9 Fun Group Therapy Activities To Break The Ice

Group therapy is an emerging form of psychotherapy where mental health professionals work with multiple patients at a time. Research has shown that this form of therapy proves effective in treating a range of behavioral issues.

More and more clients are seeking out group therapy, thanks to its ability to improve interpersonal and social skills, to create connections between similar people, and the fact that it is an affordable option. 

However, it can be challenging to get a group of strangers comfortable with each other in the time that you have. So, we’ve created a list of some icebreakers you can incorporate to get the ball rolling. In this article, you’ll discover some fun group therapy activities to incorporate into your sessions and get everyone talking.

Benefits of Fun in Group Therapy

Mental health professionals try to make their sessions more engaging with interactive ideas and fun games. Such activities can improve the participants’ ability to communicate and navigate social situations.

Fun group therapy activities are also vital to reach out to children and teens. Their familiarity with classic games can help them relax during sessions and open up naturally. Moreover, adding games to your sessions can be a healthy way to foster teamwork, cooperation, and self-expression.

Types of Group Therapy

Here are four common types of group therapy:

‍Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Groups

CBT group therapy focuses on using group communication to identify self-destructive thought patterns and learn ways to cope.

Psychoeducational Groups

In psychoeducation group therapy, patients with the same diagnosis learn about its symptoms, causes, prognosis, treatments, and progression.

Support Groups

The goal of these groups is to help members with similar issues connect by sharing, listening, and offering support. Support groups can offer a sense of comfort and belonging.

Skills Development Groups

This form of therapy helps people with behavioral and social issues develop new skills. These include coping strategies, problem-solving techniques, and interpersonal skills.

Types of Group Therapy

Here are four common types of group therapy:

‍Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Groups

CBT group therapy focuses on using group communication to identify self-destructive thought patterns and learn ways to cope.

Psychoeducational Groups

In psychoeducation group therapy, patients with the same diagnosis learn about its symptoms, causes, prognosis, treatments, and progression.

Support Groups

The goal of these groups is to help members with similar issues connect by sharing, listening, and offering support. Support groups can offer a sense of comfort and belonging.

Skills Development Groups

This form of therapy helps people with behavioral and social issues develop new skills. These include coping strategies, problem-solving techniques, and interpersonal skills.

Group Therapy Activities Focused on Ice-Breaking

Incorporating creative activities into your sessions can motivate participants to step out of their comfort zones.

Here are some creative ideas for fun group therapy activities to heighten engagement:

Two Truths and a Lie

This classic game is a great way to get participants warmed up to people they’ve never met before. It nurtures an atmosphere of openness, making it a wonderful activity for skills development groups.

How It Works:

Each member writes down three statements about themselves; two truths and one lie. A random member can go first and read out their statements. The group will then try to guess which one is the lie. After everyone has guessed, the speaker reveals if they were right. The game ends after everyone has had a turn to read their statements. You can keep score of the people who guess correctly or just play for fun!

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Helps participants get to know each other.
• Encourages self-disclosure in a non-threatening manner.
• Improves relationship-building and inculcates a sense of belonging.
• Enhances the ability to read social cues and body language.

Musical Chairs with a Twist

Putting a spin on traditional games is a great way to help participants connect. For many, it can bring back fond childhood memories. This version of musical chairs can be effectively incorporated into psychoeducational group activities:

How It Works:

Just as in the classical game, chairs are arranged in a circle, one less than the total number of participants. Music is played as the participants move around the chairs. As soon as the music stops, everyone sits on the chair next to them. The twist is that the person left standing has to share something personal with the group or answer a therapeutic question. Continue the game by removing a chair after each round.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Promotes movement and light-heartedness.
• Creates an opportunity for self-expression in a supportive setting.
• Enhances concentration and rhythm through music.
• Promotes psychoeducational learning in an engaging way.

Commonality Bingo

This great icebreaker is an interactive way to prompt meaningful conversations and get everyone acquainted comfortably.

How It Works:

Each participant gets a bingo card with different attributes or experiences. For example, “has traveled abroad,” “has been a frat/sorority member,” “is an avid reader,” “loves to paint,” etc. The participants are encouraged to start conversations and get to know each other. As they identify the members who fit the listed descriptions, they mark those off their bingo cards. The first person to get a BINGO wins!

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Facilitates small talk and improves confidence to initiate conversations.
• Encourages people to find others with similar interests.
• Lowers social barriers and personal stigmas.
• Improves focus and retention.

