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Children are encouraged to talk out what they are feeling in the group through the use of feeling cards and
sharing. They are taught in a variety of ways about how to handle feelings appropriately. Children are never shamed for what they feel. Depending on the energy of the participants, children have an
opportunity to use the group to release aggressions of the day by donning the boxing gloves and working it out with a punching bag. In the groups, children have opportunities to work on
creative projects in expressing their lives and telling their stories, utilizing a wide variety of art supplies. Group Works has an extensive collection of miniature figurines lined up on shelves for children
drawn to create scenes in the sand tray. All activities are led through the guidance of a licensed practitioner. We end each group by again coming together in the circle. We might go around, each telling something we enjoyed or learned in group this week. The groups for children are a rich experience of connection and personal exploration. Group meets weekly for one hour.
About Children When a child doesn't feel connected, their
judgment becomes impaired, they become unable to cooperate and they stop enjoying life. One purpose of group therapy for children is to give them a consistent place where they can count on feeling connected. This sense of
connection builds self-esteem. When a child is hurting emotionally, they become vulnerable and signal for help in the only way they know how to. They get upset, they may tantrum, they do
unreasonable and unworkable things, while they become unable to take other's feelings into consideration. Adults become upset with children for their acting out behavior. When a child is hurt physically, adults are much
more available than when a child is hurting emotionally. Often the child is isolated or punished. Adults sometimes take the child's misbehavior personally and feel as if the child has chosen to make their life harder.
The adults get angry. Sometimes a child's misbehavior feels like parental failure. The acting out behavior of children has been misunderstood and dealt with in less than helpful ways for a very long time.
It is our sense that children want to be close and in tune with the people in their world. If they are not, there is a reason. In small group settings, the therapists have an opportunity
to connect with a child who is having difficulties. We meet the child right where they are and look for ways to be an ally to each child. Through careful listening to what the child is saying and mirroring back our
understanding of what is being said, we begin to build a therapeutic alliance with each child that allows the children to feel safe, understood, listened to and cared about. In an atmosphere free of judgments or
criticism, where the adults have undivided attention for the children, the children become more able and willing to talk about and express difficult feelings that they may be grappling with, rather than act them out.
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to work through problems 
Group
Works