Experiential Activities for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence: A Group Counselling Guide to the Keys to Success

Comprehensive, user friendly, and just plain fun, this book brings experiential activities to the service of enhancing emotional intelligence.

Designed for counselling professionals working with children and young adults, the book's activities unite the joy of adventure-based games with training in emotional awareness, behavioural control, and relationship skills: crucial building blocks for personal success.

Key Content

• An introduction to the program and its foundation in experiential counselling, adventure-based group work, and theories of emotional intelligence
• Over 150 experiential activities, all time-tested and specifically designed to enhance skills in emotional intelligence
• A user-friendly format that lets readers quickly match games to participants, identify objectives, and find step-by-step guidance
• Multiple options for adapting activities and sequences to special-group needs
• A wealth of facilitator supports, including activity tools, worksheets, and strategies for engaging participants and debriefing activities
• Three sample curricula for running anger-management, depression-support, or leadership training groups

Facilitators will find the activity sequences suitable for emotionally and behaviourally challenged youth as well as any participants seeking enhanced learning and personal growth.

Filled with tried-and-true favourites and new approaches, the book offers everything from icebreakers and name games to low- and high-level initiatives and trust activities. Facilitators and participants are sure to find something that connects—and promotes fun!

Reproducible forms for this title are available via a downloads page.

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"In Experiential Activities for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence, Scott Goldsmith provides an invaluable and rich resource for counselors, psychologists, teachers, and other professionals who are interested in fostering emotional intelligence through experiential learning.’ … Furthermore, the book is organized in a manner that allows counselors and facilitators to tailor their counseling program according to the group’s needs, developmental level, and learning and behavioral objectives."
- Shani Beth-Halachmy, PhD, NCSP, Communiqué, published by The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

"Scott Goldsmith has taken two important topics, emotional intelligence and experiential learning, combined them, and created a roadmap that any facilitator can follow. Well done, Scott!"
- Jim Cain, PhD, author of Teamwork & Teamplay and Rope Games

"Experiential Activities for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence is truly a guide to “move” groups of learners into action. Building from a strong foundation in experiential counseling, Goldsmith articulates practical strategies for explaining, experiencing, and enhancing emotional intelligence. A valuable treasure trove of tested activities that will be reliable for lifetimes."
- Chris Cavert, EdD, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University, experiential educator, author and trainer

"Scott Goldsmith’s book Experiential Activities for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence is an amazing compilation of experiential therapeutic activities for young people. He takes his concept of the three Keys to Success and weaves them into a multimodal approach to facilitate emotional growth and skill building for youth and young adults."
- Laura M.I. Saunders, PsyD, ABPP, Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified in Clinical Psychology Young Adult Services, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital