2. Why did I create these activities
• COLORSTICKS
• I wanted a way to measure a client’s emotional verbosity to
gauge where we needed to begin work regarding feelings (ie. If
a treatment goal is to identify feelings associated with anger, it
helps if they know feelings words.)
• It incorporates different learning styles.
• You can use it to measure progress.
• RIDICULOUS GROUNDING
• It places the brain into “left field”, far removed from the
negative emotion, forcing the client to have to “work” to be
angry or sad. With counted breathing, the emotions are still
“close”.
• It’s easy, and can be done anywhere. (work smarter not harder)
3. Colorsticks
Supplies: ROYGBV multicolored popsicle sticks
found in Dollartree or Walmart.
1 black sharpie.
(Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet)
Utilizes CBPT (Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy)
4. How to use the Colorsticks
1. Have client write down the feeling word they associate with the color of the
stick.
2. Separate their answers – see how many positive emotions, negative emotions,
and transition (confusion, boredom – feelings that aren’t really positive, nor
negative)
3. Hand them their sticks and ask them “who controls your emotions?”. If they
struggle to answer “me”, use the sticks as a visual reference.
4. Hold the sticks for the client, have them close their eyes and pick a stick. They
will describe a time when they felt that emotion.
5. For younger ages or those with developmental delays, have the client tell you
what to write on the stick.
5. An alternative is to use plain popsicle sticks (tongue depressors) with multicolored
markers.
6. RIDICULOUS GROUNDING
• This is used to jolt the brain out of negative emotions
(anger, sadness) placing it into a “sillier” state of being.
• Can be used anywhere.
• Utilizes Gestalt.
• Illogically Logical
• Uses the imagination to go through the senses: Sight,
Touch, Sound, Scent, Taste
7. Practice Ridiculous Grounding
• 1. Find an object in the room with your eyes. (clock, candle,
dusty book, cat, peacock feather…)
• 2. Mentally think of 2-3 words to describe how it looks. (ie. Dusty
Book: Red, dirty.
• 3. Mentally think of 2-3 words to describe how it feels. (ie. Heavy,
hard.)
• 4. Mentally think of 2-3 words to describe how it sounds. (ie.
Thump, thlip.)
• 5. Mentally think of 2-3 words to describe how it smells. (ie. dirty,
musty.)
• 6.Mentally think of 2-3 words to describe how it tastes. (ie. salty,
yuck.)
8. Who does this work with
• The youngest age I have used the Colorsticks with was 3.
Anyone who can intellectually function at or around 3
years of age can in theory function well with the activity.
• The youngest age that I have taught Ridiculous Grounding
to was 5.
• This can be used crossculturally.
