Think Outside the Think Outside the Box: Essential, Box: Essential,

Creative Creative Techniques for Techniques for

School CounselorsSchool CounselorsEd Jacobs, Ph.D.Ed Jacobs, Ph.D.

West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University

The Brain Likes NoveltyThe Brain Likes Novelty

What did you learn?What did you learn?

Talk / Listen CounselingTalk / Listen Counseling

Focus on FeelingsFocus on Feelings How Creative Are You? 1—10 How Creative Are You? 1—10

ScaleScale What Advertisers Know What Advertisers Know Talk to the Student’s EyesTalk to the Student’s Eyes

Common Mistakes of School Counselors— Your

BOX Reflect more than necessary

Listen to too many stories Rarely interrupt student Take too long to focus the

session Is not theory driven Is not creativeTHINK OUTSIDE THE

BOX

The Four M’s of Impact Therapy

MultisensoryMotivationalMarketing Maps

What Kind of Player Are What Kind of Player Are You?You?

Friday Night PlayerFriday Night Player

Saturday PlayerSaturday Player

Sunday PlayerSunday Player - - has has

courage and thinkscourage and thinks outside the boxoutside the box

Essential Creative Essential Creative Techniques: PropsTechniques: Props

CupsCups Rubber BandRubber Band $1$1 ShieldShield Eyore and TiggerEyore and Tigger FusesFuses

Essential Creative Essential Creative Techniques: Using Chairs Techniques: Using Chairs

CreativelyCreatively To represent goalsTo represent goals Holding on to chairHolding on to chair To represent choices To represent choices To represent peopleTo represent people To represent parts of personalityTo represent parts of personality

Essential Creative Essential Creative Techniques: Using Small Techniques: Using Small

ChairChairThe small chair is the prop that I The small chair is the prop that I

use the most.use the most.

Sunday players will get a small chair Sunday players will get a small chair (elementary counselors already have (elementary counselors already have them).them).

Using Chairs for Gestalt Using Chairs for Gestalt TechniqueTechnique

There is tremendous power in There is tremendous power in presentizing a discussion about presentizing a discussion about someone.someone.

Clients benefit from dialoging with Clients benefit from dialoging with themselves (changing seats).themselves (changing seats).

Essential Creative Essential Creative Techniques: Creative Use of Techniques: Creative Use of

WritingWriting Ratings—1-10 Parents, Effort in Ratings—1-10 Parents, Effort in

School, etcSchool, etc The power of the sentence: The power of the sentence:

Thoughts cause feelings...

Not True----------True Not True----------True GridGrid

Not True ______ True_______Not True ______ True_______I am a failureI am a failure I made a B which I made a B which I am never going toI am never going to which means I havewhich means I haveamount to anything. to study more. amount to anything. to study more.

One B does not One B does not determine the rest determine the rest

of of my life my life______________________________________________________________________________ BadBad BetterBetter

WDEPWDEP

W—What do you W—What do you wantwant??

D—What are you currently D—What are you currently doingdoing??

E—E—EvaluateEvaluate –How is what you’re –How is what you’re doing getting you what you want? doing getting you what you want? (This is always it is not.)(This is always it is not.)

P—Plan—Let’s work on a plan to get P—Plan—Let’s work on a plan to get you what you want.you what you want.

WDEPWDEP

W—I hope to be a doctor.W—I hope to be a doctor. D—I’m smoking dope, skipping, school, D—I’m smoking dope, skipping, school,

not studying, and I don’t turn in not studying, and I don’t turn in assignments. I hang out with people assignments. I hang out with people who have no college aspirations.who have no college aspirations.

E—It’s not working for me. I’m failing.E—It’s not working for me. I’m failing. P—Plan—Go to school; hang out with P—Plan—Go to school; hang out with

positive people; do homework right positive people; do homework right after school.after school.

Creative Use of DrawingsCreative Use of Drawings

Small box—Big BoxSmall box—Big Box

Enmeshed CirclesEnmeshed Circles

TimelinesTimelines

xx

xx

x

x

2yrs 1yr 6 mo

3mo

now

1

10

Essential Creative Essential Creative Techniques: Techniques:

Creative Movement Creative Movement TechniquesTechniquesThere is value in getting students There is value in getting students

to move out of their seat.to move out of their seat. Being held backBeing held back Moving to other (better) seatMoving to other (better) seat Going in circlesGoing in circles Counselor stand in chairCounselor stand in chair

A KEY FOR EFFECTIVE LIVING

Get your

expectations in line with

reality

Questions Regarding Questions Regarding Thinking Outside the BoxThinking Outside the Box

Are you a Sunday Player? Do you want Are you a Sunday Player? Do you want to be? It takes to be? It takes Deliberate PracticeDeliberate Practice

What are you going to do differently What are you going to do differently next week?next week?

What keeps you from being more What keeps you from being more creative?creative?

What will be the hardest thing for you What will be the hardest thing for you to overcome regarding using some of to overcome regarding using some of the ideas presented.the ideas presented.

More InformationMore Information

To contact me for workshops, information, To contact me for workshops, information, etc:etc:

Ed Jacobs, 457 Broadway Avenue, Star Ed Jacobs, 457 Broadway Avenue, Star City, WV 26505; 304-599-0109City, WV 26505; 304-599-0109

Ed.Jacobs@mail.wvu.edu edjacobs@impacttherapy.com Book/CD’s orders—Book/CD’s orders—

www.impacttherapy.comwww.impacttherapy.com Summer workshop—Summer workshop—

www.impacttherapy.comwww.impacttherapy.com

What You Need to KnowWhat You Need to Know

Grief CounselingGrief Counseling Stages of ChangeStages of Change Parenting modelsParenting models Drugs and AlcoholDrugs and Alcohol Counseling theories Counseling theories Panic AttacksPanic Attacks OCDOCD

Which Kid Are You?