pathwaystopeace

Darius’ Foster Care Adventure is about a boy who was removed from his parent’s home after they got in trouble. He is nervous as he goes to stay with a foster family, unsure about how he will be received and if his needs will be met. He slowly warms to the family and eventually feels like he is at home. He works through conflicting emotions, grieving the loss of his parents, feeling torn about where he belongs, and confusion and anger regarding his parent’s absence. The book was intentionally left as a cliffhanger – it does not say whether Darius was able to go back home to his parents. Some of the kids I read the book to were frustrated by this, appearing to want to know how his story ends so they could better process their own situation. The game cards seemed to help, as kids were able to identify ways their story was similar and identify ways it is different. They could consider from an outside view how they thought Darius would feel and what he would experience. This book is a way to open dialogue regarding a difficult topic. Kids will often avoid talking about their own feelings but may be willing to talk about what someone in a similar situation is going through. Ultimately, one of the most difficult aspects is not knowing if they will return home. It tends to be a lingering question that causes instability and a sense of not knowing where they belong. Another aspect of the foster care/guardianship/adoption situation is that kids are all at various stages of grieving the loss of their parents and working on bonding with their new family. Kids who have been adopted may have already worked through the process and now identify their adoptive family as to where they belong. Age also makes a significant difference in the process. In conclusion, it’s complicated! I can see why there are so few resources for therapists related to foster care and adoption. I hope this is a helpful resource that will help in the healing journey of children. This game/book is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Andy’s Anger Eruptions is a story and game about a boy with explosive anger. He flies off the handle quickly, then feels out of control when he must deal with the consequences of his anger. He is lonely and isolated. Not only that, but it is also impacting his self-esteem, as he feels like he just can’t win. Domestic violence is discussed through a back door approach. I like using the back door with kids because it seems to keep their defenses down. In this situation, the book is about a child’s experience with anger, but a small part of it is about a man who hurt his children. In the story, Andy spends the day with the principal due to getting in trouble. She tells him he needs to get control of his anger because as he grows older, the consequences get more severe. She tells him about a dad who was arrested for hurting his children during a fit of anger. Despite recognizing the consequences of his anger outbursts, Andy continues to struggle. A friend helps him learn how to recognize the tell-tale signs in his body that show him he is getting triggered. He then learned coping skills to calm down and regain control of his body. He learned how to control his body so that his anger no longer had control over him. The book and game cover important topics when addressing anger in children. First, they need to be aware of their triggers. They also need to know how their thoughts trigger feelings, which will result in behavior. CBT interventions are offered to gain control of thoughts. Next, body awareness helps kids to recognize signs and symptoms happening in their bodies to alert them that their fight, flight, or freeze response has been triggered. To turn off this response, they need to learn coping skills. These include CBT interventions, exercise, calming activities, and ways to process their emotions. This is a great resource for kids who struggle with anger. They are so often labeled as “bad” kids, or they are scorned upon for their blowups. This can really impact their self-concept. They just need a hand in understanding their bodies and thoughts. A little bit of success can go a long way in building confidence to overcome these challenges. Not only that, but if kids can learn to manage anger while they are young, perhaps we can help bring down the domestic violence problems. The book/game is coming soon at www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

A House Divided is about a girl’s journey through her parents’ divorce. It starts with the strain of fighting on the family and how her parents grew apart. She then experiences sharing her time between two homes. Her parents recognize her sadness and try to make things better by taking her to fun places and giving her gifts. She has many emotions as she processes the changes that have happened in her world. It takes some time, but she learns to cope with the changes and her heart opens to loving new people who are introduced to her family. At the end of the story, mom meets someone new and a stepdad is introduced. The game allows children to reflect on their own stories and the changes they have experienced. Each child will have a unique perspective and experiences, and each family has unique dynamics. The game provides an outlet for reflecting on how the family interacts and which struggles they are experiencing. This story/game combo could be used in individual, group, or family counseling sessions or utilized by families who want their children to process family changes in a healthy way. The story sets the stage and presents the concepts discussed in the game. The game/book is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

