationship and address the problems your family is facing.

However, if you’re not quite ready for this step, or there are obstacles between you and getting treatment, there are many exercises and suggestions that you may find to be good alternatives.

The exercises and techniques below are meant to be used within the context of a therapeutic working relationship, but some also have applications for those who wish to explore the possibilities of family therapy before committing to long-term treatment with a therapist. If you are a therapist or other mental health professional, you may find these exercises to be useful additions to your therapy toolbox.

The Miracle Question

This exercise can be used in individual, couples, or family therapy, and is intended to help the client(s) explore the type of future they would like to build. We all struggle at times, but sometimes the struggle is greater because we simply do not know what our goals actually are.

The Miracle Question is an excellent way to help the client or clients probe their own dreams and desires. When used in the context of couples or family therapy, it can aid clients in understanding what their significant other or family member needs in order to be happy with their relationship .

This Miracle Question is posed as follows:

“Suppose tonight, while you slept, a miracle occurred. When you awake tomorrow, what would be some of the things you would notice that would tell you life had suddenly gotten better?” (Howes, 2010)

While the client may give an answer that is an impossibility in their waking life, their answer can still be useful. If they do give an impossible answer, the therapist can dive deeper into the clients’ preferred miracle with this question: “How would that make a difference?”

This question aids both the client and the therapist—the client in envisioning a positive future in which their problems are addressed or mitigated, and the therapist in learning how they can best help their client in their sessions.

You can learn more about this exercise at this link .

Colored Candy Go Around

If you’re looking for a fun and creative icebreaker or introduction to family therapy, this exercise can be a great way to start.

To engage in this exercise with your family, you need a package of Skittles, M&Ms, or a similar colorful candy. Distribute seven pieces to each family member, and instruct them to sort their candy by color (and refraining from eating it just yet!).

Next, ask a family member to pick a color and share how many they have. For however many candies of this color they have, instruct them to give the same number of responses to the following prompts based on the color:

• Green – words to describe your family;
• Purple – ways your family has fun;
• Orange – things you would like to improve about your family;
• Red – things you worry about;
• Yellow – favorite memories with your family.

When the first family member has given their answers, tell them to choose the next family member to answer the same prompt based on the number of candies that person has.

Once the prompt has been answered, the candies can be eaten.

When all family members have responded to these prompts, initiate a discussion based on the answers provided by the family. The following questions can facilitate discussion:

• What did you learn?
• What was the most surprising thing you learned about someone else?
• How will you work towards making changes/improvements?

Given the high sugar content in this exercise, you can see that this is a great game to play with young children! If this sounds like a useful exercise that you would like to try with your family, you can find further information and instructions on page 3 of  this PDF  from therapist Liana Lowenstein.

Emotions Ball

This is a simple exercise, requiring only a ball and a pen or marker to write with. It is frequently used with children and teenagers in many contexts, as it takes the pressure off of talking about emotions for those who may be uncomfortable sharing their feelings.

A beach ball is a perfect ball for this activity—big enough to write several emotions on and easy to throw back and forth in a circle. Write several emotions on the ball, such as “joyful,” “lonely,” “silly,” or “sad.”

Gather your family into a circle and begin to toss the ball back and forth between family members. When a family member catches the ball, have them describe a time when they felt the emotion facing them. Alternatively, you could have the catcher act out an emotion, an activity specially suited for children.

The intent of this exercise is to discuss emotions with your family and practice listening to one another and expressing your feelings.

You can read more about this exercise here .

The Family Gift

This exercise can help a therapist to get to know a family better. If you are using it without the guidance of a therapist, it can help you to further your understanding of your own family and provoke thoughtful discussion.

To give this exercise a try, gather a variety of art supplies and a gift bag. Explain to the family that they are going to create a gift from the materials provided. This gift will be a gift for the whole family, that everyone in the family wants. They must decide together on this gift and how it can be used within their family.

They have 30 minutes to decide on this gift and craft it. Once they have created the gift, they must place it in the gift bag. Within the context of family therapy, this exercise provides the therapist with a look at the inner workings of the family, how they make decisions and complete tasks as a unit.

If you are engaging in this exercise as a family without the presence of a therapist, it can help you to start a meaningful conversation.

Use these questions or prompts to facilitate the discussion:

• Describe your gift.
• Tell how you each felt as you were creating your gift.
• Who made the decisions? For example, who decided what the gift should be?
• Were two or more people in your family able to work well together?
• Did anyone cause any difficulties or disagreements, and if so, how was this handled?
• Is there anything about the way you did the activity that reminds you of how things work in your family at home?
• How can the gift help your family? What else can help your family?

There is a wealth of information to be gained from observing these types of interactions or engaging in these kinds of discussion.

To read more about this exercise, see pages 3 and 4 of the PDF mentioned earlier.

Mirroring Activity

This fun exercise is a great way to help family members relate to each other and work together.

The activity can be explained to a family by the therapist with the following instructions:

“I want you to stand in front of me just right there (pointing to a spot about two feet in front of the practitioner). You are going to be my mirror. Everything I do you will try to copy, but the trick is to copy me at exactly the same time that I am doing it, so that you are my mirror. I will go slowly so you have a chance to think about where I will be moving and so that we can do it exactly at the same time. We can’t touch each other. I will lead first and then you will take a turn leading. Ready? Here we go!”

First, the therapist can model this exercise with one of the family members, then that person can take a turn leading another.

This is an especially useful exercise for children, but it can be used with family members of any age. It requires the family members to give each other their full attention, cooperate with one another, and communicate with both words and body language.

It also allows the family members to become more in tune with one another and can be applied with siblings, a parent, a child, or even couples in marriage counseling.

To see the instructions and read more about this exercise, see page 20 of  this booklet , also from Liana Lowenstein.

A genogram is a schematic or graphic representation of a client’s family tree. However, unlike the typical family tree, the genogram provides far more information on the relationships among members of the family.

It can be used to map out blood relations, medical conditions in the family, and, most often in the case of family therapy, emotional relationships.

Genograms contain two levels of information—that which is present on the traditional family tree and that which provides a much more comprehensive look at the family:

• Basic Information: name, gender, date of birth, date of death (if any);
• Additional Information: education, occupation, major life events, chronic illnesses, social behaviors, nature of family relationships, emotional relationships, social relationships, alcoholism, depression, diseases, alliances, and living situations (GenoPro, 2017).

By including this additional information, the therapist and client(s) can work together to identify patterns in the family history that may have influenced the client’s current emotions and behaviors. Sometimes the simple act of mapping out and observing this information can make clear things that were previously unnoticed.

The information on emotional relationships can include points of interest and any aspects of the relationship that may have impacted the client(s), such as whether the relationship is marked by abuse, whether a marriage is separated or intact, if a relationship is characterized by love or indifference, whether a relationship could be considered “normal” or dysfunctional, etc.

This exercise could be completed individually, but it is likely to be most effective when completed in conjunction with a qualified professional.

You can read more about the genogram here , and learn about how to use them in family therapy here .

Recommended Books

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman

This is an excellent read for any non-professionals who wish to learn more about what family therapy can do for couples. Although this is intended for married couples, any individuals in a long-term relationship can benefit from this resource of practical wisdom.

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last by John M. Gottman

Another entry from Dr. Gottman, this book provides an in-depth look at the inner workings of marriage and gives advice on how to ensure that your marriage is one of the successful ones.

Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods by Michael P. Nichols and Sean Davis

Those with only a casual interest in family therapy may not find much of interest in this book , but anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of family therapy will find this book invaluable. It gives the reader a solid foundation in the techniques, methods, and academic foundations of family therapy. If you are interested in becoming a family therapist, or simply learning more about the practice of therapy within the context of the family, this book is a perfect place to start.

Essential Skills in Family Therapy: From the First Termination by JoEllen Patterson, Lee Williams, Todd M. Edwards, Larry Chamow, Claudi Grauf-Grounds, and Douglas H. Sprenkle

This book is a fantastic resource for those with little or no experience in family therapy. The language is simple and accessible, and each chapter provides a guide for students and newly minted therapists who wish to prepare for their first sessions. Topics include intake and assessment, treatment planning, building and maintaining the therapeutic relationship , and problem-solving when treatment is not progressing.

The Family Therapy Treatment Planner by Frank M. Dattilio, Arthur E. Jongsma, Jr., and Sean D. Davis

This is another helpful resource for new therapists. The Family Therapy Treatment Planner will aid the therapist in planning treatment for clients, dealing with health insurance companies and health providers, and navigating the complex ocean of rules and regulations. In addition, this book includes many treatment plan options, a sample treatment plan, and guidelines on dealing with the most common presenting problems for family therapists.

A Take-Home Message

Family therapy is a way for you and your family to learn how to maintain healthy family relationships, communicate effectively with family members, and work cooperatively to solve family problems. This type of therapy is unique, in that problems are viewed through a broader lens and as part of the complex system of the family.

This perspective allows family therapists to help families get to the root of their problems and facilitates healing for all members of the family, whether the problem is related to substance abuse or addiction, abuse, mental health disorders, unexpected or dire circumstances, or just the ordinary everyday stress we all struggle with on occasion.

This piece described the benefits and goals of family therapy, introduced four of the most common types of therapy, contrasted family counseling with family psychotherapy, and provided examples of the exercises and techniques used in family therapy.

My hope is that you find this information useful whether you are interested in engaging with a family therapist, becoming a family therapist, or just learning more about family therapy.

If you have ever participated in family therapy or if you have practiced family therapy in your work as a mental health professional, we’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. Did you find engaging in family therapy helpful?

Did you get to reap the benefits described here? If you have practiced family therapy, what are some of the most valuable things you have learned from your practice?

Thank you for reading!