Pass the Ball

A classic game of “Pass the Ball” can prove effective in keeping participants engaged throughout a session. You can incorporate this activity into any type of group therapy session.

How It Works:

Participants are sat in a circle and a softball is tossed around. Each time someone catches the ball, they have to answer a pre-set question. For example, “Share a happy childhood memory,” “Mention one thing you’re grateful for,” and “How would you describe your current mood?

To make it fun, you can write the questions on small pieces of paper, fold them, and put them in a hat. The person whose turn it is to answer has to randomly pick one paper out. You can also turn it into a musical game — whoever has the ball when the music stops has to answer.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Encourages active participation.
• Random question selection adds an element of surprise and engagement.
• Promotes self-reflection and awareness.
• Improves social confidence and self-disclosure.
• Improves kinesthetic learning.

The M&M Icebreaker

The M&M Icebreaker is a delicious way to engage participants to share anecdotes about themselves. You can also play it with Skittles or any other type of multicolored candy.

How It Works:

Each participant picks a desired number of M&Ms from a bowl. When everyone is done, a random person starts by answering prompts corresponding to their selected colors. For example, a green M&M could mean “Talk about one of your favorite pastimes,” a red one could mean “Share one of your greatest fears,” and so on. Having two M&M’s of the same color means you have to mention two things as the answer.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Makes sharing easier through a structured, yet fun, approach.
• Provides a tactile element that can ease tension.
• Removes awkwardness from social settings.
• Fosters a friendly atmosphere.

Personal Timeline

This therapeutic activity helps participants gauge the current influence of past events in an interactive setting.

How It Works:

Participants draw a brief timeline of their lives and pick one moment to share. There are many ways to spin this activity. You could ask participants to share a negative event and try to elicit the learnings they took from it. You can encourage them to create positive future timelines according to their hopes and aspirations and based on their experiences.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Promotes self-reflection and improves self-awareness.
• Encourages the sharing of life experiences, thereby enhancing group cohesion.
• Allows participants to take control of how their past affects them.
• Empowers them to free their memories from unwanted negative emotions.

Eye Contact

Our eyes can convey a complex array of emotions and social cues. Eye gazing can be a wonderfully engaging way to connect energies without saying a word.

How It Works:

Participants are paired up and asked to maintain eye contact for a set amount of time, often 30 seconds to a minute, without speaking. When the timer ends, the eye contact is broken off.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Helps participants become aware of their own and others’ emotional states.
• Builds a sense of intimacy and trust within the group.
• Can improve reading of social cues and emotions.
• Improves trust among the participants.  
• Helps participants overcome eye contact anxiety. 

Fear in a Hat

This team-building exercise is a constructive way to improve group understanding and cohesion.

How It Works:

Each participant writes down a personal fear anonymously on a piece of paper. The papers are then folded, placed in a hat, and shuffled. Participants take turns drawing from the hat and reading the fear aloud. The group discusses potential coping strategies.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Enables participants to externalize their fears in a safe space.
• Promotes group cohesion and empathy through shared vulnerability.
• Encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.
• Allows participants to view common problems from different perspectives.

Human Knot

This group collaboration activity is a unique way to improve communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.

How it Works:

Participants stand in a circle and reach out to grab the hands of two different people across from them. The catch: no one can hold hands with the person standing beside them, creating a “human knot.” They work together to untangle it without letting go of each other’s hands.

Therapeutic Benefits:

• Encourages teamwork and enhances problem-solving skills.
• Builds a sense of accomplishment and unity among participants.
• Improves group familiarity.
• Encourages perseverance.

FAQ

How do you choose the right activity for your group?

Here are the factors to consider while choosing the right group therapy activity:

• Think about the group’s therapeutic goals.
• Consider everyone’s comfort levels and abilities.
• Take into account the group’s demographics, such as age and reason for therapy.

These factors will help ensure the chosen activity is engaging and beneficial for all.

Can these activities be adapted for virtual sessions?

Absolutely, many of these ice-breaking activities can be adapted for virtual group therapy sessions. With some creativity and planning, you can ensure that everyone remains engaged and connected despite the lack of physical presence.

Is it okay to mix different kinds of activities in one session?

Yes, a combination of different activities can often make a session more engaging and address a variety of therapeutic goals.

How long should each activity last?

The duration of each activity can vary. You must allocate time for discussion and reflection before moving on to the next one.

Conclusion

In the wise words of Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Group therapy can have lasting beneficial effects on a person’s mental health. The ability to open up and discuss personal issues in a supportive group setting improves social confidence. Adding light-hearted, fun group therapy activities is a great way to maximize results.