Icebreakers are often a great way to start off group. They are especially helpful when you have new group members because they can increase group cohesion & camaraderie, and they help group members get to know each other better. Icebreakers are also fun- when group members are laughing and having a good time, they feel more comfortable. Plus, it sets the mood for the rest of group!
Groups can be tense & emotionally draining, especially if you’re talking about topics like depression, trauma, addiction, etc… so it’s okay to have fun once in a while! Try this icebreaker…
Icebreaker- My Music Match!
Have you heard of the icebreaker where group members have to find their “match”? For example, a group member with a card labeled, “Batman” has to find the group member with the card labeled, “Robin”. You can try this icebreaker… but with song lyrics!
Find the lyrics of well-known songs (that your group members will be familiar with), and split them up (write one line on each card). Group members will then have to find the person who has a card with lyrics that match their own. Here are examples:
Pair (from Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”)
1: Billie Jean is not my lover…
2: …She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one
Pair (from Pharrell William’s “Happy”)
1: Because I’m happy…
2: …Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Once they find their match, have them ask each other a question. It can be relevant to therapy (i.e. “What is your favorite coping tool?”) or it can be something random (i.e. “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?”)
*If you don’t have the time to put this icebreaker together, you can use this (printable PDF): Icebreaker: My Music Match
Preview of icebreaker activity:
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