Originally posted at Positive Psychology

References:

• 10 Acre Ranch. (2017, January 23). 10 Acre Ranch. Retrieved from https://www.10acreranch.org/blog/2017/01/23/5-benefits-family-therapy/
• American Addiction Centers. (2017). The benefits of family therapy. Forterus. Retrieved from http://forterustreatment.com/therapy/family-therapy/
• http://www.drpatrick.com/
• Eder, A. What is the difference between counseling & psychotherapy? Ashley EderCounseling & Psychotherapy. Retrieved from http://www.ashleyeder.com/counseling-psychotherapy/
• “Family Therapy”. (2014, January 14). Good Therapy. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/modes/family-therapy
• Family therapy. (2017A). In Encyclopedia of Children’s Health. Retrieved from http://libguides.dixie.edu/c.php?g=57887&p=371718
• Family therapy. (2017B). In Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Retrieved from http://www.minddisorders.com/Del-Fi/Family-therapy.html
• GenoPro. (2017). Introduction to the genogram. GenoPro. Retrieved from https://www.genopro.com/genogram/
• Herkov, M. (2016). About family therapy. Psych Central. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/lib/about-family-therapy/
• Howes, R. (2010, January 17). The ten coolest therapy interventions: Introduction. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/201001/the-ten-coolest-therapy-interventions-introduction
• Schwartz, A. (2009, March 31). Family therapy: A different approach to psychotherapy. Mental Help. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/family-therapy-a-different-approach-to-psychotherapy/
• Teen Treatment Center. (2014, March 20). The benefits of family therapy. Teen Treatment Center. Retrieved from https://www.teentreatmentcenter.com/blog/the-benefits-of-family-therapy/

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10 Family Therapy Activities to Build Stronger Relationships

Family therapy is a common option for people in substance treatment programs. As its name implies, this therapy focuses on issues affecting you and your family. By resolving these issues, you may be able to increase your chances of recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. A family therapy program can include a broad range of therapeutic activities.

Contact 888.231.1281 to learn more about the family therapy program at Northpoint Colorado.

Top Activities for Family Therapy

To foster a stronger bond and cultivate healthier relationships within the family, it’s crucial to engage in regular family activities. These activities, designed with purpose, can be therapeutic, enabling all members to better understand each other, communicate more effectively, and resolve any underlying issues. Here are some top family therapy activities that can significantly contribute to building stronger relationships:

1. Family Questioning as a Therapy Activity

Family therapy often starts with an activity called family questioning. During this activity, you answer questions about yourself. You also guess how your siblings, parents, etc., will answer those same questions. Family questioning can help you:

• Develop better family rapport
• Identify shared family values

It can also help you spot areas of potential conflict or concern.

2. Family Therapy Activities for Relationship Building – Colored Candy

Colored Candy is another common ice-breaking activity in family therapy. In this activity, you and your family split a package of colored candies between you. You then assign a question to every color in the package. Each person must provide as many honest answers to that question as they have candies of that color.

3. Family Therapy Activities – The Emotions Ball

In this activity, various emotions are written down on a beach ball. Common examples of these emotions include:

Your family then takes turns throwing the ball to each other. When it’s your turn, you describe the last time you experienced the emotion facing you on the ball’s surface.

4. Mirroring as a Family Therapy Activity

In mirroring, two family members stand across from each other. One member performs various physical actions, while the second attempts to mimic or mirror those actions. The process then repeats with other family members. The goal is to increase your awareness of each other’s emotions and typical gestures.

5. Family Therapy Activities for Relationship Building – The Feelings Walk

This activity resembles musical chairs. However, a feeling-related word is affixed to each chair. When the music stops playing, you sit in the chair in front of you. You then share something about yourself that relates to the word on the chair.

6. Family Therapy Activities – The Miracle Question

In this activity, each family member pretends that a miracle has happened. This miracle allows each of you to change your life for the better. You then describe what that change would be. Everyone learns more about each other’s hopes and aspirations in this activity.

7. The Magic Key as a Family Therapy Activity

This family therapy activity is especially well-suited for kids. Each member imagines that they have a key that gives them access to something that would make them happy. However, it must be something that you can’t buy with money. You then share this key to happiness with other family members.

8. Activities for Family Therapy – The Family Gift

This activity requires your family to come up with a gift that every member would like to receive. You must work together and reach an agreement regarding this gift. The process allows your therapist to examine how your family unit functions.

9. The Genogram

A genogram is similar to a family tree. However, it goes beyond mapping primary bloodlines. In addition, it contains complex emotional relationships for each family member.

10. Family Therapy – Stand Up, Sit Down

You begin this activity by standing up. A family member then makes a statement. If this statement applies to you, you sit down. The result is a non-confrontational method of communication.

Benefits of Family Therapy Activities

Engaging in family therapy activities presents advantages that extend beyond the therapy sessions themselves. These benefits not only mend the damaged bonds but also foster an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, and mutual respect.

• They promote open and effective communication among family members, enabling them to articulate thoughts and feelings more clearly.
• They help in identifying and addressing the root cause of conflicts, fostering harmony within the family.
• These activities can enhance emotional bonding and intimacy, creating an environment conducive for emotional healing.
• They offer a platform for family members to express their aspirations, fears, and concerns, fostering a better understanding of each other’s perspectives.
• They can improve problem-solving skills within the family, helping to resolve future conflicts more constructively.

Family therapy activities play a pivotal role in the journey towards healthier dynamics and stronger relationships. By consistently practicing these activities, families can transform their interactions, fostering a space of empathy, respect, and mutual understanding.

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Talk to the professionals at Northpoint Colorado for more information on typical family therapy activities. You can call us today at 888.231.1281 . You can also reach us through our online form .

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9 Family Therapy Activities to Improve Communication

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce family conflict and distress by improving interaction among family members.

This therapy recognizes that family relationships have an impact on the feelings, behavior, and mental well-being of each member.

One of the most crucial elements in maintaining healthy family relationships is effective communication.

In this article, we will introduce nine engaging family therapy activities designed to enhance communication within your family.

From active listening exercises to art therapy, these activities are more than just fun; they're tools to foster understanding, empathy, and most importantly, open lines of dialogue within your family.

So, let's set forth on this exploration of activities that could significantly alter the way your family communicates and interacts.

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Activity 1: Family Meetings

Family meetings are a simple yet effective activity that can significantly enhance communication within the family.

This activity involves setting aside a specific time each week for all family members to discuss various topics, ranging from day-to-day issues to future plans.

The meeting should be a safe space where everyone, including the children, is encouraged to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns openly without fear of judgment or criticism .

To implement this activity, establish a regular schedule for the meetings and ensure they are a priority for everyone.

Family meetings improve communication and help foster mutual respect, as everyone's opinions are listened to and valued.

Activity 2: Role-Playing

This could range from everyday occurrences, like resolving a disagreement over chores, to more complex issues such as dealing with bullying at school or managing a major life change.

Each family member takes on a different role and expresses their thoughts and feelings from that perspective.

It allows family members to step into each other's shoes, helping them understand different perspectives and reactions.

The goal is to understand the other person's point of view better and respond in a more empathetic manner .

Encourage open and honest discussion after the role-play to reflect on the experience and discuss what was learned.

Activity 3: Open-Ended Questions Game

The game requires formulating questions that don't permit a straightforward 'yes' or 'no' response.

These questions encourage more detailed responses, stimulating deeper conversations.

For example, rather than posing the question "Did you enjoy your day at school?", you could inquire "What was the standout moment for you at school today?"

Make sure your questions are age-appropriate and interesting enough to stimulate conversation.

You can even prepare some questions in advance to keep the conversation flowing. The goal is not to interrogate, but to communicate and connect on a deeper level.

Activity 4: Feeling Charades

In this activity, family members take turns acting out different feelings without using words, while others guess the emotion being portrayed.

This could range from basic feelings like happiness or sadness to more complex emotions such as frustration or embarrassment.

Start by preparing a list of emotions that are suitable for your family's age range and comfort level.

Write these emotions on slips of paper and place them in a bowl. Each family member will then draw a slip and act out the emotion while others guess.

The purpose is to help family members become more comfortable with expressing and recognizing a wide range of emotions.

After each round, consider having a brief discussion about the emotion to deepen understanding and empathy.

Activity 5: Family Vision Board

A Family Vision Board is a collective and creative activity where each family member contributes to a visual representation of shared goals, dreams, and values.

Set aside a specific time for everyone to come together and work on the board.

Gather all the necessary materials - a large poster board, old magazines, scissors, glue, markers, etc.

Using all the prepared tools, family members can cut out images, words, or phrases from magazines, printouts, or write their own, that represent anything from places you'd like to travel, skills you'd like to learn, to the kind of atmosphere you want to cultivate at home.

Encourage each family member to explain why they chose their specific images or words, promoting discussion and understanding.

Activity 6: Gratitude Jar

The idea is to have a jar in a common area of the house where family members can drop in notes expressing gratitude for something or someone.

Place the Gratitude Jar in a visible spot. Provide pens and small pieces of paper nearby.

Explain the purpose of the jar to all family members and encourage them to write down their notes of gratitude regularly.

These notes could range from appreciating a family member's kind action, acknowledging a personal achievement, or expressing thankfulness for a positive event that happened during the day.

At the end of each week (or month), the family can gather to read the notes aloud.

This practice improves communication by encouraging family members to openly express their feelings of gratitude. 

Activity 7: Active Listening Exercises

These exercises can take various forms, but a common one involves one family member sharing a story or expressing an opinion, while others listen attentively without interrupting.

After the speaker finishes, listeners then paraphrase what they understood, ask clarifying questions, or share their reactions.

The goal is not just to 'hear' but to 'understand' the speaker's perspective.

To implement this exercise, set aside dedicated time for the family to gather without distractions.

Set clear guidelines, emphasizing the importance of not interrupting the speaker and the role of listeners in demonstrating understanding.

Rotate the speaker role so that everyone gets a chance to express and be heard.

The key to successful active listening is patience, openness, and willingness to understand others' viewpoints.

Activity 8: Conflict Resolution Role Play

Conflict Resolution Role Play is an interactive activity that involves family members acting out different scenarios to practice resolving conflicts healthily and constructively.

This could involve real-life situations that have caused tension in the past or hypothetical situations.

After each role-play scenario, there should be a discussion about what happened, how it was handled, and what could be done differently.

Always end on a positive note, reinforcing the idea that disagreements are normal and can be resolved in a respectful and understanding manner.

Activity 9: Family Art Therapy

This can involve drawing, painting, sculpting, or any other form of artistic expression.

Each member works on their own piece, which they later explain to the rest of the family.

The purpose is not to create perfect artwork but to use art as a medium to express feelings that might be difficult to put into words.

After each art session, have a discussion where each person explains their artwork and others listen attentively and respond with understanding and respect.

How to Get the Most Out of Doing Family Therapy Activities for Communication

To enhance communication within your family unit, consider implementing structured activities that encourage family members to connect and express themselves.

Try these ideas to get your started on how to get the most out of your sessions.

