By: Dee Keller, Licensed Professional Counselor
Helping youth clients recognize and build on their strengths is a powerful way to boost self-esteem, improve coping skills, and combat negative self-talk. Many children and teens, especially those struggling with anxiety, depression, or ADHD, tend to focus on their weaknesses rather than their strengths. By incorporating strength-based activities into sessions, therapists can help clients shift their mindset, develop resilience, and build a more positive self-view.
Using Teleo’s interactive tools, therapists can engage youth in fun and meaningful activities that highlight their strengths. Below are three activities designed to build self-esteem and resilience.
Bucket Fillers & Drainers Activity
Based on the popular book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud, this activity helps children recognize how positive and negative interactions impact their self-esteem and the well-being of others.
How It Works in Teleo:
Add activities to the room, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud and the supplementary worksheet What Fills You Up? can be found in the the Activity Bank.
Guide them in brainstorming actions, words, or experiences that fill their bucket (make them feel good) and drain their bucket (make them feel bad).
Discuss ways to increase bucket-filling experiences and reduce bucket-draining ones.
✨Therapeutic Benefits:
Encourages self-awareness of emotions and interactions.
Reinforces positive behaviors and relationship-building skills.
Helps children externalize and understand negative self-talk.
Self-Esteem Sentence Completion
This activity encourages youth to reflect on their strengths and positive qualities by completing open-ended sentences. It is a great way to get to know your clients and build rapport.
How It Works in Teleo:
Use the whiteboard feature to create your own sentence stems.
Visit the Activity Bank to include the worksheet About Me: Self-Esteem Sentence Completion, co-created by Teleo and Amy Nasamran, PhD.
Have the child complete each sentence verbally, typing or drawing their responses.
Reflect on their answers and encourage discussion about how their strengths help them in everyday life.
✨Therapeutic Benefits:
Helps children reframe their self-image in a positive light.
Strengthens identity and self-acceptance.
Encourages gratitude and appreciation for personal growth.
Affirmation Games
Affirmations are a simple yet effective way to encourage positive self-talk and reinforce strengths. Teleo offers interactive affirmation activities that make practicing affirmations fun and engaging for youth.
How It Works in Teleo:
Visit the Activity Bank to find individualized activities based on your client’s interests, like The Affirmation Song for music lovers or the Positive Affirmations Matching Game for those who enjoy games.
Encourage clients to select affirmations that resonate with them and discuss how they can incorporate them into daily life.
Create a Poster of their affirmations to add to their room so they can see them each time they join, reinforcing positive self-talk consistently.
✨Therapeutic Benefits:
Promotes positive self-talk and self-compassion.
Engages auditory and visual learning for deeper reinforcement.
Creates a fun and interactive way to internalize strengths.
By integrating strength-based activities into Teleo sessions, therapists can help youth clients shift their focus from self-doubt to self-belief. These interactive exercises not only promote resilience but also empower children to see themselves in a positive light—an essential foundation for lifelong mental well-being. Try incorporating these activities into your sessions and watch your clients’ confidence grow!
✍️Dee Keller, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, parenting consultant, and owner of Sunnyside Counseling, a virtual practice based in Virginia. Dee focuses on supporting kids, college students, and moms in navigating anxiety, perfectionism, and overwhelm. She is dedicated to helping clients uncover their strengths and embrace balance and growth in their lives.
Learn more about Dee’s work at sunnysidecville.com