Expressive Online Activities Expressive activities in teleplay with teens that have proven to be effective in practice include: • Have the client identifying a meme and sharing how the meme relates to them (e.g., what happened in their day, a relationship, emotions). The use of memes can facilitate the expression of emotions and perceptions.


• Mindfulness activities are helpful with providing an overall feeling of


psychological wellness, self-regulation, and


decreased stress responses (Huppert & Johnson, 2010). Teens can be asked to share with you an online picture of a superhero that already exists, or they can imagine and create their own superhero. Once they identify the superhero, they can share what


it feels like to stand like their superhero. For example,


“What powers and strengths does your superhero have?” The counselor can ask the teen to stand like their superhero pose and imagine they have those strengths and powers (Stauffer, 2021). Drawing or making a collage of the superhero could also be incorporated. o Journaling is another great activity to practice mindfulness for any age, especially with teenagers. Teens can keep a journal of writing, poetry, art, stickers, music lyrics, or scribbles.


• Online games like Minecraft, may be used to discuss family life and school challenges. Other electronic games like Uno, Chess, and Connect Four provide an opportunity for rapport building, connection, expression of emotions and self, and skill building.           in the application of electronic game play including enhancing social relationships, facilitating communication, increasing personal strength, and developing self-representation (p. 225). o If you incorporate online games with your


teen clients,


caregivers’ consent will be needed. If you must create a log-in for the online game, make sure it is with your HIPAA compliant email and a nondescript username like “play 22” (Landrum, 2020).


        education, and counseling all substantiate the immense growth and challenges of


teens. Creative and expressive activities in teleplay


therapy are likely to effectively serve the diverse social, emotional, and developmental needs of teens, while simultaneously increasing access and authenticity. Teleplay therapists meet teens where they are, in every sense.


References American Academy of Pediatrics (2019). What is going on in the teenage brain? https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/ Pages/Whats-Going-On-in-the-Teenage-Brain.aspx


American Academy of Pediatrics (2020). Ages and stages. https://www. healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/default.aspx


Arain, M., Haque, M., Johal, L., Mathur, P., Nel, W., Rais, A., Sandhu, R., & Sharma, S. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent , 449–461. https:// doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S39776


Association for Play Therapy (2020). Play therapy best practices: Clinical, professional, and ethical issues. https://cdn.ymaws. com/www.a4pt.org/resource/resmgr/publications/apt_best_ practices_-_june_20.pdf


Barker, L. Stone


(2021). Expressive therapies in telemental (Ed.), Play play. In J. therapy and telemental health: Foundations,


populations, & interventions (pp. 201-215). Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.4324/9781003166498-13


Bratton, S. C., Ceballos, P. L., & Ferebee, W. K. (2016). Integration of structured expressive activities within a humanistic group play therapy format for preadolescents. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 34 (3), 251-275, doi:10.1080/01933920903033487


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, March 27). Key         https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/anxiety-and- depression.html


Erickson, E. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.


Giedd, J. N. (2008). The teen brain: Insights from neuroimaging. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42, 335-343. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.01.007


Hudspeth, E., & Matthews, K. (2016). Neuroscience and play therapy: The neurobiologically informed play therapist. In K. J. O’Connor, C. E. Schaefer, & L. D. Braverman (Eds.), Handbook of play therapy. (2nd ed., pp. 583-597). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Hull, K. (2016). Technology in the playroom. In K. J. O’Connor, C. E. Schaefer & L. D. Braverman (Eds.), Handbook of play therapy. (2nd ed., pp. 613-627). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Hull, K. B. (2021). Electronic game play therapy. In H. G., Kaduson, & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), Play therapy with children: Modalities for change (pp. 225-240). American Psychological Association. https:// psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0000217-015


Huppert, F. A., & Johnson, D. M. (2010). A controlled trial of mindfulness training in schools: The importance of practice for an impact on well-being. Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 264-274.


Jeffrey, J., Marlotte, L., & Hajal, N.J. (2020). Providing telebehavioral  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,12(1), S272-S273. doi:10.1037/tra0000817 Jensen, E.


(2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. (2nd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.


Landrum, A. (2020, March 15). Interventions for online therapy with children and youth. Guidance Teletherapy. https://www.guidancett. com/blog/interventions-for-online-therapy-with-children-and- youth-2020


Leggett, E.S., & Boswell, J.N. (2017). Directive play therapy: Theories and techniques. Springer Publishing Company.


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