• Create a Family Tree - Start by building a family tree. This activity not only traces your family lineage but also enables family members to discuss significant life events and better understand their family structure.
• Set Up Regular Family Therapy Sessions - Schedule sessions with a family therapist who can guide you through tailored communication exercises . These sessions help family members gain insights into their roles and dynamics within the entire family.
• Practice Active Listening Techniques - Integrate active listening techniques during discussions. This approach encourages family members to truly hear each other, promoting empathy and deeper understanding.
• Address Significant Life Events - Use these sessions to talk about significant life events or mental health disorders impacting the family. Understanding these events helps resolve conflicts and strengthens family bonds.
• Engage in Group Activities - Plan activities that bring the entire family together. Whether it's discussing the family tree or playing games that require teamwork, these activities enable family members to communicate more effectively.
• Seek Professional Guidance - If your family is dealing with complex issues like substance abuse or mental health disorders, involving mental health professionals can provide the necessary support and strategies to improve communication skills.

If you try these ideas, then your family members can learn to communicate more openly, develop new coping strategies, and build stronger connections with each other. 

All the activities above encourage empathy, understanding, and open expression, fostering a healthier family dynamic.

They equip family members with the skills to handle disagreements constructively and express their emotions effectively.

While activities can provide significant benefits, families need to remember that professional help is available if conflicts persist or if they find it difficult to communicate effectively.

Don't hesitate to seek out therapists or counselors who specialize in family dynamics and communication. 

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About the author

Bryan leopold.

Bryan Leopold is a popular mental health writer, whose enlightening articles have reached over 500,000 readers worldwide, offering guidance, support, and a fresh perspective on mental health issues. Bryan's unique ability to translate complex psychological concepts into accessible, everyday language has made his work a go-to resource for those seeking to understand and improve their mental well-being. Currently, Bryan is working on his first book, a comprehensive exploration of the vital role mindset plays in our lives. This upcoming work promises to offer practical strategies and insights, helping readers harness the power of their minds to overcome challenges and achieve their life goals. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas, where he honed his writing skills, learn how to research professionally, and developed a keen interest in using the power of the written word to inform and inspire. When he's not immersed in the world of mental health research and writing, Bryan cherishes his time with his wife and children. A devoted family man, he believes that balance is key to a healthy mind and a happy life. Whether he's reading a book or reporting on the latest mental health findings, Bryan's passion for understanding the human mind and his dedication to promoting mental health awareness shine through in everything he does. It's important to remember that he is not a licensed medical professional. The content in his articles is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.

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49 Communication Activities, Exercises & Games

Read on to learn about how important communication is in a relationship and how you can work on improving your communication skills.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What are communication activities, exercises, and games, the role of communication in a relationship, how can we develop better communication skills, 18 communication games and activities for adults, 17 exercises to help improve communication in a relationship, the importance of communication in the family unit, 14 family therapy activities for communication, a take-home message.

The resources in this piece include tips, techniques, exercises, games, and other activities that give you the opportunity to learn more about effective communication, help guide your interactions with others, and improve your communication skills.

Some might feel like a chore you need to cross off your to-do list while others may make you forget you’re not just having fun with your family , but actually boosting vital life skills; however, they all have one thing in common: they will help you become a better, more effective, and more positive communicator with those who mean the most to you.

But what’s the deal with these activities, exercises, and therapy games ? Are they really that important or impactful? Do we really need to work on communicating when it seems like we’re pretty good at it already?

Check out this quote from Stephen R. Covey and take a minute to think about how vital communication really is.

The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are. And if our words and our actions come from superficial human relations techniques rather than from our own inner core, others will sense that duplicity. We simply won’t be able to create and sustain the foundation necessary for effective interdependence.

Stephen R. Covey

As Covey notes, communication is the foundation of all of our relationships , forming the basis of our interactions and feelings about one another.

According to Australia’s Better Health Channel, communication is “ the transfer of information from one place to another ” and within relationships, it “ allows you to explain to someone else what you are experiencing and what your needs are ” (Victoria Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).

When communication is good, we feel good about our relationships. Dr. Susan Heitler (2010) puts it this way:

When people say, ‘We have a great relationship,’ what they often mean is how they feel when they talk with one another. They mean, ‘I feel positive toward that person when we interact. I send and I receive positive vibes with them.’

Besides making our relationships easier, there are also relationship-boosting benefits to good communication:

• Effective communication shows respect and value of the other person.
• It helps us to better understand each other; not all communication is about understanding—some are intended to fight, dismiss, invalidate, undermine, etc.—but it should be!
• It makes us feel more comfortable with each other and encourages even more healthy and effective communication (Abass, n.d.).

Download 3 Communication Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to improve communication skills and enjoy more positive social interactions with others.

Download 3 Free Communication Tools Pack (PDF)

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Fortunately, all it takes to develop better communication skills is a commitment to do so and a little bit of effort.

These tips from Australia’s Better Health Channel can help guide you toward better communication with your partner or spouse (these tips can also apply to any other relationship in your life with a little tweaking):

• Set aside time to talk without interruption from other people or distractions like phones, computers or television.
• Think about what you want to say.
• Be clear about what you want to communicate.
• Make your message clear, so that your partner hears it accurately and understands what you mean.
• Talk about what is happening and how it affects you.
• Talk about what you want, need and feel – use ‘I’ statements such as ‘I need’, ‘I want’ and ‘I feel’.
• Accept responsibility for your own feelings.
• Listen to your partner. Put aside your own thoughts for the time being and try to understand their intentions, feelings, needs and wants (this is called empathy ).
• Share positive feelings with your partner, such as what you appreciate and admire about them, and how important they are to you.
• Be aware of your tone of voice.
• Negotiate and remember that you don’t have to be right all the time. If the issue you are having is not that important, sometimes let the issue go, or agree to disagree (Victoria Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).

If you’re experiencing high levels of conflict in your relationship(s), the Better Health Channel has some specific recommendations for you:

• Avoid using the silent treatment.
• Don’t jump to conclusions. Find out all the facts rather than guessing at motives.
• Discuss what actually happened. Don’t judge.
• Learn to understand each other, not to defeat each other.
• Talk using the future and present tense, not the past tense.
• Concentrate on the major problem, and don’t get distracted by other minor problems.
• Talk about the problems that hurt your or your partner’s feelings, then move on to problems about differences in opinions.
• Use ‘I feel’ statements, not ‘You are’ statements (Victoria Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).

8 Tips on How to Teach Communication Skills

This useful framework comes from Alice Stott at Edutopia (2018):

• Physical: How a speaker uses their body language, facial expressions, and voice.
• Linguistic: The speaker’s use of language, including their understanding of formality and rhetorical devices.
• Cognitive: The content of what a speaker says and their ability to build on, challenge, question, and summarize others’ ideas.
• Social and emotional : How well a speaker listens, includes others, and responds to their audience (Stott, 2018).

Once you have a good framework for understanding communication, try these 8 ways to foster effective communication in your children or students:

• Teach your kids empathy so they can get a sense of what the other person is thinking and feeling.
• Teach your kids conversation skills with techniques like puppets and video modeling, which they can then apply in exercises and activities.
• Establish listening and speaking procedures in the classroom or at home (e.g., Dr. Allen Mendler’s SLANT strategy : Sit up straight, Listen, Answer and ask questions, Nod to show interest, Track the speaker; Mendler, 2013).
• Teach respectful vocabulary and remind students that being “cold” (passive) or “hot” (angry) will probably result in less understanding and more conflict.
• Teach the power of pausing (e.g., encourage them to pause, think, and ask questions like “What do you mean by that?” and “Why?”).
• Have your kids practice speaking and listening in natural settings (e.g., outside of the home and classroom).
• Encourage introspection in your children; it will help them understand themselves better as well as those around them.
• Practice taking turns with a talking stick or a ball, teaching your children that they can speak when they have the object but they are expected to listen when others are talking (Stanfield, 2017).

One of the most effective ways to avoid unnecessary disputes is to practice non-violent communication (NVC). According to Rosenberg (1999), non-violent communication methods can serve us in three ways:

• It can increase your ability to live with choice, meaning, and connection
• It helps connect empathically with yourself and others to have more satisfying relationships
• It shares resources so everyone is able to benefit

In an effort to exemplify the various forms that communication can take, we want to share some key differences between passive, assertive, and aggressive communication styles.

• Specifically, a passive communicator prioritizes the needs of others, even at their own expense. This often leads to being taken advantage of and having their own needs disregarded by others as well.
• An assertive communicator mirrors the values of NVC, which is what we should aim for. This communication style emphasizes the importance of all parties’ needs and is defined by confidence and the willingness to compromise
• Aggressive communication, also referred to as violent communication, disregards any other parties involved and consists of constant disrespect, interrupting, and domination.

Now that you are familiar with these types of communication styles, it’s time to analyze how you convey your thoughts to others (and if there is any room for improvement).

If you’re looking for some concrete ways to build communication skills in adults, you’ve come to the right place. Below are 18 games, activities, and exercises that you can use to help adults develop more effective listening and communication skills.

5 Communication Activities for Adults

To get started improving your (or your team’s, or your student’s) communication skills, give these 5 activities a try.

1. Card Pieces

This exercise from the team at MindTools is a good way to help participants develop more empathy, consider other perspectives, build their communication and negotiation skills.

First, make sure you have enough people for at least three teams of two, enough playing cards to give out between 4 and 6 cards to each person, and 15 minutes to spare.

Here’s how the activity works:

• Cut each playing card into half diagonally, then in half diagonally again, so you have four triangular pieces for each card.
• Mix all the pieces together and put equal numbers of cards into as many envelopes as you have teams.
• Divide people up into teams of three or four. You need at least three teams. If you’re short of people, teams of two will work just as well.
• Give each team an envelope of playing card pieces.
• Each team has three minutes to sort its pieces, determine which ones it needs to make complete cards, and develop a bargaining strategy.
• After three minutes, allow the teams to start bartering for pieces. People can barter on their own or collectively with their team. Give the teams eight minutes to barter.
• When the time is up, count each team’s completed cards. Whichever team has the most cards wins the round.

Afterward, you can use these questions to guide discussion on the exercise:

• Which negotiation strategies worked? Which didn’t?
• What could they have done better?
• What other skills, such as active listening or empathy, did they need to use?

2. Listen and Draw

This game is easy to play but not so easy to “win.” It requires participants’ full attention and active listening.

Gather your group of participants together and hand out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil to each player. Tell them you will give them verbal instructions on drawing an object, one step at a time.

