ABSTRACT
Make the session special and differentiate from the rest of children’s days (and, if needed, from previous counseling) with a ritual (e.g., special fist bump, herbal tea, or a magic trick).
My Thermo-Encourage children to scan over their bodies as they complete My Thermometers. Their meters thermometers can be viewed as a measure of how they are feeling overall, like an internal
weather report (Snel, 2013) or how fast a river representing their thoughts and feelings is flowing from a smooth and gentle current flowing over a soft, sandy bottom to rough water with multiple currents and foaming bubbles rushing over large rocks. It may be helpful to point out to children (and caregivers) that we can’t change the weather outside (Snel, 2013) or the force of a river. We can instead step back, get the weather report or check how the river is flowing, accept what is happening, and use ‘SOS for Stress,’ children’s Safety First card, or other steps to coregulate and self-regulate with mindfulness of the weather or river.
