Arond Schonberg, M.S.

Redondo Union High School

Keith Fulthorp, Ed.D. California State University, Long Beach

Quick introduction into leading experiential group counseling activities Introduce and participate in 5 different experiential duct-tape activities that you can use when you return to work. Review use of Solution-Focused Brief Counseling techniques when processing the group activities.

Many group counseling activities are designed for conversations Experiential activities are designed to be active, physically and mentally The similarity between experiential activities and other group counseling activities is the role of the counselor as a facilitator The examples today are based largely on the Adventure Based Counseling theoretical paradigm

Activity Set-up:
Create two (2) lengths of duct tape

(per group), and place parallel on the floor, sticky side up. Depending on the group size, allow more/less tape.

Activity Rules:
The entire group must step onto the tape, ensuring that each group

member has each foot on a separate length of tape (like skis). The group must travel from a starting point, to an end point without coming unstuck from the tape, without breaking the tape, and without losing any group members. For Use of the SFBC Scaling technique- you can also put numbers along the path to create a scale for the group to move along

Activity Set up:

Create 4 long strips of duct tape Place tape on the floor in a star-shape ( * ) Each strip = two people, so for a group of

10 youll need 5 strips

Activity Rules:
Each student is asked to take one end of the tape and

hold onto it. Without letting go of their end of the strip, the group is to tie a knot
Tell them to make the largest, meanest knot they can in 1 min.

After groups have made their knot, have them exchange

knots with another group- this time they attempt to untie the knot

Activity Set-Up:
Use the same lengths (4 strands) of duct tape

that were used for inhuman knots Tape one end of all the strip onto a marker Place a piece of paper under the marker

Activity Rules:
Using only the materials given the team must

attempt to write a series of words, draw shapes, follow a maze, etc. on paper Each student must take one end of the tape, and may only hold onto that end. Group members may not move the paper, or touch the pen

Activity Set-Up:
Tape a large rectangle on the floor. Create and label 10 numbered pieces

of duct tape (about 6 long, number each strip individually so you have 1-10, and place them inside the rectangle in random order Mark a start/finish line on the opposite side of the room from the rectangle

Activity Rules:
The object is for everyone in the group to touch the

numbers 1-10 in order in the shortest time possible. The stopwatch begins with the first person crosses the start/finish line, and stops when the last person crosses back over the start/finish line. Only one person can be inside the boundary area with the numbers at a time. 5 seconds are added to the total time for each number touched out of order. The group can make as many attempts as they wish. The group may not move the start/finish line or the boundary line for the numbers.

Activity Set-Up:
Tape off a large rectangle on

the floor. Fill the inside of the rectangle with duct tape balls, strips, etc, but leave room to walk.

Activity Rules:
In partners, students take turns leading each other through the

pitfall zone- one will be blindfolded, the other sighted The sighted partner may not walk inside the pitfall zone. If a student steps on the tape, (falls into a pitfall) they must start over from the beginning. Once a student makes it through the zone, have the blindfolded partner lead switch places with the sighted partner.

Use of Solution Focused Brief Counseling theory and techniques will help students connect their experience in the activity with issues that brought them to the group. Most effective processing of these activities occurs through the use of metaphors. Combining SFBC techniques with use of metaphors makes an even larger impact in students behavior changes

Solution-Focused Frame/Metaphor for this activity:

Exception Seeking Scaling
When did your students last appear to be moving better? What was different when they were moving better? How were they able to move forward, even a little?
What skills do your students have that can help them move forward? (attending-behaving-achieving metaphors) How were they able to keep from going backwards (or getting worse?)

How does your students peer group keep them stuck? How can communication prevent them from getting stuck?
When the communication lines get broken, what happens? How can they repair the lines of communication? When was the last time the student had better communication? What was different? How? What else? What was the student doing instead that made communication better?

Solution-Focused Frame/Metaphor for this activity:

Tying the knot = being problem focused Untying the knot = learning how to become solution

What (academic/career/personal-social) knots do your students tie?

How is focusing on the knot helpful to the student? What would be different or better about the student if they learned how to untie the knot? What would be a good goal to move from tying knots to untying knots? When was the last time the student had fewer knots to untie? What were they doing/thinking/feeling differently? When was the last time the student successfully untied a knot? How did they do that? How can what they did then, be helpful now? If a miracle happened, and the student no longer had to tie or untie these metaphorical knots, what would be the first sign that a miracle had occurred?

focused

Solution-Focused Frame/Metaphor for this activity:

Identifying exceptions; rediscovering unrecognized

solutions; identifying helpful relationships

How was the group able to accomplish the task? What seemed to work best? What steps were involved in being successful? What steps may be necessary for your students to improve attendance/behavior/achievement? Who in your students lives are pulling them in all sorts of directions? Who is more helpful in creating balance? Instead of being pulled in many directions by teachers, peers, parents, etc, what could students do to improve?

Solution-Focused Frame/Metaphor for this activity:

Planning/Exceptions- with each attempt at getting

the best time, discuss how the group sets up a plan

What part of the plan is working well What part can be changed to work better When are your students running all over trying to catch up or beat the clock? (Metaphorically) What are the exceptions to the activity rules? What exceptions can your students identify to make their plans to improve attendance, behavior, achievement?

Solution-Focused Frame/Metaphor for this activity:

Flagging the minefield- identifying what things that can

hinder students from being successful, and making a plan to avoid them.
What pitfalls keep your students from being successful?
You can give these a name, and write them on the duct tape obstacles in the pitfall zone

What gets in the way of sticking to their plan to improve? When in the past were your students able to avoid those pitfalls?
Who helped? If nobody, who would they like to have help them? What would that person do that would be helpful? How would that be helpful to the student?

Butler, S. (2002). Ultimate Initiatives Pack. Beverly, MA: Project Adventure, Inc. Heck, T. (2009). Duct Tape Teambuilding Games. Asheville, NC: Life Coach Inc. Nadler, R. & Luckner, J. (1992). Processing the Adventure Experience. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. Rohnke, K. (1984). Silver Bullets. Iowa: Kendall/ Hunt. Rohnke, K, & Butler, S. (1995). Quicksilver. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.

DR. KEITH FULTHORP, ED.D.

AROND SCHONBERG, M.S.

CSU, Long Beach Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies

Redondo Union High School

1 Sea Hawk Way

1250 Bellflower Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90840 kfulthor@csulb.edu 562-985-8728

Redondo Beach, CA 90277 aschonberg@rbusd.org 310-798-8665