For example, you might give them instructions like:

• Draw a square, measuring 5 inches on each side.
• Draw a circle within the square, such that it fits exactly in the middle of the square.
• Intersect 2 lines through the circle, dividing the circle into 4 equal parts.

As the exercise continues, it will get progressively harder; one misstep could mean that every following instruction is misinterpreted or misapplied. Participants will need to listen carefully to ensure their drawing comes out accurately. Once the instructions have all been read, compare drawings and decide who won.

For added engagement, decide in advance on what the finished product is supposed to represent (e.g., a spiderweb, a tree).

3. Communication Origami

This is a great exercise to help people understand that we all hear and interpret things differently, even if we are given the exact same information.

Here’s how it works:

• Give one sheet of standard-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches) to each participant.
• Tell your participants that you will be giving them step-by-step instructions on how to fold their piece of paper into an origami shape.
• Inform your participants that they must keep their eyes and mouths closed as they follow instructions; they are not allowed to look at the paper or ask any clarifying questions.
• Give the group your instructions on how to fold the paper into the origami shape of your choice.
• Once the instructions have all been given, have everyone open their eyes and compare their shape with the intended shape.

You will likely find that each shape is a little bit different! To hit the point home, refer to these discussion points and questions:

• Make the point that each paper looks different even though you have given the same instructions to everybody. What does this mean?
• Ask the group if you think the results would have been better if they kept their eyes open or were allowed to ask questions.
• Communicating clearly is not easy, we all interpret the information we get differently that’s why it’s very important to ask questions and confirm understanding to ensure the communicated message is not distorted.

4. Guess the Emotion

Another useful exercise from the Training Course Material website is called “ Guess the Emotion .” As you might expect, it involves acting out and guessing emotions. This helps all participants practice empathy and better understand their coworkers or group members’ reactions.

Follow these instructions to play this engaging game:

• Divide the group into two teams.
• Place on a table (or put in a box) a packet of cards, each of which has a particular emotion typed on it
• Have a participant from Group A take the top card from the table and act out (pantomime) the emotion for his/her group. This is to be done in a fixed time limit (such as a minute or two).
• If the emotion is guessed correctly by Group A, they receive ten points.
• Now have a participant from Group B act out an emotion; award points as appropriate.
• Rotate the acting opportunities between the two groups.
• After 20 to 30 minutes of acting and guessing, call time and announce the winning team based on its point total.

If you have a particularly competitive group, consider giving a prize to the winning team!

5. The Guessing Game

Finally, another fun and engaging game that can boost communication skills: “ The Guessing Game. ” You will probably recognize this game, as it’s similar to what many people know as “ Twenty Questions ,” except there is no hard limit on the number of questions you can ask.

To start, separate the group into two teams of equal (or roughly equal) size. Instruct one player from each team to leave the room for one minute and come up with a common object that can be found in most offices (e.g., a stapler, a printer, a whiteboard).

When this person returns, their teammates will try to guess what the object is by asking only “Yes or No” questions (i.e., questions that can only be answered with “yes” or “no”). The team can ask as many questions as they need to figure it out, but remind them that they’re in competition with the other team. If there’s time, you can have multiple rounds for added competition between the teams.

Take the last 10 minutes or so to discuss and debrief. Use the following points and questions to guide it:

• Tell the group that obviously it took a long time and effort for us to find out the object in each round, but what if we didn’t have time and only had one question to ask to find out the object, what would that question be?
• The question would be “What is the object?” which is an open-ended question.
• Open-ended questions are an excellent way to save time and energy and help you get to the information you need fast, however, closed questions can also be very useful in some instances to confirm your understanding or to help you control the conversation with an overly talkative person/customer.

5 Listening Activities for Adults

If you’re intent on improving listening skills, in particular, you have lots of options; give these 5 activities a try.

1. Telephone Exercise

This classic exercise from Becky Norman (2018) at Sift’s Training Zone illustrates why listening is such an important skill, and why we shouldn’t ignore any opportunities to improve it.

Split your group into two even lines. At opposite ends of each line, whisper a phrase or short sentence to the person on the end and tell them to pass it on using only whispers, one person at a time. They can only repeat the phrase or sentence once.

While participants are busy passing the message along to the next person in line, play music or engage them in conversation to create some white noise. This will make it a bit more difficult but it will mimic real-life conditions, where distractions abound.

When the messages have made it to the end of each line, have the last person to receive the message in each line report out on what they heard. Next, have the first person to receive the message in each line report the original message and compare it to the final message received.

2. Stop Listening Exercise

This exercise , also from Becky Norman’s piece (2018), will show participants the emotional consequences of not listening and—hopefully—encourage them to practice better listening skills.

Split your group into two smaller groups of equal size and take one group outside the room. Tell them that they are instructed to stop listening to their partner after about 30 seconds, and to be open in showing their disinterest. Tell the other group to think of something that they are passionate about and be prepared to tell their soon-to-be partner a meaningful or personally relevant story about this topic.

Bring the other group back in, put all the participants into pairs, and tell them to get started. Observe the behavior from the listeners and the reactions from the speakers until you’re sure each speaker has picked up on what’s happening. Stop the conversations at this point and explain the instructions that were given to each group.

Facilitate a group discussion on the importance of listening, how to use active listening, and what indicates that someone is truly listening.

3. Listener and Talker Activity

The “Listener and Talker” activity is another good activity for showing the importance of active listening and giving participants a chance to practice their skills.

Divide your group into pairs, with one partner assigned to the talker role and the other assigned to the listener role. The talker’s job is to describe what he or she wants from a vacation without specifying a destination. The listener’s job is to listen attentively to what is being said (and what is not being said) and to demonstrate their listening through their behavior.

After a few minutes of active listening, the listener should summarize the three or main criteria the talker is considering when it comes to enjoying their vacation. Finally, the listener should try to sell the talker on a destination for their vacation. After a quick debrief on how well the listener listened, the two should switch roles and try the exercise again.

This exercise gives each participant a chance to practice talking about their wants and needs, as well as an opportunity to engage in active listening and use the knowledge they gained to understand and relate to the speaker.

4. Memory Test Activity

This great activity from TrainingCourseMaterial.com is called the “Memory Test” activity.

• Tell participants that you are going to read them a list of words to test their memory.
• Instruct them to listen carefully, as they cannot write down any of the words. Tell them you will test them later to see how many of the words they can remember.
• When you finish reading the list of words, distract your participants by talking about something else for at least one full minute.
• Once you have finished talking, have each participant write down as many words as they can remember from the list.

You (and your participants) will find that it’s pretty difficult to remember a list of somewhat-random words, especially when there is a break in time and another discussion in between hearing them and recalling them! Relate this to real-life listening by emphasizing the importance of paying attention to people when they are speaking to you, especially if it’s an important conversation.

5. Just Listen Activity

This activity comes from the folks at MindTools.com and offers participants a chance to communicate their feelings and provide a recap or rephrasing of another person’s feelings on a subject.

To get started, you will need an even number of people to pair off (or prepare to partner with one yourself) and eight index cards per pair. These index cards should have one topic written on each card; try to make sure the topics are interesting but not too controversial, as you don’t want listeners to dislike the speakers if they disagree with their viewpoint (e.g., you should probably avoid politics and religion).

Use these instructions to conduct the activity:

• Have the team members sit down in their pairs.
• Give each pair eight of the index cards.
• Instruct one partner to choose a random card and then speak for three minutes on how he or she feels about the topic.
• Instruct the other partner to stay quiet while the first partner talks, just listening instead of speaking.
• After the three minutes is up, the listener has one minute to recap what the speaker said (not agree, disagree, or debate, just recap).
• Have each pair switch roles and repeat the exercise so both partners get a chance to speak and to listen.

After each participant has played both roles, end the activity and guide a discussion with the following questions:

• How did speakers feel about their partners’ ability to listen with an open mind? Did their partners’ body language communicate how they felt about what was being said?
• How did listeners feel about not being able to speak about their own views on the topic? How well were they able to keep an open mind? How well did they listen?
• How well did the listening partners summarize the speakers’ opinions? Did they get better as the exercise progressed?
• How can they use the lessons from this exercise at work?

You will find this activity at this link , exercise #4.

6 Nonverbal Communication Activities for Adults

Nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal communication, if not more so!

Use these 6 activities to practice reading and “speaking” effective nonverbal messages.

1. Power of Body Language

This activity from TrainingCourseMaterial.com will help your participants work on their body language skills.

• Tell the participants that you are going to give them a series of instructions and you want them to follow them as fast as they can.
• Put your hand to your nose.
• Clap your hands.
• Touch your shoulder.
• Stamp your foot.
• Cross your arms.
• Put your hand to your mouth (but while saying this one, put your hand to your nose).
• Observe how many participants copied what you did instead of what you said.

Share this observation with your group and lead a discussion on how body language can influence our understanding and our reactions. It can reinforce what we hear or it can interfere with the verbal communication we receive. The more aware we are of this possibility, the better communicators we become. It’s vital to keep your own body language in mind, just as it’s vital to notice and understand others’ body language.

2. Clap and Follow

The “Clap and Follow” activity is a great way to practice using your body in conjunction with verbal communication.

It works like this:

• Tell your group that this is a game that requires their full concentration.
• When they hear one clap from the leader (you), tell them this means they should stand up.
• When they hear two claps from the leader, they should hop once in place.
• When they hear three claps, they should rub their belly.
• When they hear four claps, they should do a 360-degree turn on the spot.
• When they hear five claps, they should pat their head.
• Begin the activity! Start with one clap, then two claps, and so on until you have given the group each instruction once.
• Now, mix it up! Switch between the five different instructions and begin to pick up the pace. This is when the eliminations begin.
• Each time a participant engages in the wrong activity, eliminate them from the game. Continue until there is one clear winner.

If you have a competitive group, you may want to bring a prize to ensure active engagement with the exercise. It will give participants a chance to practice nonverbal communication in a fun context.

3. Wordless Acting

This activity from Grace Fleming (2018) at ThoughtCo will show your participants how much we “speak” with our body language and facial expressions.

Here are the instructions:

• Separate your group into pairs.
• Assign one participant in each pair to be Partner A and the other to be Partner B.
• Give each participant a copy of the script (copied below).
• Instruct Participant A to read his or her lines out loud, but instruct Participant B to communicate his or her lines in a nonverbal way.
• Provide Participant B with a secret emotional distraction written on a piece of paper (e.g., Participant B is in a rush, is really bored, or is feeling guilty).
• Have each pair work through the script.
• After each pair has finished working through the script, have the “A” participants guess what emotion their partner was feeling.