A House Divided is about a girl’s journey through her parents’ divorce. It starts with the strain of fighting on the family and how her parents grew apart. She then experiences sharing her time between two homes. Her parents recognize her sadness and try to make things better by taking her to fun places and giving her gifts. She has many emotions as she processes the changes that have happened in her world. It takes some time, but she learns to cope with the changes and her heart opens to loving new people who are introduced to her family. At the end of the story, mom meets someone new and a stepdad is introduced. The game allows children to reflect on their own stories and the changes they have experienced. Each child will have a unique perspective and experiences, and each family has unique dynamics. The game provides an outlet for reflecting on how the family interacts and which struggles they are experiencing. This story/game combo could be used in individual, group, or family counseling sessions or utilized by families who want their children to process family changes in a healthy way. The story sets the stage and presents the concepts discussed in the game. The game/book is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Thoughts on Trial is a book/game to help children identify self-talk and to challenge false beliefs or negative self-talk statements. This resource was made to help children understand cognitive behavioral skills so they can overcome defeating thought patterns. The book shows a courtroom in the mind with a bully who is calling the child, Jordan, a name. The lawyer calls in the witnesses: Jordan’s mom, his teacher, and his best friend. Each report that Jordan is smart and that there is no evidence that he is dumb. In the end, the bully is found to be lying and Jordan is free from the accusations. The biggest bully most people face is their own self-talk statements. Once kids can identify how to prove a bully wrong, they can then use those skills to challenge their self-talk. Cognitive-behavioral counseling is powerful and effective, but the concepts can be challenging for children to understand. This resource helps simplify it and makes it practical, so kids can understand and put the skills to use.

Uniquely Brilliant is a book/game to help children identify their own unique blend of intelligence. Most intelligence tests focus primarily on reading and math skills, but there are so many other forms of intelligence! This book scratches the surface by introducing many types of intelligence, such as music, athletic ability, art, emotional intelligence, being in tune with nature, and having a deep understanding of yourself. Some people are incredibly talented in building things, robotics, all different forms of science, and having incredible survival skills. Most people have a blend of several different forms of intelligence to create specific abilities and understanding that may be mind-blowing to others. However, if kids only consider intelligence as book smarts, they may ignore that masterful design they have within them. The goal of this book and game is to help children grow in self-confidence and stir a flame of desire to seek after their innate abilities rather than try to fit into the typical mold. The game takes the information from the book and asks questions to help children identify their strengths and weaknesses. They can also consider how they rely on others to meet needs when they are weak in an area, highlighting the point that all the different forms of intelligence are needed for us to have functioning communities. Self-discovery leads to growth empowers them to focus on strengths instead of weaknesses. This game is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Movie Reels of the Mind is a book and game that helps children use visualization to overcome fears and anxiety, to feel grounded and safe, and to envision overcoming an obstacle. Visualization is a powerful cognitive behavioral skill to take control of thoughts and point them in a positive direction. This book walks kids through the process of using visualization. They will learn how to picture a place they would like to go, picture a favorite memory, and watch their favorite show in their mind. They will learn how to try to include all their senses in the experience. The book addresses standing up to a bully, envisioning winning a ball game, and making an A on a test. These skills are helpful for stopping ruminating thoughts and calming down when triggered. You can use visualization anywhere and at any time. It can help children overcome nighttime fears and to fall asleep after a nightmare. Visualizing a happy memory can help a child who is grieving the loss of a family member or missing an absent parent. The game helps children personalize the skills to their own experience. They will be able to identify how to use these skills in their daily life. The questions will guide them into thinking through the details of how to make visualization work for them. This game is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com

