Body Cue Mapping

  • 15 to 20 minutes
  • In person
  • Teletherapy
Video

Overview

This activity helps kids experiment with their heart rate and think critically about clues their body is giving them about their emotions.

Time in Mightier program

Weeks 2+

Therapeutic Goals

  1. Provide psychoeducation regarding body cues
  2. Develop emotional awareness
  3. Develop body awareness
  4. Increase emotional vocabulary
  5. Practice self-reflection
  6. Support client’s understanding and enjoyment of Mightier

Documentation Suggestion

Client and clinician engaged in a psychoeducation-based intervention using the Mightier biofeedback tool. The intervention focused on body cues and helped the client to develop emotional and body awareness while increasing emotional vocabulary and practicing self-reflection

Materials needed

Mightier tablet

Mightier tablet

Heart rate monitor

Heart rate monitor

Paper

Paper

Writing utensils

Writing utensils

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Have the client put on their heart rate monitor and turn on the tablet. 

  2. Ask your client what they know about their body and their emotions. Some possible questions may include:

    -Do you notice anything about the connection between your feelings and how your body feels? 
    -What do you notice about your body when you feel __?

  3. Ask your client what they notice about their body in relation to the areas of the Gizmo.

    -What do you notice about your body when you are in the red?
    -What do you notice about your body when you are in the blue?

  4. Provide psychoeducation about body cues using the script below (or something similar):

    When we feel a feeling, our body may feel different. It may be that when we are worried we get an upset stomach or our legs or arms are shaky. Sometimes when we get angry our face can get red, our fists might clench, and we might get sweaty. These are clues that our body gives us. It can be helpful to learn our own body cues as they can help us to notice when we are feeling something so we can make a decision that will help us feel a bit better. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s reactions to emotions are different.

  5. Tell your client you are both going to experiment to see if they can notice other things about their body when they are in the different sections of the Gizmo. 

  6. Ask your client to draw an outline of their body on a piece of paper and to grab a red writing utensil.

  7. Ask your client to get into the red however they choose to. This can be a movement like jumping jacks, running in place, dancing, etc. For some clients later in their Mightier journey, they may be able to think of something that makes them frustrated or anxious to get into the red. 

  8. Once they are in the red, ask your client to close their eyes and reflect on what their body feels like. Ask them to color in, highlight, or draw where they are feeling a change in their body once entering the red. This may take a few times to notice sensations for some clients.

  9. Ask your client if they notice any of these changes in situations outside of playing Mightier. Reflect on situations that may come in handy to identify body cues. 

  10. Repeat this process for the blue section of the Gizmo. 

“Tell me about a time….”

  • 5 to 7 minutes
  • In person
  • Teletherapy
Video

Overview

This check-in activity allows clients to reflect on their experiences while helping make connections between their emotions and heart rate.

Time in Mightier program

Weeks 4+

Therapeutic Goals

  1. Develop emotional awareness
  2. Develop body awareness
  3. Increase emotional vocabulary
  4. Practice self-reflection
  5. Practice communication and social skills
  6. Support client’s understanding and enjoyment of Mightier

Documentation Suggestions

Client and clinician engaged in a check-in intervention using the Mightier biofeedback tool. This intervention allowed the client to reflect on their experiences while focusing on emotional and body awareness, increasing emotional vocabulary, practicing self-reflection, and developing social skills. 

Materials needed

Mightier tablet

Mightier tablet

Heart rate monitor

Heart rate monitor

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Have the client put on their heart rate monitor and turn on their tablet.

  2. Have your client share about events that happened since the last time you met with them. If prompts are needed, use below:

    What was the best part of your week?
    What is the most exciting thing that happened?
    What didn’t go as well as you had hoped?
    What was the worst part of this week?

  3. While they are sharing experiences, ask your client to notice and report back where their heart rate is on the Gizmo.

  4. When the client’s heart rate increases into the red or decreases in the blue, ask what they notice about their body and feelings when these changes occur.

    What do you notice about your body right now?
    What are you feeling right now as you talk about this experience with me?
    Do your feelings match your heart rate on the Gizmo?

  5. Repeat this process with experiences that the client has had throughout the week. If the client is well-versed in Mightier language then you can ask the client to guess what section of the Gizmo they may be in before they tell a certain part of their story.

Micro-Mightier Calming Skill Challenges

  • 5 to 15 minutes
  • In person
  • Teletherapy
Video

Overview

These micro-challenges are designed to get kids moving and experimenting with emotional regulation in a fun and active way.

Time in Mightier program

Weeks 1+

Therapeutic Goals

  1. Develop emotional awareness
  2. develop body awareness,
  3. Increase emotional vocabulary
  4. Support client’s understanding and enjoyment of Mightier.

Documentation Suggestion

Client and clinician engaged in a coping skill-based intervention which targeted developing emotional and body awareness while increasing emotional vocabulary using the Mightier biofeedback tool.

Materials needed

Mightier tablet

Mightier tablet

Heart rate monitor

Heart rate monitor

Stopwatch

Stopwatch

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Have your client put on their heart rate monitor and turn on their tablet.

  2. Ask your client what calming skills they have been using in Mightier.

  3. Remind them that there are 4 calming skills that Mightier teaches: deep breathing, crossing the midline, progressive muscle relaxation, and tracing.

  4. Ask your client if they would like to engage in a science experiment with the Mightier calming skills. Ask the client to guess which calming skill brings their heart rate down the quickest from red to blue. Ask them why they think this and ask what evidence they have to make this guess. Ask your client to rank the skills in order from quickest to slowest from red to blue.

  5. Tell your client you are both going to experiment to see if their guesses are correct by timing how quickly they can get their heart rate back into the blue.

  6. Ask your client to get their heart rate up to the red. Encourage them to complete jumping jacks, running in place, holding hands over their head, dancing to a favorite song, etc.. (You can also do this with them to help with engagement)

  7. Once the child shares they are in the red set the stopwatch and encourage them to try out one of the skills. (You can do the skill along with them to help with adherence).

  8. Share the time with the client and celebrate their hard work. Ask them what they noticed about using the skills and/or use questions below.

         -What did you notice about your heart rate when you used that skill?
          -What did you notice about your feelings when you used that skill?
          -What was helpful about using that skill?
          -What was difficult about using that skill?

    Repeat this exercise with the other 3 skills.

    *You can complete these challenges at a regular cadence throughout sessions to see if the client is able to recognize changes in their ability to regulate and use these skills.

    *You can also complete these challenges and ask clients to share and experiment with their own calming skills that they identify as helpful outside of the 4 Mightier calming skills. See the “Create Your Own Mightier Calming Skills” activity in the clinician tool kit for ideas.