This is the script you will give each participant:

A: Have you seen my book? I can’t remember where I put it. B: Which one? A: The murder mystery. The one you borrowed. B: Is this it? A: No. It’s the one you borrowed. B: I did not! A: Maybe it’s under the chair. Can you look? B: Okay—just give me a minute. A: How long are you going to be? B: Geez, why so impatient? I hate when you get bossy. A: Forget it. I’ll find it myself. B: Wait—I found it!

After the activity, guide a discussion on how much information we can pick up from nonverbal communication and how important it is to regulate our bodies and our facial expressions when communicating, even if we’re also using verbal communication.

4. We Have to Move Now!

Another great exercise from Grace Fleming (2018) is called “We Have to Move Now!” and it will help your participants learn how to express and detect several different emotions.

These are the instructions for this activity:

• Cut several strips of paper.
• On each strip of paper, write down a mood, feeling, or disposition, like guilty, happy, suspicious, paranoid, insulted, or insecure.
• Fold the strips of paper so you can’t see what is written on it and place them in a bowl or jar. These are your prompts.
• Have each participant take a prompt from the bowl or jar and read the exact same sentence to the class, but with the emotion the prompt specifies.
• The sentence everybody will read is: “We all need to gather our possessions and move to another building as soon as possible.”
• Have the participants guess the emotion of each reader by writing down what they think the speaker is feeling (or what they are supposed to be feeling).

After each participant has had a chance to read the sentence based on one of the prompts, run through the emotions displayed and see how many each participant guessed correctly. Finally, lead a debriefing discussion on how things like tone and body language can impact the way a message is received.

5. Stack the Deck

All you’ll need for this exercise is a deck of playing cards, a blindfold for each participant, and some space to move around.

Here’s how “Stack the Deck” works:

• Shuffle the deck of cards and hand one out to each participant.
• Instruct the participants to keep their cards a secret; no one should see the suit or color of another participant’s card.
• Tell the participants that they will not be allowed to talk at all during this exercise.
• Instruct your participants to assemble into four groups according to their suit (hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades), but using only nonverbal communication.
• If you have the time and your participants have the inclination, try blindfolding each participant and giving the same instructions—it makes it much more difficult and more time-consuming!
• Once participants have all gathered into one of the four groups, have them line up according to their rank (Ace is the lowest, King is the highest); again, they cannot speak or show their cards to anyone during this part of the exercise.
• The group that lines up in the right order first wins!

As always, you can offer a prize to the winning team to motivate your participants.

This exercise will show how difficult it is to communicate without words, but it will also show your participants that it is not only possible, it gets easier as they start to pick up on one another’s nonverbal cues.

You can find this exercise at this link (Activity #3).

6. Silent Movie

Finally, facilitate this activity to really drive home the importance of effective nonverbal communication.

Divide your participants into two groups. For the first half of the activity, one group will be screenwriters and the other group will be actors. In the second half, the two groups will switch roles.

Instruct the screenwriters to write a silent movie, but to keep these things in mind:

• Silent movies tell a story without words. It’s important to start the scene with the actor doing an obvious task, like cleaning the house or rowing a boat.
• The scene must be interrupted when a second actor (or several actors) enter the scene, and their arrival should have a big impact. The character(s) could be anyone (or anything), including burglars, salesmen, children, or even animals.
• A physical commotion must occur.
• The problem that is caused by the commotion must be resolved by the end of the scene.

Give the screenwriters time to write out their script, then have the actors perform the script. Once the scene is finished, have the groups switch roles.

The communication game – Asgar Hussain

2 Communication Group Activities

Other great activities for group communication include the “Square Talk” and “Follow All Instructions” activities.

1. Square Talk Activity

For this activity , you will need one blindfold for each participant, one long piece of rope for each team (teams should be composed of around 5 participants each), and 25 minutes.

Follow these steps to give this activity a try:

• Divide your group of participants into groups of about 5 each.
• Clear the room so you have as much space as possible.
• Blindfold each participant and tell them their objective: to make a square from a rope (i.e., stand in the shape of a square with their team).
• Disorientate each participant by moving them a bit, spinning them around, etc.
• All team members are blindfolded and must remain so for the duration of the activity.
• The rope you are holding is approximately ___ feet in length.
• The role you are holding is knotted together to form a circle; it must not be undone.
• You must not let go of the rope.
• You will be told when you have 5 minutes remaining.
• Allow the teams to work on the activity and inform them when they have 5 minutes left.

Once the teams have given this activity their best shot, use these 5 discussion questions to review the importance of good group communication:

• Do you feel as a group you communicated effectively?
• During the Activity, what communication skills did you use effectively?
• During the activity, what communication skills could you have used to improve performance?
• How important is communication in the workplace? Why?
• What key points have you learned about communication from this activity, that you wish to apply in the workplace?

2. Follow All Instructions Activity

This activity from TrainingCourseMaterial.com is a great one for young people, but it can be used with participants of all ages. All you’ll need is a set of instructions for each participant.

• Write all of your teams initials at the top right-hand corner of this sheet.
• Write your first name on your sheet of paper.
• Write the total of 3 + 16 + 32 + 64 here: __________________
• Underline instruction 1 above.
• Check the time by your watch with that of one of your neighbor’s.
• Write down the difference in time between the two watches at the foot of this page.
• Draw three circles in the left-hand margin.
• Put a tick in each of the circles mentioned in 6.
• Sign your signature at the foot of the page.
• On the back of the page, divide 50 by 12.5.
• When you get to this point in the test, stand up, then sit down and continue with the next item.
• If you have carefully followed all these instructions, call out ‘I have’.
• On the reverse of this page, draw quickly what you think an upright bicycle looks like from overhead.
• Check your answer to Item 9, multiply it by 5 and write the result in the left-hand margin opposite this item.
• Write the 5th, 10th, 9th and 20th letters of the alphabet here: ___________________
• Punch three holes with your pen here: o o o
• If you think you are the first person to get this far, call out ‘I’m in the lead’.
• Underline all the even digits on the left-hand side of the page.
• Draw triangles around the holes you punched in Item 15.
• Now you’ve finished reading all the instructions, obey only 1, 2, 20 & 21.
• Stand up and say, “We’re the greatest team in the World!”

As you can see, the instructions include lots of silly directives (e.g., “When you get to this point in the test, stand up, then sit down and continue with the next item.”) that will identify who is following the directions and who is not—but the person that stands is actually the one not following directions!

The first and only verbal instruction you will give participants is to read all the written instructions first before engaging in any of the directives. The first person to complete the list will be declared the winner of the activity. You can offer a prize to the winner if you think the group would be motivated by it.

This exercise is a fun way to see who is paying attention and who is skipping the most vital instruction—to read everything before acting.

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Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

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If you’re specifically looking for ways to improve your communication in a romantic relationship, these 17 exercises are a great place to start!

7 Communication Games for Couples

Defeating Divorce shares the following three games aimed at improving communication in a romantic relationship.

This game is goal-directed, meaning the couple is working towards a common goal, and that goal requires effective communication.

• The couple sits back to back with an identical set of building blocks in front of each of them.
• One partner uses their blocks to create some sort of building or structure.
• The builder partner then relays a series of instructions to the other partner to help him or her build the exact same structure.
• The listener partner must try to build the same structure based on the speaker partner’s instructions.

This game takes some serious teamwork and good communication, and it can be repeated as needed to help a couple build their skills.

2. Minefield

You will need a blindfold for one partner, some space to navigate, and some objects with which you can create a minefield or obstacle course. Once the course is ready to go, blindfold one partner and bring them into the room.

The challenge here is for the non-blindfolded partner to guide the blindfolded partner through the obstacle course using only verbal communication. The couple will only succeed if the blindfolded partner has trust in their partner and the non-blindfolded partner is an effective verbal communicator.

Feelings of frustration are common in this game, but it can be a great way to highlight issues in communication or, alternately, highlight the couple’s communication strengths.

3. Give Me a Hand

This game is another one that can be frustrating for the couple but ultimately provides a great opportunity to build effective communication skills and unite the two in a common goal.

In this game, the couple will be given a seemingly easy task to complete, such as buttoning a shirt or tying a shoe, but with a catch—each partner will have one arm tied behind their back. The couple will find that the lack of one arm makes the task much more difficult than they might expect!

To complete the task, the couple will need to communicate effectively and coordinate their movements. It will be tough, but immensely satisfying to successfully complete this challenge!

4. Twenty Questions Times Two

If you remember the game “Twenty Questions”, you’ll recognize this game. It can be used to help couples communicate, share important details, and strengthen their connection.

Here’s how:

• The couple should schedule some time alone, without distractions.
• Before playing the game, each partner should come up with a list of 20 detailed personal questions to ask the other partner. The couple should feel free to get creative here!
• Both partners take turns asking each other one question at a time.
• When they’ve finished asking each other their questions, they should reverse them! Instead of asking questions like, “What is your favorite color?” each partner will ask, “What is my favorite color?”

This fun twist on a familiar game will result in greater knowledge and understanding of your spouse and, hopefully, better communication skills.

5. Eye-to-Eye

This game is a good way for couples to work on communicating and improving their connection, and all you need is your eyes!

Here’s how to do it:

• The couple sits facing each other, close enough to hold hands.
• Each partner looks directly into the other partner’s eyes.
• Each partner should take a minute to notice the feelings they are experiencing at this point.
• One partner begins talking about something simple and easy to discuss, like what happened that day, what they had for lunch, or something they are grateful for.
• The other partner reciprocates with a similar conversation, all while holding eye contact.
• The couple continues sharing things one at a time until each partner has shared at least three or four times.
• The couple discusses what the experience was like.

Many people find this game uncomfortable at first, but with practice, it can greatly enhance your sense of intimacy with your partner.

6. The Top Three

Similar to the “three good things” exercise, this game’s aim is to boost a couple’s gratitude for one another and give them both a chance to practice expressing it. Couples should schedule a time for this game every day, but the good news is that it doesn’t take long—just a few minutes will do.

To play “The Top Three”, couples should follow these instructions:

• At the end of each day, take some time to reflect on your day. Think about what your partner has done for you today.
• Take turns sharing those three things with your partner and tell them what each thing meant to you.
• Don’t forget to say “thank you” or otherwise verbally express your gratitude to your partner!