Katie’s Fortress is a story about a little girl who has social anxiety. She feels safe and secure in her fortress but feels the need to wear armor when going around others. On a trip to the village, she sees kids playing and enjoying the company of others. They do not look worried at all. She was perplexed. How did they feel a feeling of peace while she felt so insecure? She recognized a sense of loneliness and a desire to connect with others. She realized that her fortress and armor offered protection, but they also created a barrier between herself and others. She realized she would have to face her fears and leave the armor behind if she was going to enjoy relationships. She discovered that the other children found safety and strength within relationships. She found that her misbelief about finding safety in her fortress had led to emotions and behavior that were self-defeating. After she faced her fears, she was able to build friendships and let go of her worries. The game helps children learn how to challenge beliefs and replace irrational thoughts with new beliefs and thoughts that are productive and helpful. The game cards address triggering thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and coping mechanisms to help kids overcome their fears. They will also be able to identify the benefits of friendship and friendship goals. This game / book is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Darius’ Foster Care Adventure is about a boy who was removed from his parent’s home after they got in trouble. He is nervous as he goes to stay with a foster family, unsure about how he will be received and if his needs will be met. He slowly warms to the family and eventually feels like he is at home. He works through conflicting emotions, grieving the loss of his parents, feeling torn about where he belongs, and confusion and anger regarding his parent’s absence. The book was intentionally left as a cliffhanger – it does not say whether Darius was able to go back home to his parents. Some of the kids I read the book to were frustrated by this, appearing to want to know how his story ends so they could better process their own situation. The game cards seemed to help, as kids were able to identify ways their story was similar and identify ways it is different. They could consider from an outside view how they thought Darius would feel and what he would experience. This book is a way to open dialogue regarding a difficult topic. Kids will often avoid talking about their own feelings but may be willing to talk about what someone in a similar situation is going through. Ultimately, one of the most difficult aspects is not knowing if they will return home. It tends to be a lingering question that causes instability and a sense of not knowing where they belong. Another aspect of the foster care/guardianship/adoption situation is that kids are all at various stages of grieving the loss of their parents and working on bonding with their new family. Kids who have been adopted may have already worked through the process and now identify their adoptive family as to where they belong. Age also makes a significant difference in the process. In conclusion, it’s complicated! I can see why there are so few resources for therapists related to foster care and adoption. I hope this is a helpful resource that will help in the healing journey of children. This game/book is coming soon to www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Andy’s Anger Eruptions is a story and game about a boy with explosive anger. He flies off the handle quickly, then feels out of control when he must deal with the consequences of his anger. He is lonely and isolated. Not only that, but it is also impacting his self-esteem, as he feels like he just can’t win. Domestic violence is discussed through a back door approach. I like using the back door with kids because it seems to keep their defenses down. In this situation, the book is about a child’s experience with anger, but a small part of it is about a man who hurt his children. In the story, Andy spends the day with the principal due to getting in trouble. She tells him he needs to get control of his anger because as he grows older, the consequences get more severe. She tells him about a dad who was arrested for hurting his children during a fit of anger. Despite recognizing the consequences of his anger outbursts, Andy continues to struggle. A friend helps him learn how to recognize the tell-tale signs in his body that show him he is getting triggered. He then learned coping skills to calm down and regain control of his body. He learned how to control his body so that his anger no longer had control over him. The book and game cover important topics when addressing anger in children. First, they need to be aware of their triggers. They also need to know how their thoughts trigger feelings, which will result in behavior. CBT interventions are offered to gain control of thoughts. Next, body awareness helps kids to recognize signs and symptoms happening in their bodies to alert them that their fight, flight, or freeze response has been triggered. To turn off this response, they need to learn coping skills. These include CBT interventions, exercise, calming activities, and ways to process their emotions. This is a great resource for kids who struggle with anger. They are so often labeled as “bad” kids, or they are scorned upon for their blowups. This can really impact their self-concept. They just need a hand in understanding their bodies and thoughts. A little bit of success can go a long way in building confidence to overcome these challenges. Not only that, but if kids can learn to manage anger while they are young, perhaps we can help bring down the domestic violence problems. The book/game is coming soon at www.pathwaystopeacecounseling.com.

