Children’s Social Skills Groups
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
2022-23 Update:
I do not have any independent groups currently running, though I do have existing groups on school campuses. If your school is interested in hosting a social skills group, or if you would like a referral to one of my outstanding colleagues with existing in-person (Bay Area) or virtual groups, please reach out to melissa@cognitionsf.com!
Individual therapy is awesome, but practicing social skills with an adult is different than practicing them with peers. Peers are less predictable, often less patient and understanding, and quicker to react… or overreact, in some cases! In a perfect world, I would follow kids around at recess and in the classroom actively coaching them as they play and work cooperatively; since that’s hard to manage, children social groups are the next best thing.
Social groups are ideally comprised of 4-10 students in the San Francisco Bay Area who can be available to work together at least once a week for 45 minutes to two hours, depending on age and development. During the pandemic, children social groups can be held with students in the same cohort or class, preferably on-campus or at home. We can also meet outdoors if you prefer. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, and ready to mask whenever needed!
Please contact me about scheduling a social group for your child or class, joining an existing one, or finding out more about what happens in social groups.
A few research-based resources showing how the practice (not performance!) of improv can affect social skills and personal development:
Improvisational Play Interventions: Fostering Social-Emotional Development in Inclusive Classrooms
Dr. Charles Limb: Your Brain on Improv (if you skip the rest, this one is worth watching!)
Improv Experience Promotes Divergent Thinking, Uncertainty Tolerance, and Affective Well-Being
Increasing Individual Writing Fluency with Collaborative Improv
