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Getting Acquainted Activities for Counseling

Getting acquainted with people during a counseling session is important to do in group therapy. Icebreaker games are fun ways to break the tension and awkwardness of having to open up to strangers. Some games provide group introductions, while others help develop respect and trust in others. Without the willingness to get to know one another, group therapy cannot be effective. Icebreaker games can help participants become more open with themselves in order to be comfortable with confiding in the group.

  1. Exposing Fears

    • People often think that their fears are only their own. They are not aware that others may feel the same. In this exercise, participants are asked to write down personal fears anonymously. The group leader or therapist will read the fears randomly and discuss them. Even though this activity is subtle and does not involve direct interaction, people are able to feel safe in expressing their thoughts and know that they are not alone in their struggles. This will allow them to feel like getting more acquainted with those around them.

    Eye Contact

    • The window to someone's soul is through their eyes. The group is divided into pairs, and two people practice staring into each other's eyes. They are not allowed to wear sunglasses or caps and cannot look away even if they get uncomfortable or self-conscious. This exercise lasts 10 minutes. This teaches people to confront their fears, put aside their insecurities and focus on someone else. It is also a very intimate experience, which will allow each pair to get to know each other. After the 10 minutes are up, the pair has to discuss what they were thinking about as they did the exercise.

    Common Goals

    • The counselor assigns participants to walk around and search for at least three people who have similar goals to their own. This exercise forces people to break out of their shells and talk. It may be a bit uncomfortable initially, but once people find relatable aspects in others, they will be more interested in actually learning more about everyone around them. Even if they do not find people who have similar goals, they will find out other people's passions, interests and aspirations.

    Catch Me

    • Learning to trust is difficult to accomplish. Sometimes, the best way is to take a leap a faith. In this activity, the group will take turns in participating. There is one faller and one catcher. Both people must be close to equal in size. The catcher has to stand a few feet behind the faller, and the faller has to let go and fall back. The catcher must catch faller. Then, they have to switch roles. This activity works best on padded floors or in the park on grass, in case of accidents.

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