Mario is having a rough day. He is upset and not feeling like himself, but he doesn't understand why. His emotions are so jumbled up that he doesn't know where one feeling ends and another begins. The school counselor helps Mario by explaining that there is a gap between his brain and heart. You think and process information in your brain, but you feel in your heart. When you speak, you connect the two together to let out the pent-up emotion. Mario feels MUCH better after talking about what has been going on. The game has prompts to help children process emotions and communicate them verbally. Kids will be able to verbally communicate what they are feeling, why they are feeling it, and what the triggers were. To answer, they will likely use an "I statement", which will normalize using assertive communication. It also helps to develop an emotional vocabulary. This is a great resource for kiddos with big emotions but struggle with communicating what they are experiencing. You can find the game here: https://affordablecounselinggames.com/product/marios-emotional-knot-a-story-and-game-about-processing-emotions/

Sloan is having a terrible time sleeping with a storm raging outside. He envisions monsters creeping up on him all night. The next morning, feeling tired and frustrated, he puts together a plan to overcome his fears. Sloan makes armor to protect him at night. Each piece of armor represents ways he can feel safe and protected. The helmet reminds him he is safe, the shoes remind him he can run away from harm, and the body armor reminds him that he has a family to help him. The shield is a forcefield that allows him to filter out negative thoughts. The sword is truth he can speak to cast down lying thoughts. The game cards walk kids through the process of identifying self-talk, challenging thoughts, replacing thoughts, and filtering out unwanted thoughts. It also helps identify the support system, a safety plan, and communicate fears and worries. The game is available at www.affordablecounselinggames.com.

Treasures of the Heart is a story about a girl who desperately wants friends, but is going about it in all the wrong ways. She is trying to impress others with fancy clothes, obnoxious humor, and trying to get in with the cool kids. She later finds that she is not being authentic, leading to rejection from others. She learns that she has special, unique qualities that set her apart from others, making her a desirable friend. When she uses her gifts and talents to bless others, people enjoy being around her and value her for who she really is. The game has questions to help kids identify values, talents, passions, and things that set them apart from others. It will offer questions to help them consider what about them makes them special and important. What is amazing about the Treasures of the Heart, is there are no right answers. They are unique to each person. This game/book is available at www.affordablecounselinggames.com.

Franklin Forgives is about an angry little boy who has been mistreated. He holds on to his anger and lashes out at anyone who comes near. Hannah, a sweet girl in his class, reaches out to help him let go of his anger and find peace. The book addresses misconceptions about forgiveness such as feeling like the person gets away with it, obligation to restore the relationship, and feeling like they condone the wrong by forgiving. The game incorporates cognitive behavioral skills to help overcome negative thoughts. There are 4 categories of cards: Anger, Friendship, Forgiveness, and Control your Thoughts. The anger cards focus on how to manage anger, express it appropriately, and use coping mechanisms to overcome triggers. The friendship cards highlight important relationships, conflict resolution, and finding ways to connect with others. The forgiveness cards address the misconceptions about forgiveness and offer an opportunity to explore personal situations that may need to be addressed. Finally, the control your thoughts cards focus on cognitive-behavioral skills. You can find the book/game at www.affordablecounselinggames.com

Kids can learn cognitive-behavioral counseling skills by having them pretend that the pigs are negative thoughts and the angry birds are truth bombs. They launch the angry birds to defeat the negative thought. I used the Angry Birds Knock on Wood game to play it in person, but the same concept could be used with the app or for using it via telehealth.

