Additional Group Ideas to Consider for Clarity Counseling & Consulting Services For Corporate, Schools or Community
The ideas presented here are categorized by the overall tone and feel of the service. You decide which speaks best to your organization’s needs.
Presented here are only a couple ideas in a few categories. These are presented in addition to what has been discussed on the main web page titled “Corporate, Schools and Community”.
Regardless of what type of creative spin you might add to the service we provide; the mental health and wellness factor will be infused into the service on a deeper level than what is described here. Scheduling a consultation is important so I can learn who you are; what needs you wish to meet; and more information about the purpose of your event.
*Activities must be facilitated in a safe emotional environment and participants need to choose their level of emotional contribution to the activity. When an individual can contribute a part of their personal self to a group activity, it brings a new level of emotional and professional commitment to that group. Commitment to groups, when healthy and genuine, can increase a sense of belonging. Belonging -when healthy - is important to self-esteem. Self-esteem is important to wellness, as well as productivity.
Artistic Therapeutic Activity Ideas When people are invested in an idea they tend to show more commitment. Find an item or an area on your property and invite your employees, team, students or group to modify it with some artistic skills.
- Sponge paint bricks
- Paint a wall with a specific purpose or graffiti it
- Paint rocks and assemble them to make a rock garden
- Paint a vehicle that can sit on the property for advertisement or to be used for community service.
The therapeutic value of these kinds of artistic activities go beyond team building. In addition to a group making a like-minded investment of time, energy and creativity – the activities are likely to provide individual benefits as well.
The following are a sample of possibilities to ignite therapeutic value from the activity ideas listed above:
- The counselor instructs the group to individually think of a situation. This situation may relate to information the organizer provided to the counselor and which relates to the organizer’s end goal. Next, each individual in the group is asked to pick a color(s) that they feel connect to the situation they thought of (the memory, dream, goal, etc.). Let's assume the group is painting rocks and assembling a rock garden in the lobby of the company's office.
Now, whenever each individual from the group sees their contribution to the creative piece, they will naturally experience at least one emotion, on some level, in reflection of the day they did this activity. When the activity is facilitated with meaning and it is received by the group with some level of enthusiasm and commitment, the activity itself and the final result can create numerous wellness benefits. For one person the reminder of the activity may remind them of their commitment to their team. Another person might reflect on their personal thought-processes from the activity and seeing the rock garden may serve as a reminder of something positive (commitment, creativity, positive thoughts, company morale, etc.).
- Follow up activities. Engaging in a group activity like this provides a platform for the organizer to use to deliver a message or learning opportunity to their group such as a reminder of core team building concepts; desired company culture; the appreciation of individual talents, and so forth. The platform itself (the activity) can be used as a foundation to branch off into new, future activities. There are many possibilities to obtain organizational and therapeutic value from these kinds of activities.
Musical Therapeutic Ideas. Music in itself has infinite therapeutic benefits if the person(s) is receptive to being moved by the music or the musical ceremony. Below are some possibilities for a counselor-led musical event with therapeutic benefits:
- The counselor can ask participants to come to the event with a piece of a song they find inspiring. The participants are welcomed (but not required) to share why that song and specifically that part of the song is important to them. Those who do not wish to share the personal background can be asked to simply share what emotion or purpose the piece might represent. The group then takes the musical notes and/or the song’s words and finds a way to piece each piece together to create a new song (never to be published of course).
- Create silly lyrics while having someone try to match it with an instrument. This can be especially silly if played as follows: Everyone writes one sentence of a lyric on their own paper and carries it onto the second line by only a couple words. Then fold the paper over the full line, leaving the few words on the next line in view. Next, pass the paper to the person next to you (the entire group doing this simultaneously). Now, continue the sentence the other person started without looking at the line(s) that the folded paper is hiding. Once the paper is filled up, unfold and read the entire paper. It is almost always hilarious.
The goal of this activity is humorous. Laughter can be healing and laughter certainly unites people on different levels, whether it is to fill a gap in one mundane day or to unite a friendship for the long term. While these activities can certainly be used without a contract with Clarity Counseling, remember the value of the counselor's credentials and experience adds multiple dimensions to these activities.
Awareness Campaigns
Utilize counseling to consult on awareness campaigns for a mental health or general wellness-related topic. The counselor’s credential helps brand the message and unite the team organizing the campaign.