Motivational Group Therapy Activities

Curious about how to facilitate a group therapy session? These motivational group therapy activities can ensure your clients get the most out of group therapy. 

In addition to helping clients feel less lonely, research shows group therapy can be used to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions. It can help turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts and teach clients to develop healthy coping strategies. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of group therapy for different age demographics,  how to facilitate a group therapy session, and how to set group therapy rules at the beginning of treatment. 

(Note: For therapists and counselors who see groups clients in-person or virtually via telehealth, SimplePractice makes it easy to book group therapy sessions, document notes for group appointments, and bill clients for therapy sessions with up to 15 clients.)

Additionally, we provide a list of mental health games and activities, group therapy worksheets, and group therapy ice breakers for adults, children, and families—including information on conducting multiple family group therapy (MFGT) sessions for families facing the same issues. 

What are the benefits of group therapy? 

Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists help multiple clients with similar mental health conditions at the same time. 

During sessions, clients share how they’re feeling with one another. 

Since participants have different personalities and vary in their experiences, they can receive valuable insights from one another. 

As an alternative to individual therapy, group therapy is a more efficient process for mental health professionals since we can reach many individuals—and even multiple groups—all at once. 

Some patients tend to assume that group therapy is “second best” to individual therapy, but according to the American Psychological Association (APA), group therapy is just as effective and can even be more efficient than individual therapy. 

How group therapy helps kids

Children, especially younger children, have limited abilities to understand, name, and manage their emotions. This can cause them to feel easily overwhelmed and react inappropriately, at times hurting others or even themselves. 

With the help of their peers during group therapy sessions, children can develop an emotional vocabulary. 

Motivational group therapy activities can help children control their emotions by naming them and recognizing how to temper their intensity. 

How group therapy helps adolescents

Mental health problems, such as anxiety, mood disorders, and substance abuse have dramatically increased among teens, according to a 2022 APA survey. 

Group therapy, and group therapy activities for teens can offer many benefits. Research on group psychotherapy for teens shows that receiving feedback from their peers facilitates personal growth. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used in a group setting—especially with teen clients who are just starting to form self-awareness about their behavioral tendencies and patterns. Group-focused CBT helps teens recognize faulty thought patterns—also known as cognitive distortions—to lessen negative behaviors caused by these thoughts. 

Benefits of multiple family group therapy (MFGT) 

MFGT merges family therapy and group therapy with the goal of strengthening family ties. MFGT brings together several families—ranging from two families to 30 families with a similar history—in a room that’s large enough to accommodate them. 

Through MFGT, participants can realize that they share similar problems with other families, which can instill a sense of hope and acceptance. Moreover, MFGT serves as a “safe space” to practice skills in conflict resolution and assertive communication and receive feedback from others. 

Examples of motivational group therapy activities 

Games and interactive group exercises can help lighten everyone’s mood during group therapy. For example, you can start a session with an icebreaker to help participants feel more comfortable with one another, especially when new members are introduced. 

When choosing enjoyable activities, make sure that they align with the objective of the day. Let’s say your objective is to teach the group coping skills. In that case, a gratitude exercise, such as making a DIY (do-it-yourself) gratitude board would be relevant. 

You can also adjust the activity based on your participants’ age group. 

Children often feel more engaged in play therapy techniques involving role-playing and the use of toys. 

Meanwhile, teens benefit from discussions where they focus on a topic, reflect, and share their perspectives. Adult family members, on the other hand, gain from self-reflection and brainstorming ideas. 

Still exploring how to facilitate a group therapy session? 

Here are fun and therapeutic ideas to get your group started. 

Group therapy activities for kids

1. Magic wand

One of the best motivational group therapy activities for kids is the “magic wand.” In this exercise, you’re going to give a child a wand. With the wand in their hand, ask them to make three wishes. 

Pay attention to these wishes as they may give you an idea of some of the problems they’re struggling with. You can also ask them specific questions like: “If you could change anything in your life right now, what would it be?” 

2. Outside/inside masks

The purpose of this activity is to allow children to explore their true selves. 

The inside part of the mask reveals who they are inside—their thoughts and feelings that are hidden from the outside world. The outside part of the mask represents things that people see on the outside, including societal expectations. 

Provide different materials, such as sequins, magazine cutouts of letters (to form words), glue, and colored markers. 

Tell the kids that there is no right or wrong way to create their masks. After the activity, give each child an opportunity to talk about their artwork, and even share their story if they feel comfortable. 

3. Feelings emojis 

The “feelings emojis” group therapy activity teaches a child to identify their feelings. It’s a step toward helping them learn how to manage their emotions by developing emotional regulation. 