Coping skill toolboxes are used to help children calm down when they get upset. I enjoy including playdough, an I Spy bottle, a notebook with a pencil or crayons (depending on age), a stress ball, and some handouts on coping. These are especially helpful for children with anger and anxiety. They are also useful for children with autism or other sensory or processing needs. Be sure to check out our other videos explaining what is included and why it is necessary to help kids cope.

Play dough can be used in many ways as a counseling tool. This video offers several ideas. Play dough also is a fantastic tool to add to your coping skill toolbox! Learn more by watching the toolbox video. Also, I have a free printable handout for parents. You can grab your copy here: https://affordablecounselinggames.com/product/using-play-dough-to-process-emotions/

Feelings Candy Land just adds an additional element to the classic game. Each color represents a different emotion, allowing kids to process emotions as they play the game. This can be great for individual, group, or family counseling sessions. Get your free printable PDF of the directions to play: https://affordablecounselinggames.com/product/candy-land/

I spy bottles offer a way for children to calm down when they are feeling overwhelmed, angry, or anxious. As children focus on identifying the different items in the bottle, it gets their minds off of the trigger. This is effective because it incorporates grounding techniques in the activity. Kids can see the items, feel the bottle, and hear the movement of the items and the rice. The multisensory experience can be calming and peaceful. Putting these into a coping skill toolbox allows kids to have the bottle on hand when they need it.

We have a wide variety of counseling games to meet the needs of your kiddos. Most incorporate cognitive-behavioral counseling techniques to help kids learn these powerful skills in bite-sized chunks. They usually don't realize how much they are learning! We have games for anxiety, depression, anger, behavior problems, family issues....there are many to choose from! They can be used in individual, group, or family sessions. We can ship them to you, you can download and print yourself, or you can use our telehealth versions to play online. We also have several free resources available. Check out our store at www.affordablecounsleinggames.com.

The Wishing Well is a solutions focused game, building on positive traits and experiences. It also has the "miracle question" asked in several different ways. If the child woke up tomorrow and everything was perfect, what would be different? The game addresses goal setting and achievable steps to attain the goal. It also focuses on positive thinking and coping skills. It is a versatile game and could be used with a wide age range as well as a wide range of presenting problems.

This is a warm, encouraging family counseling game. It has each person say positive things about other members of the family. It also helps the family identify the love language of the other family members. The language avoids the use of traditional family roles, such as mom, dad, brother, and sister. This allows it to be used in any family situation, whether it is a foster family, the child being raised by extended family, or any other situation.

This is game uses a metaphor of your life as a blank canvas. You get to decide how you want it to look. The game also gives players an opportunity to use their art skills to draw pictures with some of the prompts. This game involves storytelling, problem-solving, self-talk, and goal setting. It can be useful for a wide range of presenting problems, as it is not specific to any one issue. It can also be used with kids age five and older.

This is a storytelling game. It uses narrative therapy concepts to help children communicate emotions and to problem solve. It can be helpful with children who have experienced trauma, as trauma themes often come out during storytelling. This game can be used for individual, group, or family counseling. It can be used with a wide age range and for many different presenting problems. Since it focuses on problem-solving and using the imagination, it is not limited to a small scope.

You're a Hoot is a counseling game to address using humor in an appropriate manner. It addresses being respectful to adults, avoiding hurtful topics, and defining the line between being funny and being a bully. Kids enjoy being able to practice their humor in appropriate ways such as telling knock knock jokes and making silly faces. While fun and engaging, it also allows children to take an empathetic look at how their humor is impacting others. It also helps redirect behavior into an appropriate outlet. Card topics include "Friendly Fun," which helps kids identify the line between being funny and mean. They will recognize tendencies that will lead to conflict or damaged relationships. The "Respecting Adults" cards address the difference between joking with peers and adults, as well as times that humor with adults in welcome verus times it is disruptive. The "Keeping It Clean" cards address ways to be funny without sexual undertones or jokes about offensive topics. Finally, the "Laughing Out Loud" cards give children a chance to practice their humor during the game.