This game gets couples to practice vocalizing their appreciation and expressing gratitude, two things that are not necessarily in everyone’s daily communications but can have a big impact on a relationship.

7. Make a Playdate

Playdates are not just for kids or puppies—they are a great idea for couples as well! A play date is not your average, regularly scheduled programming sort of date, but something that is different, spontaneous, unique, and/or just plain fun!

Here are the three ground rules for the playdate:

• It has to be something for just the couple to do and they cannot include the kids or discuss mundane things like chores or bills.
• It has to be something that requires both partners to be present in the moment; think sailing, rock climbing, or dance lessons rather than seeing a movie or going out to dinner.
• The couple should take turns picking the activity and try to surprise their partner with something new.

Planning this date will not only make it easier to feel connected and closer to one another, but it also provides couples with an opportunity to communicate their love for one another through their actions. Depending on the date activity, it can also provide some much-needed time for the couple to talk.

5 Exercises and Activities for Married Couples

These exercises , also from Defeating Divorce, are not just for married couples, but for anyone in a committed relationship.

1. Fireside Chats

This communication exercise is based on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats,” in which he addressed the American people with the intention of making it feel as if he was speaking directly into their living room, carrying on a calm and rational discussion of important issues.

The intention of this exercise for couples is similar: to make the couple feel more connected, more aware of what is going on in each other’s lives, and to maintain a pulse on how the relationship is going.

The two partners should schedule a 15 to 30-minute “fireside chat” each week to practice their ability to speak calmly, respectfully, and effectively about important and relevant issues. They should minimize the chances of distraction (turn off the TV, put their phones on silent, etc.) and focus only on one another for these chats.

What the couple discusses is up to them, but if there are salient relationship issues, this is a good time to talk about them. If the issues are very serious, it may be a good idea to start out this exercise talking about less intense, less emotional topics before moving on to the problem areas.

2. High-Low Activity

The high-low activity also aims to help couples feel more connected and in touch with one another, which requires measured and thoughtful communication. Engaging in this exercise daily will give the couple a chance to practice their communication skills on a regular basis, as well as their active listening skills.

Here’s how the exercise works:

• Wait until the end of the day (e.g., at the end of dinner, around bedtime) to put it into practice.
• The couple will then “check-in” with each other about the other’s day.
• Each partner will ask the other to share their “high” of the day or the best part of their day.
• Next, each partner will ask the other to share their “low” of the day or the worst or most disappointing part of their day.
• As one partner is sharing, the other should practice active listening techniques, conveying their empathy and understanding to their partner.

This simple activity will result in a more intimate and understanding relationship between the two partners, all for just a few minutes a day.

3. Listening Without Words

If a couple wants to practice both their verbal and nonverbal communication, this is a great way to do it. The “Listening Without Words” activity allows each partner to apply both verbal and nonverbal communication skills, as it involves switching between only speaking and only listening.

This is how to practice it:

• The couple will schedule some time for themselves without kids, work, or other responsibilities interrupting them.
• They set a timer for somewhere between 3 to 5 minutes.
• Until the timer goes off, one partner acts as the speaker and the other acts as the listener. The speaker will talk about any subject they’d like to talk about.
• While the speaker talks, the listener will attempt to show the speaker compassion, empathy, and understanding through nonverbal communication only (e.g., smiling, nodding, taking their partner’s hand).
• When the timer goes off, the partners will have a chance to process what they experienced and discuss any thoughts or feelings that came up.
• Finally, the partners switch roles and repeat the exercise.

This exercise is a great way to boost your bond and your skills at the same time.

4. Eye See You

Similar to a previous exercise (“Eye-to-Eye”), this exercise relies heavily on eye contact; however, unlike the previous exercise, this one does not allow talking until the end.

Here’s how to give it a try:

• The couple should be in a quiet and relaxing environment, with as few distractions as possible.
• They sit in two chairs facing one another, near to one another but not touching.
• The couple sets a timer for five minutes and settles in their respective seats, making and holding eye contact with one another. They will hold eye contact but refrain from speaking or touching until the timer goes off.
• Both partners should be encouraged to note any thoughts, feelings, or sensations that come bubbling up during these five minutes.
• Once the timer goes off, the two should try to guess what the other person was thinking and feeling during the five minutes. Once they have a chance to guess, they should discuss these things that bubbled to the surface as they maintained eye contact.

It might surprise some people to hear what their partner was thinking and feeling during the activity, but a strong relationship depends on understanding and empathizing with one another, making communication like this a necessity.

5. Send Me a Postcard

Although we’ve mostly focused on verbal communication and communications via body language, facial expressions, and touch, there is another form that we haven’t mentioned: written communication. This activity guides the couple in developing more effective written communication skills.

Both partners should have two blank postcards and something to write with for this exercise. On one postcard, each partner will write down a message to the other partner communicating a frustration, a feeling, or a desire. They should take a few minutes to create a thoughtful message to their partner.

Once they have their postcard ready to “mail” each partner will deliver their message to their partner without any verbal communication. They will both read their partner’s message and take a few moments to process. When they feel ready, they will use their remaining blank postcard to craft a response to their partner’s message.

When both partners have finished writing their response, they will deliver those messages to one another as well. After they have both read the response postcards, the couple can debrief and discuss their messages to one another.

5 Communication Exercises for Couples Therapy

If you’re hungry for more couples’ communication exercises, maybe these five exercises will hit the spot!

1. Active Listening

Active listening is not the easiest skill to master, but it is an important one to develop. This exercise from marriage counseling expert Racheal Tasker will give you a chance to practice it with the person closest to you.

The next time you and your partner are talking about something important or sensitive, put these tips and techniques into practice:

• The speaker should remain focused on a single thought or idea.
• The listener should listen attentively to the speaker, concentrating on understanding their perspective and attempting to gain new insights into their thoughts and feelings.
• The speaker and listener should switch roles after a while to allow each to practice both types of communication.
• Both partners should practice speaking and listening with patience and love, allowing their feelings for their partner to guide them toward true understanding rather than just reacting (Tasker, n.d.).

2. Sharing Emotions Freely

It can be tough to be truly open with our emotions, but it’s vital for effective communication and a healthy relationship. Try this exercise to work on this skill.

The couple should agree to try this exercise together and follow these instructions:

• Decide on a specific time and place to put this exercise into practice.
• Let your partner know what you need to feel safe sharing your feelings, and listen to what your partner needs to feel safe sharing his or her feelings.
• Be sure to also ask your partner what would make him or her feel more comfortable as you share your feelings, as it can be just as difficult to hear as it is to share.
• Share with your partner! If it helps, use a timer to limit how much sharing can occur and to ensure equal time to share feelings.
• Listen to what your partner tells you and discuss what, if any, concrete steps you can take based on the information you’ve both shared. Commit to using the information you gained to improve your communication skills and your relationship in general (Tasker, n.d.).

3. Use Positive Language

Another great exercise from Racheal Tasker is focused on using positive language with one another. It can be surprisingly easy to slide into a pattern of mostly neutral or even negative language with your partner, but you can use this exercise to counter that tendency.

Here’s what to do:

• Commit to using positive language when you communicate with your partner.
• Ask your partner to make the same commitment to positive language.
• Avoid being overly critical or negative when communicating with your partner.
• Use a positive and encouraging tone when you speak to your partner.
• Keep an eye on the words you use; try to incorporate words like “love”, “feel”, “appreciate”, and ditch words like “fault”, “never”, and “hate” (e.g., “I hate it when you do X!”).

As partners continue to practice this exercise on a regular basis, they will find that their communication style grows more positive with less effort, and their relationship will flourish (Tasker, n.d.).

4. Take a Trip Together

There’s nothing like traveling with someone to work on your communication skills! Making a trip successful requires tons of communication, coordination, and clear expectations, but it can also open you up to fun new experiences and relaxation. To practice communicating with your partner, try planning and taking a trip together.

Plan your trip with a focus on doing things you both like, going to a place you’d both like to visit, and trying new food, activities, and other experiences together. Getting out of your routine and into a novel environment can do wonders for your communication—not to mention your overall mood.

Use some of the other tips and techniques mentioned in this article when you are planning your trip and while you are enjoying your trip; you’re sure to see some improvements to your communication with your partner (Tasker, n.d.).

You can find this exercise at this link , second exercise from the bottom.

5. I Feel (Blank)

The final exercise from Tasker is called “I Feel _____” and it’s a simple one.

We often have trouble sharing our feelings, even (or especially) with those we are closest to. A great way to work on communicating your feelings more often—and more effectively—is to practice saying “I feel (blank).”

The next time you are experiencing strong emotions or discussing a sensitive or difficult subject with your partner, try beginning your sentences with “I feel…” and continue from there. So, if you’re upset with your partner for forgetting about an important appointment or canceling plans at the last minute, instead of saying “You don’t respect my time,” try “I feel like you don’t respect my time.”

Framing your discussion in this manner—as a statement of your feelings rather than a personal attack or blaming session—is not only conducive to greater understanding, it also shows your partner that you care about having a constructive conversation and that your intentions are not to hurt them but to help them see from your perspective.

According to researchers Peterson and Green (2009), family communication is so important because:

“…it enables members to express their needs, wants, and concerns to each other. Open and honest communication creates an atmosphere that allows family members to express their differences as well as love and admiration for one another.”

The benefits of high-quality communication make spending time on improving the way family members relate to one another a task that is well worth the time spent on it. If you’re interested in working on your communication skills as a family, give the following activities and exercises a try.

These 14 activities are great tools to use in family therapy, but you can also try them at home.

4 Group Exercises for the Family

These four group exercises are a great introduction to communication skill-building as a family. They’re fun, engaging, and good for all ages!

1. What If?

The best time to work on communication skills is when families take the time to just sit and relax together. This simple game is a great way to do that, allowing families to improve how they communicate with one another while laughing together and putting their imagination to good use.

You will need strips of paper, a pencil or pen for each family member, and two bowls.

• Get two slips of paper and something to write with for each family member.
• On the first slip, have each family member write a question off the top of his or her head; it can be silly, serious, or anywhere in between. Put all the questions in one of the bowls and give them a good mix.
• On the second slip of paper, have each family member write an answer to the question they came up with. Place these slips in the second bowl and mix them up.
• Pass each bowl around the room and have each family member take one question slip and one answer slip.
• Have each family member read the question and the answer that they have in their hand. The questions and answers might fit well together or they may result in absurd combinations!
• Continue the game with two more slips of blank paper. It may take a few rounds for everyone to get the hang of the game, but family members will get more comfortable with the game and enjoy it more as they go along.

