Would You Rather?

Like a lot of games that get used for therapy, Would You Rather is probably familiar to most people. We might have tried to think of the grossest or scariest options to give our friends.

A simple question, like “Coffee or tea?” can break the ice and get this activity going. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Whether with an individual or a group, Would You Rather can get clients talking and delve into important topics. It can be good to start off with questions that are not directly related to therapy, as these seem less threatening. Questions like, “Would you rather have cake or pie?” or “Would you rather get a pet cat or a pet dog?” can get kids talking. You can also give silly choices, like, “Would you rather talk like a chipmunk or a robot?” to lighten the mood.

I like to take turns and have kids ask me questions too, since this can build relationship. Sometimes they have trouble thinking of choices, so I will pull up a website like this one, this one, or this one to get the ideas going.

After the client(s) feel comfortable, I can throw in some harder questions, like, “Would you rather be constantly surrounded by people or alone all the time?” or, “Would you rather know every fact in the world or always feel happy?” Questions often spark discussion about why they made a particular choice.

If you play Would You Rather in in-person sessions, online is basically the same except you can screen share question lists. It’s so simple and builds connection effortlessly.

Published by Dr Marschall

Dr. Amy Marschall received her Psy.D. from the University of Hartford in September 2015. She completed her internship at the National Psychology Training Consortium with specializations in assessment and rural mental health. Currently, she specializes in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming care, and she is certified in telemental health. Dr. Marschall runs a private practice, RMH Therapy, where she provides individual and family therapy as well as psychological assessments across the lifespan. Dr. Amy Marschall is an author and professional speaker.

%d bloggers like this: