"Do you want me to let you win or try my best?" I ask students this question before we play a non-counseling "skill" game (like Connect 4, checkers, etc.) in individual counseling sessions. I got the idea several years ago from the book
Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen, and it has helped my students who struggle with not-always-winning. Because they chose my level of play at the beginning of the game, they are less likely to become upset if they say, "try your best" and lose....and if they WIN when I'm trying my best, then they feel especially proud of their effort. Of course it has been a great springboard for talking about sportsmanship skills in general, too.
What kinds of strategies do you use to increase the therapeutic function of games in counseling?
I emphasize the sportsmanship aspect just about everytime we play a classroom game where someone is "out" at some point. My slogan is, "Go out with grace, with a smile on your face." I teach that prior to playing so they know that is the expectation. It makes a big difference in the attitude when they go out!
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