Use the following questions to guide your discussion as a family:

• Did the activity spark your imagination?
• Why did the questions and answers get funnier after several rounds?

2. Expressing Individuality

Although families usually share values, norms, and beliefs, that doesn’t mean all family members will see things the same way. It can be hard for some family members to communicate their thoughts and feelings when they feel like the odd one out or a “black sheep” in the family.

To make sure your family is a safe space for everyone to share their thoughts and feelings, give the “Expressing Individuality” activity a try. It will help each family member understand that they are a valuable part of the family and that they are always free to share their unique perspective.

You’ll need about an hour for this activity, 15 minutes to make the dough and 45 minutes for the activity itself. Use one of the recipes below to make your own play dough as a family.

If you want to make reusable play dough, mix together:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water (add food coloring to water if you want colored clay)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon oil

After mixing these ingredients together, put over low heat and stir slowly. When the dough has formed into a small ball, remove it from the heat and knead while still warm. Store the clay in a sealed container.

If you plan on baking your designs at the end of this activity to preserve them, mix together:

• ½ cup water
• Food coloring (if desired—you can also paint the figures after you bake them)

Follow these instructions to encourage each family member to express their individuality:

• If you love Boy Scouts, you may want to mold the image of a person sitting on a log by a campfire.
• If you received an award as the “Employee of the Month,” you may want to mold the image of something that represents hard work, or dependability.
• If friendliness is a personal characteristic that you value, you may want to mold a face with a pleasant smile, or if you have a great love for animals, you may want to mold several of your favorite animals.
• After creating your unique design, you can preserve it by placing it on a cookie sheet and baking it in the oven on warm for several hours (until hard). This will harden the clay hard so that it maintains its shape. If you did not use food coloring to color the clay, or if you like to paint, you could paint the hardened figure. Once everyone has completed a mold, display these molds in the home.

To continue working on communicating your individuality as a family, ask these questions and discuss your answers together:

• Why did you choose to make what you did?
• What does it mean to you?

If the idea of creating a figure out of play dough doesn’t appeal to you, you can also try these two alternatives:

• You could draw pictures using plain white paper and colored pencils/crayons. Drawing may allow you to express more ideas than if you use clay. Make sure that you do not place an emphasis on artistic abilities. It is okay to draw simple stick figures that represent people or other objects.
• You could cut pictures out of old magazines and paste them on a poster board. After each person has completed a mold, picture, or collage, allow each family member to explain how their collage, picture or mold represents them.

3. Hints of Anger

Anger is a normal human emotion, and we will all get angry at some point. Instead of trying to avoid or deny anger, it’s vital that families learn how to manage their anger and communicate it to others in a healthy way. This activity will help family members identify their anger cues (the signs that indicate they are getting angry) and help them regulate their emotions to ensure they don’t say or do something they will regret.

Here’s how to do this activity as a family:

• Tell family members to think about a time when they were angry or upset, and consider how they felt.
• Were your hands relaxed or clenched in a fist?
• Was your heart rate normal or beating fast?
• Were your muscles relaxed or tight with tension?
• What kind of thoughts was going through your head?
• As a family, discuss any discrepancies between what you think about your anger cues and what other family members think.
• How did your body feel during this period of time?
• In which scenario did you feel more comfortable, angry, or happy?
• Discuss the importance of knowing when you are getting upset and might need to take a break and think.

After the activity, discuss these questions as a family:

• Why is it important to recognize the signs that you are angry?
• Why is it important to control your anger?
• What do you feel like specifically, when you are upset?
• What are the things you are going to do to manage your anger so it does not hurt your family relationships?
• Can recognizing anger cues help in managing your anger?

4. Family Meetings

Family meetings are a good idea for a lot of reasons, but yet another benefit of these get-togethers is the potential for building and developing better communication skills as a family. Regular family meetings can help family members learn how to:

• Make joint decisions
• Plan together
• Accept responsibility
• Show concern for others
• Spend some quality time together

Pick one night of the week when your family can consistently get together for a weekly family meeting that lasts 30 to 60 minutes, and make sure it’s scheduled on everyone’s calendar.

Here’s how to conduct good family meetings:

• Set a regular time. Setting a regular time and place gives the family council a position of importance and results in it becoming a permanent part of family operations. If everyone knows that the family is meeting together regularly, they find that most problems can wait a few days to be discussed. For this reason, some families like weekly meetings.
• Use an agenda. Post a paper during the week where family members can list concerns they want brought up (possibly, the message center). Discuss things in the order listed. This also reduces problems between meetings when parents can say, “List it on the agenda and we’ll discuss it at the meeting.”
• Attendance is voluntary . All members of the family are invited to attend — but attendance is voluntary. However, if a member is not present, he/she is still expected to abide by any decisions made by the family council.
• Each person has an equal voice . Everyone should be encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions. All members must be treated the same, regardless of age. Using the steps of negotiation to (1) introduce the problem, (2) discuss solutions, and (3) vote on a solution. This gives everyone a chance to be involved. Councils do not always run smoothly. Teenagers are often suspicious that the new program is just another way for parents to gain compliance with their demands. In the first council meetings, rebelliousness may be exhibited to deliberately test whether parents are sincere about including them in family decision-making.
• Use rules of order . If participation is to be equal, then some type of order must be maintained. If a person has the right to express himself, then he also has the right to be heard — which implies that others have the obligation to listen. Rules of order help this situation.
• Rotate chairmanship . If the same person conducts all meetings, that person eventually begins to assume an air of superiority. To help maintain a feeling of equality, family members should take turns conducting the councils. This allows each person to experience the privileges and the responsibilities of this position.
• Accentuate solutions . Family council should not be “just a gripe session” — a time to get together and complain. In order to prevent this, you may decide that the person presenting a problem must also suggest one possible solution. Family members could then discuss alternate solutions or modify the one presented. In practice, some solutions do not work as well as anticipated. As family members begin to live with a decision, they may decide it needs to be changed. This change, however, must wait until the next regular meeting. Children soon recognize a need for better solutions and they learn by experience to make wiser choices. When family council is held regularly, each member learns to project ahead and anticipate problems. When this occurs, the emphasis at council meetings shifts from problem-solving to problem prevention and planning. Family council can also be a time to plan fun things like vacations or family outings. Families can talk about different places to visit and how they want to spend the time available.
• Decide on the authority level . The family council can be the final authority for the family, or a family can have a modified version of decision making. For it to be effective, however, most decisions made by the council need to be binding. If parents always overrule the council, children will soon lose interest.
• Keep a record . There sometimes develops a difference of opinions as to who conducted the last meeting, what matters were discussed, and what plans were agreed upon. For this reason, a secretary to record minutes is most helpful. The secretary can rotate with each meeting.

After your first family meeting, discuss these questions as a family:

• How did your first family meeting go?
• What about the meeting was good? What was bad?
• What do you want to incorporate in future meetings?

4 Active Listening Exercises

Active listening is a vital part of communication and can greatly improve relationships between family members. These four active listening exercises are a great way to boost your skills.

1. Precision Communication

Another activity that can help your family build and continue to develop good communication skills is called “Precision Communication.” It’s focused on active listening, which is a vital part of communication and conducive to better understanding and stronger, healthier relationships.

Here’s how to put this activity into practice:

• Set up a maze in your home using furniture, such as kitchen chairs or other pieces of furniture that can act as a barrier.
• Tie string or yarn between the furniture to create a clear path through the maze.
• Select a family member that will try to walk through the maze blindfolded. This person must not see the maze prior to being blindfolded.
• Have someone give voice instructions so the family member can be directed through the maze.

This activity’s aim is to see if the family member giving instructions can help the blindfolded family member get through the maze without bumping into the furniture, walls, or string. This means that not only must the speaking family member communicate clear and detailed instructions, but the blindfolded family member must also use their active listening skills to receive the instructions and implement them effectively.

Use these discussion questions to debrief and maximize this learning opportunity:

• Why was clear detailed communication necessary for this exercise?
• How important was it to listen carefully to the one giving instructions? Why?
• What were some of the difficulties associated with helping a family member complete this exercise?
• Using some of the ideas from this exercise, how can you, as a family, improve your communication skills?

If you want more from this activity, try this follow-up:

Draw a simple picture or pattern on a piece of paper. Without letting family members see the diagram, tell them what they need to do to make a copy of your picture that matches as closely as possible. After giving detailed instructions, see how accurately the pictures match up.

2. End of the Word—Beginning of the Next

This is a fun game on the Encourage Play website that can keep your kids actively engaged in building their listening skills.

Here’s how to play:

• One person (probably an adult) starts the game by giving out one word—it can be any word, it just needs to be one that every family member knows how to spell.
• The next family member must listen to the word the previous person said, then come up with a word that starts with the letter the last word ended with.

This is an easy game to play since you don’t need any materials, just a few minutes and the ability to hear one another! That makes it a great game for car rides, waiting in restaurants, or standing in a long line. To make it more challenging, give it a bit of complexity by limiting the words to a category, like animals or cities.

3. Red Light Green Light

Another exercise from the Encourage Play website is a familiar one. It’s based on the classic “Red Light, Green Light” game in which the leader gives instructions by color: saying “red light” means stop and saying “green light” means go.

To make the game a bit more challenging and really emphasize the importance of active listening, incorporate these three variations to the game:

• Different colors refer to different types of movement; for example, yellow light could mean skipping, purple light could mean crab walking, and blue light could mean hopping.
• Pretend to be a different animal for different colors (yellow = lion, green = bunny, purple = frog, etc.).
• Use words that rhyme with red or green to see if the players catch the difference (e.g., “Bread Light! Teen Light!”).

4. Tell a Group Story

Group stories are a great way to practice active listening with the whole family. It also gives kids a chance to be creative and silly, which helps to keep them engaged in the activity.

• The first person (probably an adult) starts a story with just one sentence (e.g., “Once upon a time, there was a very curious brown bunny”).
• The next person adds onto the story with just one sentence as well (e.g., “This bunny lived with her mother and father in a cozy little burrow under a willow tree”).
• The story continues until everyone has contributed at least a couple of sentences to the story.

This activity boosts active listening skills because it requires careful and attentive listening to what has already been said in order to make a good contribution to the story.

