Tuesday, December 30, 2014

PhotoTherapy Mindfulness Group Session for Substance Abusing Teens


Pictures from a photography-outing today. I conducted a group therapy exercise focused on mindfulness. The group walked to a local park and had the opportunity to capture photos on our walk, as well as at the park. It was a great experience seeing who really connected with the exercise, the differences in each teen's interpretation of the assignment, and the differences in perception. I'm very passionate about this topic, so I made sure to capture a few of my own.


The main idea behind the exercise was to capture photos of things they felt are usually overlooked. Things that are in their environment that they may not think to stop and look at. This was a way to practice grounding techniques, which are very common coping tools for anxiety, depression, and negative symptoms of trauma. The teens come from many different backgrounds, and this exercise was helpful across the board. 

At next week's group, everyone will share their pictures with the group and process their work. It will be interesting to hear everyone express their thoughts and feelings about what they felt was helpful, and to see the commonalities - if any - across their own pictures.

Young people show great interest when you find creative ways to address therapy issues. PhotoTherapy groups are a great way to allow for creativity and encourage teens to try something new. One huge benefit is that PhotoTherapy techniques help to provide a starting place to get to underlying issues and facilitate expression when regular talk therapy may not be enough. I offer groups and workshops in the community, as well as for schools and other groups. Email me to learn more!


- written by Nakya Reeves, LMFT. I am a therapist and owner of a private practice where my main focus is working with families on communication issues, especially the parent-teen relationship. I also utilize PhotoTherapy techniques in my practice, which integrates bringing in photos that the client has taken or collected as a part of the therapy process. I can be contacted any time at csolutionstherapy@gmail.com 

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