Shelly Zantkeren

About The Game

Playing CBT is a therapy game based on the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach, designated for therapists, counselors, educators and facilitators to be used with children and adolescents. It is designed to support therapy for children and adolescents or to be used as a fun game that facilitates communication and coping with emotional and behavior issues in group settings.

The game helps children, adolescents and parents identify the different elements of their emotional experiences (thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behavior) and provides a basis for reflection and discussions, which then improve coping capabilities and promote cognitive flexibility and more positive emotional, physical and behavioral reactions.

Playing CBT is one of a kind in the way it implements CBT and other therapy principles, makes them accessible, easy and fun for just about anyone, and provides an indirect and pleasant means for improving social skills, coping skills, self-control and self-resilience.

Hello, my name is Shelly Zantkeren. Thank you for taking the time to hear the story behind Playing CBT. As far back as I can remember I always loved to play and use my imagination. I would invent new games every day or change the rules so that me and my friends would experience more challenge, thrill and interest.

When it was time for me to decide what I’ll do in life, I chose to become a professional therapist and specialized mainly in children. I went on to complete my master’s degree in educational counseling and applied educational psychology.

Over the years, while serving as a therapist in different settings, I noticed that the best way to get children to open up to me and share their inner world was always through playing, arts and crafts or other fun activities.

Questions & Answers

What age is this game intended for?

This game is intended for ages 7-12. The card set may also be used with younger children. You may also use the cards with adults thanks to the blank cards which allow incorporating events, thoughts and behaviors suggested by adults.

Is the game suitable for families?

This game is intended mainly for therapists, social workers, life coaches, group facilitators and educators. I do not recommend this game for parents since some of its many options may be difficult to understand and implement by people who lack professional knowledge in education or therapy

For whom is this game suitable?

This game is suitable for all children, from any background, and it can be adapted to any child’s cognitive and emotional level.

For what cases should this game be used?

This game offers many possibilities in the form of various games which implement different elements of CBT. Therefore, it may be use for therapy with various cases and purposes such as: anxiety, depression, social skills, self-control and emotional regulation, parental guidance, staff training and interpersonal relationships.

The price seems high, why so?

This game constitutes a very large and comprehensive set that includes: blank cards to add your own ideas with a whiteboard marker, beginner and advance game boards, emotions board, physical sensations board, 49 event cards, 45 negative thoughts cards, 42 emotions cards, 25 physical sensations cards, 35 behavior cards, 35 thinking thought cards, 24 reflection cards, thinking traps strip, task cards dealing with social situations.

All elements are made of high quality materials. Its contents provide the most professional and up-to-date implementation of CBT principles you could find in a therapy game. The games and instructions were formulated with great passion and dedication, based on many years of experience and with the investment of much effort and time to produce a therapeutic tool for all professionals.