3 Assertive Communication Exercises

One of the best skills to teach your kids is how to be assertive instead of aggressive or passive (or passive-aggressive). Use these three assertive communication activities to help them learn this important skill.

1. Assertive Communication Worksheet

This worksheet is a great way to help older kids understand the difference between types of communication and to learn how to communicate assertively.

The worksheet first provides a good working definition of assertive communication:

“A communication style in which a person stands up for their own needs and wants, while also taking into consideration the needs and wants of others, without behaving passively or aggressively.”

It also outlines the traits of people who are assertive communicators, including:

• Clearly state needs and wants
• Eye contact
• Listens to others without interruption
• Appropriate speaking volume
• Steady tone of voice
• Confident body language

Next, it shares four tips on communicating assertively:

• Respect yourself—your wants and needs are as important as everyone else’s.
• Express your thought and feelings calmly rather than using the silent treatment or yelling and threatening.
• Plan out what you’re going to say before you say it.
• Say “no” when you need to, say it clearly, and do it without lying.

After some examples of assertive communication, we get to the active part of the worksheet. It’s geared toward adults, but the scenarios can be tweaked to fit kids as well.

There are four situations presented and space to write out your own assertive response to each. These situations are:

• Your partner says, “ I know you have plans for the weekend, but I really need you to watch the kids. I have a friend coming to town, and we made plans .”
• Situation: You’ve just received your food at a restaurant, and it was prepared incorrectly. Your sandwich seems to have extra mayo, instead of no mayo.
• Your friend says, “ Hey, can I borrow some money? I want to buy these shoes, but I left my wallet at home. I’ll pay you back soon, I swear. It won’t be like last time .”
• Situation: Your neighbor is adding an expansion to their house, and the crew starts working, very loudly, at 5 am. It has woken you up every day for a week.

Working through these scenarios as a family can help your kids see what healthy assertive communication looks like and show them that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes.

2. The Aggressive Alligator

The Aggressive Alligator is a great tool from Kristina Marcelli-Sargent, for teaching assertiveness over-aggressiveness or passiveness. It makes what can be a dry and boring subject more interesting and engaging.

Start by giving simple definitions to the terms “passive,” “aggressive,” and “assertive.” Next, show them a list of animals or a bin of small stuffed animals and allow them to choose an animal that they feel represents each definition. The aggressive animal doesn’t need to be an alligator, it can be anything that makes sense to your children.

After your kids have chosen an animal for each term, describe some social situations and instruct your kids to act them out with their animals. Each animal should act according to the definition it represents (e.g., the aggressive alligator should act aggressively, the passive panda should act passively, and the assertive anteater should act assertively).

Once all scenarios have been acted out, talk to your kids about how the outcomes differed between the three animals. Point out which one(s) resulted in a positive outcome and which one(s) should probably be avoided. In the future, you can refer back to the assertive anteater to remind your kids to be assertive instead of passive or aggressive (Sargent, 2015).

3. Keeping Cool

A great lesson for kids to learn is that assertive communication is about being firm and direct without being angry or upset. This activity will help you teach healthy assertiveness to your kids or students.

Here’s how to go about it:

• First, ask your kids how people might feel when they are bullied. If they have trouble coming up with answers, talk about how people might feel angry, scared, sad, upset, embarrassed, or confused.
• Next, ask your kids what kinds of things people want to do when they feel this way. If they can’t think of things people might do when they feel upset, angry, or sad, mention that they might yell, throw something, hit something, hide, cry, or do something else to make another person feel as bad as they feel.
• Ask your kids if they think these are good or helpful things to do. Explain how everyone has strong, negative feelings like this sometimes, and that it’s okay to feel them. These feelings have a purpose; they tell us that something is wrong or that something needs to be fixed, but they can also encourage us to do the wrong thing unless we learn how to keep a cool head.
• Close your eyes and take several slow deep breaths
• Count to ten
• Relax the muscles in your face and body
• Talk silently to yourself and repeat a soothing phrase, such as “Keep calm” or “I control my feelings”
• Get a drink of water
• Go sit by a person you trust

Discuss these options with the whole group and decide together on what the best techniques are, then practice using them together.

Click here to read about this exercise from the Education Development Center’s Bullying Prevention program.

3 Nonverbal Communication Exercises

Finally, although verbal communication is generally the focus of skill-building exercises and activities, nonverbal communication is also a vital skill to develop.

Use these 3 exercises to help your kids build their nonverbal skills.

1. Understanding Non-Verbal Communication

Things like tone of voice, facial expressions, body posture, and hand gestures are all non-verbal, but they are hugely important in our communication with others. If we say one thing with our words and another with our face or body, we can end up giving mixed messages and confusing others.

To make sure we are saying what we want to say with our words and our face, body, and tone, help your kids learn how to understand and “speak” non-verbal communications.

Here’s s description of this activity:

“As a family, make a list of different non-verbal actions. For example, folding your arms, snorting, frowning, etc… Select a TV program or a segment of a video. Watch about 5 to 7 minutes of the program with the volume off. While watching the program without volume, identify the different non-verbal messages, especially the feelings that are expressed. After 5 to 7 minutes, turn off the TV and discuss what you observed. You could even carry on the discussion as the program continues.”

To get the discussion started, use questions like:

• What were the non-verbal messages that you observed?
• How important do you think the non-verbal messages are in helping you to enjoy the movie and understand what was going on in the movie?
• Did you observe any confusing non-verbal messages?
• What feelings were expressed through non-verbal communication?
• What were some of the difficulties of this activity?
• What can you do to be more aware of non-verbal messages?
• Did everyone think the non-verbal message meant the same thing?
• Are non-verbal messages always obvious in real life?

If you want more from this exercise, try this follow-up activity. Seat two family members away from each other and have them carry on a conversation about giving directions to somewhere or explaining how to do something. As they talk, they should focus on trying to understand the other person’s feelings.

After doing this for a few minutes, the two should turn around, face each other, and continue the discussion—they will likely find it much easier!

Use the following questions to guide your discussion after the follow-up:

• When you had your backs to each other, did a lack of non-verbal communication affect your ability to communicate with the other person? If so, how?
• What feelings did you experience as you communicated with your back to the other person?
• When you spoke to the other person face-to-face, did this improve your ability to communicate and understand the other person’s feelings? If so, how?
• Did face-to-face communication improve your ability to understand the other person’s feelings?
• How can you increase your awareness of non-verbal messages you do not mean to be sending?
• How can you be aware of how we may misinterpret someone else’s non-verbal messages?”

2. Charades

Charades is a popular game with kids since it’s fun, easy to play, and can result in some seriously silly situations.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Animals: Monkey, dog, cat, rabbit, kangaroo, snake
• Activities: brushing teeth, playing cards, shining a flashlight, fishing, playing frisbee
• Emotions: scared, sad, bored, angry, happy, wary, proud

Acting out these prompts will give kids an opportunity to practice communicating non-verbally, a skill that they can easily build over time (Simmons, n.d.).

This nonverbal communication activity  is available from Sue Simmons at Equinox Family Consulting.

3. Silent Snack

Finally, another activity from Sue Simmons is called “ Silent Snack ” and it gives young children a chance to have fun while building their nonverbal communication skills.

Follow these instructions to give it a try:

• Put out a few different snacks in individual bowls.
• Tell everyone it’s “Silent Snack Time,” meaning there’s no talking allowed!
• Offer each person a taste of each snack.
• Each player should take turns sharing their opinion on each snack. They can use indicators like thumbs up and thumbs down or facial expressions to communicate their opinions.

It’s a simple activity, but an effective one! Give it a try at your next snack time.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

I hope you leave this piece with a treasure trove of new resources you can use to improve your own life or the lives of your clients.

Communication skills are one of the most important skills a person can have, making it well worth your while to devote some time and energy to develop them.

What are your favorite ways to work on communicating with your spouse? Do you schedule a time to talk about how your relationship is doing or do you just let it flow naturally? What do you think are the best ways to build, enhance, and maintain your communication skills? Let us know in the comments section.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

• Abass, S. (n.d.). 3 benefits of effective communication in a relationship. Lifehack. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/509189/3-benefits-effective-communication-relationship
• https://defeatingdivorce.com/communication-exercises-for-couples/
• Fleming, G. (2018). 4 helpful nonverbal communication activities. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/nonverbal-communication-activities-1857230
• Heitler, S. (2010). What does communication have to do with a good relationship? GoodTherapy. Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-does-communication-have-to-do-with-good-relationship
• Lee, T. R., & Pyfer, T. (n.d.). Helping youth succeed: Strengthening family ties: A workbook of activities designed to strengthen family relationships . Utah State University Extension. Retrieved from https://www.families-first.net/uploads/userfiles/files/FL_Youth_02.pdf
• Mendler, A. (2013). Teaching your students how to have a conversation. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-your-students-conversation-allen-mendler
• Norman, B. (2018). Trainers’ tips: Active listening exercises. Training Zone . Retrieved from https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/develop/cpd/trainers-tips-active-listening-exercises
• Peterson, R., & Green, S. (2009). Helping Youth Succeed: Keys to successful family functioning: Communication . Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/350/350-092/350-092_pdf.pdf
• Reichmann, D. (n.d.). 5 communication games guaranteed to bring you closer. Engaged Marriage . Retrieved from https://www.engagedmarriage.com/5-communication-games/
• Rosenberg, M. B. (1999). Nonviolent communication: A language of compassion. Del Mar.
• Sargent, K. M. (2015). The aggressive alligator: Fun ways to teach assertiveness to children. Art of Social Work . Retrieved from https://kristinamarcelli.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/the-aggressive-alligator-fun-ways-to-teach-assertiveness-to-children/
• Simmons, S. (n.d.). Nonverbal games: 10 simple activities . Equinox Family Consulting, Ltd. Retrieved from https://equinoxfamilyconsulting.com/communication/nonverbal-games-10-simple-activities/
• Stanfield, J. (2017). 8 tips to teach effective communication skills. James Stanfield. Retrieved from https://stanfield.com/blog/2017/11/8-tips-teach-effective-communication-skills/
• Sott, A. (2018). Teaching communication skills. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-communication-skills
• Tasker, R. (n.d.). 6 amazing couples therapy exercises for improving communication . GuideDoc . Retrieved from https://guidedoc.com/couples-therapy-exercises-for-improving-communication
• Victoria Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Relationships and communications . Better Health Channel. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/relationships-and-communication

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