How do you feel about the thought of individual counseling? Perhaps you love it and feel confident in planning and implementing these sessions! Or are you dreading one on one sessions because you feel unprepared? You likely fall somewhere in the middle where you like it, but tend to wing it rather than have a concrete plan. I get it. That used to be me too! Which is why over the years I have developed hands-on individual counseling strategies to keep students engaged that are a total game changer! And the best part is you can try these strategies today with little prep and zero paper!

Why does engagement matter? 

These hands-on strategies will keep your students engaged during their individual counseling sessions. But why does that even matter? The more engaged students are in the session, the more likely they are to meet their goals and objectives. Creating a memorable session helps students retain and connect with concepts. Plus it's more fun for you and the students. (They can tell if you're into it!)

Fun, hands-on activities increase student engagement!

12 Hands-on and Engaging Individual Counseling Strategies

1. Role Play with Figurines

Using figurines helps remove the awkward barrier kids sometimes feel when they're talking one on one to an adult they may not know well. It is a great way to initiate conversation while externalizing their feelings. For example they can say how the the giraffe would feel in that situation rather than themselves. You can also use the figurines to role play friendship scenarios or family dynamics. It is a fun way to discuss hoe to problem solve and resolve conflicts.

Using figurines helps remove the awkward barrier kids sometimes feel when they're talking one on one to an adult they may not know well. It is a great way to initiate conversation while externalizing their feelings. For example they can say how the the giraffe would feel in that situation rather than themselves. You can also use the figurines to role play friendship scenarios or family dynamics. It is a fun way to discuss hoe to problem solve and resolve conflicts.

2. Role Play with Chairs 

You may remember hearing one of your grad school professors talk about the Empty Chair Technique in Gestalt Therapy. 

"The Empty Chair Technique is a therapeutic practice within Gestalt therapy, where an individual engages in a dialogue with an absent person or part of themselves, represented by an empty chair. This method serves a core purpose: to facilitate self-awareness and resolve internal conflicts or unfinished business. By allowing clients to articulate their feelings, thoughts, and perceptions in a structured yet imaginative setting, the technique aims to bridge gaps in understanding and emotional well-being. Through this direct and poignant form of communication, individuals can confront unresolved issues, fostering a profound sense of clarity and reconciliation." (MentalHealth.com)

Try using it in an individual counseling session to have students give advice to themselves or role play a conversation they want to have with a friend. You can have the student move between the chairs to discuss perspective-taking in terms of conflict resolution and empathy. This can also be a powerful exercise in grief counseling to have students share things they wish they could've said.

3. Play Dough or Modeling Clay

Use Play Dough or modeling clay to have students create paperless illustrations, make figurines to role play with, or display emotion faces. The act of molding the clay itself is stress relieving and can be used to demonstrate a coping strategy.

4. Ball Toss

Use a beach ball or basketball to start conversations. Paste discussion questions on the ball and throw it to the student. Wherever their thumbs land they get to choose a question to answer. This is a fun way to build rapport!

5. Lego

There's many ways you can use Lego in individual counseling sessions. Place them on the table while talking with the student as a means of distraction so they feel less vulnerable and more comfortable sharing. They can also use them to build figurines to role play with. Lego can also serve as a visual representation of building up and crashing down. This works well with an analogy of building blocks to a healthy friendship, etc. You could also use Magnatiles which many students love!

6. Jenga 

Similar to the discussion ball toss and Lego, Jenga is a fun game that can serve the purpose of starting conversations by placing papers on each game piece or it can be used as the visual "building up" analogy. My students always loved Jenga!

7. Soda Pop

Have students shake up a bottle of soda as you discuss how gradual moments of anger can build up to an "explosion". This is hands-on and memorable and serves as a great analogy for anger management. 

8. Volcano

Similar to the soda pop, try building a volcano experiment with your students to discuss the consequences of anger or lack of self-control. You'll start by making a clay base around a bottle and then filling it with baking soda and vinegar. Watch this video to see how to make one. You could also pair this one with the Julia Cook book "My Mouth is a Volcano". This is a super memorable one that your kids will love!

9. Dry Erase Board 

Use a dry erase board, Magnadoodle, or Etch a Sketch to have students write and then erase negative thoughts or limiting beliefs. This is a simple exercise that's visual and empowering!

10. Music Playlist

Have students create a Spotify playlist as a "get to know you" activity to show you what they like or as a coping skill to use when feeling upset.

11. Food

Use different colored foods to discuss emotions. For example, students draw a Skittle and have to share a time they felt sad (blue) or angry (red). This is great to pair with the Zones of Regulation. For a healthier option, you could use fruit and always be mindful of allergies. Kids love snacks so this a crowd-pleaser! 

12. Plants 

Plants serve as a great analogy for counseling topics! Use them to discuss growth mindset, friendship, and goal setting! For example, plants need soil, water, and sunlight to grow just like friendships need time, fun, and forgiveness to grow! Tending to a plant also serves as an attendance incentive because students want to know how their plant is doing each week. At the conclusion of your sessions, students can take it home as a gift. You can also use plants to mention how gardening can serve as a coping strategy.

I hope you found these paperless individual counseling ideas helpful. Now you have some new tools in your toolbox to keep students engaged in your one on one sessions!

If you're looking for ASCA-aligned and data-driven individual counseling curriculum, you'll love this set.

As always IMPACT members get it included in their membership at no additional cost. Learn more about IMPACT here.