You can use this activity to check how they’re doing at the start of your group session. Simply show the kids a feelings chart with different emojis and let them point to the emoji that best describes their current emotional state. 

Alternatively, you can print different emoji cards and words like “sad,” “happy,” “confused,” “excited,” and “angry.” Let each child match a word with the corresponding emoji. 

Group therapy activities for teens

1. Gratitude scavenger hunt

Motivational group therapy activities often include gratitude games, which help participants acknowledge and appreciate the little positive things in their lives. Combining gratitude and scavenger hunts is a great way to entertain teens. Plus, it encourages teamwork! 

For this activity, you’re going to give each group a “gratitude checklist” of objects they need to find in their environment. 

Here’s an example of what to include in the checklist:

• Something you enjoy looking at
• Something that’s your favorite color
• Something you are thankful for in nature
• Something you find useful
• Something that reminds you of a happy memory 

You can introduce the gratitude scavenger hunt around Thanksgiving or anytime you’re introducing CBT techniques. 

2. Spot the strength 

Research shows that character strengths are associated with positive behaviors in teens. For example, in a study of high school students between 15 and 18 years old, students who placed the value of  leadership and honesty higher in a questionnaire were associated with increased happiness and well-being. 

This activity pairs well with strengths exploration group therapy worksheets. Divide your therapy group into smaller groups (with no more than five teens in each group). Ask one of the members to share a story in which they overcame a challenge. 

The rest of the group should listen and identify character strengths in the story, noting them in the worksheets provided. 

After everyone shares their story, discuss the importance of character strengths and their role in mental health. 

3. Letter to self

The “letter to self” activity is a wonderful exercise for drug misuse or addiction recovery groups, as well as other teen support groups. 

Teens will have to write a letter to their future selves, focusing on their hopes and goals. No matter what a teen is struggling with, this simple exercise reminds them of how far they’ve come, what they have to look forward to, and shows them that positive change is possible. 

Group therapy activities for families 

1. Feelings ball

The “feelings ball” game is a great way to understand a family’s experiences and the challenges they’re facing. 

You can use a beach ball or a soccer ball. Write different feelings on the ball, such as “upset,” “worried, “impressed, “stressed,” “afraid,” and “trusting.” 

Toss the ball around. The family member who catches the ball should tell a story of the last time they experienced the particular emotion on the ball that lands the closest to their right thumb. 

2. The miracle question

The “miracle question” activity motivates a family to focus on solutions. 

This activity requires each family member to act out a miracle—such as a positive change they would like to see in the family—and the rest of the group tries to guess the miracle. 

What are life skills activities for group therapy?

Life skills refer to skills that enable therapy clients to manage different areas of their lives, such as academics, relationships, finances, and physical health. 

When clients learn life skills during group therapy, they’re able to cope better with stress. This is especially true among children and adolescents. Essential life skills can include anything from self-awareness and coping with emotions, to communication and interpersonal relations.  

For example, family members can prepare a meal together, which allows them to practice healthy communication, while also feeding themselves. Other activities that people in group therapy can do to practice life skills include painting, writing, gardening, and exercising. 

How do you encourage participation in group therapy?

One important step to encourage conversation during group therapy is by creating the right atmosphere. The room in which group therapy takes place should have a therapeutic ambiance. 

A few helpful group therapy room design ideas include using warm lighting, providing enough space for everyone to sit comfortably, and decorating the room with neutral pictures. 

Here’s how to facilitate group therapy sessions in a way that boosts participation: 

• Begin with icebreakers to reduce tension, especially before discussing heavy topics.
• Keep your motivational group therapy activities age-appropriate and culturally sensitive.
• Discuss group therapy rules about safety, confidentiality, attendance, and socialization, and make sure everyone knows them. 
• Check in with your members to learn their progress, and improve your approach based on their feedback.
• Give members the freedom to engage at their own pace—avoid forcing them to participate. 
• Help everyone feel capable of healing. 

Closing thoughts 

Whether you’re working with children, teens, or families, group therapy can be a great way for your clients to overcome mental health challenges. Group therapy is also typically cheaper for the client—and more efficient for the therapist—than one-on-one sessions with a therapist. 

Making group therapy a fun and engaging experience is possible through activities that spark creativity, collaboration, and self-reflection. When planning activities, make sure they’re tailored to your clients’ goals and treatment objectives. 

The examples in this article  are just a few of the many activities you can introduce in group therapy—feel free to adjust them to fit your clients’ needs or find new activities that are better suited to your groups.

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