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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

I didn't know this for many years, but Crazy Eights is used as a de-stress, transitional game by many improv teachers to start classes or before shows because it mimics the "shaking off" of stress that animals do. It's a somatic stress relief tool disguised as silly fun!

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

There is, of course, more, and Calvinball can be played and used in so, so many ways to achieve different goals or help players identify different things about themselves or how the group, class, or structure they're in is functioning.

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Calvinball! Chaos made playful! Calvinball is a game of total chaos, that isn't. It is the "work" of child's play, and it offers so many lessons around following "rules," identifying "rules," conformity, individuation, unseen "rules," and the role of individuals in group dynamics and play.

It is a very powerful exercise, particularly for women, given those dynamics. Give this one a whirl, and let us know how it goes! Directions on how to play, for this game and more, are on the Resources page at Shift Happens Collective.

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I've also found this game magical in illuminating behaviors, attitudes and fears related to leadership, assertiveness, sharing one's needs openly, and expressing desire or direction that impacts others.

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This game is such a great one for exploring relationship dynamics, as well as how we work and are impacted by with mistakes and expectations.

My friend and former improv co-teacher and collaborator, Dr. Anna Trester, invented this brilliant exercise that I have always used in my classes and sometimes in the therapy room.

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What starts out as a blank page always becomes fun, exciting, interesting and surprising with the Seven Line Story! Resources for the format and how to apply this game across purposes is available here, along with many other games and resources:

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Seven Line Stories are a great way for a group or any dyad (I've even co-written one with a client in therapy) to collaborate on something creative, with no stakes, and to watch absolute magic unfold!

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Writer's block? Try a Seven Line Story. Couples having trouble collaborating? Try a Seven Line Story. Someone feeling stuck? Seven Line Story. Need a laugh? Seven Line Story.

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Seven Line Stories is such a great improv game, and honestly, creative tool for so many settings!

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The Game Sheet on how to play Sound in Motion and process it deeply and with intention--and if you don't like my intentions, you'll get the gist, and can make up your own frame--is here, along with others. Go play, talk, grow!

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It's a way to explore our relationship to "mistakes," to using your voice, to pressure to "make things good" instead of just being with what is, and more.

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The right discussion frame can make Sound in Motion not only a great warm-up for improvisers, but also for work teams, student groups, therapy groups, or orgs of all kinds.

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Whether it starts with a "Caw Caw" or a "Brrrrrr," improvisers know Sound in Motion as the default #1 warm-up game, and it is. It's also SO. MUCH. MORE.

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The workshop leader, Amanda Rosado, offers some tips you can use immediately and the link to learn more about the workshop on my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/shifthap...

open.substack.com

Want to use music to be more "in tune" with your clients?

If so, we've got a 2-hour rockin' good continuing education workshop for you!

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Ever wondered if you can send your therapy client that song that makes you think of them or what they're going through? Or have other questions about how you might enhance your clinical work with music, even if you're not a music therapist? If so, this continuing education workshop is for you!

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shifthappenscollective.com

And yes, there's more where that came from at: shifthappenscollective.com/resources

Resources — Shift Happens Collective

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If you've got a group struggling with cohesion, playfulness, tolerance of error, spontaneity, brainstorming, having fun, rigidity, or exploration, give this game a whirl at your next team-building exercise!

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You can play it lots and lots and lots of times and always take away a new lesson or learn something new about yourself and how you manage peer pressure, fun, social expectations, work/school expectations, mistakes, and so much more.

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Zen Count is the improv equivalent of meditation meets relationship dynamics meets philosophy class meets anxiety exploration...

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A silly, zany funny game that can lead to fun discussions about meeting others' expectations, pressure to perform, peer pressure, boundaries, impulsivity, staying grounded, going slow, and more!

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

An improv game with a therapy twist that highlights intense listening, and the wonderful feeling of being heard fully. And people usually laugh, a lot.

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

2 continuing education credits on incorporating music into therapy! Come get your CE groove on! shifthappenscollective.com/events//musi...

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I'm making my improv game sheets, cultivated from a decade+ of practicing and teaching improv, and using it to train therapists and other helping pros, available to anyone who may benefit from them. open.substack.com/pub/shifthap...

open.substack.com

Free resource: Improv Game Sheets for use with groups, couples, classes, or just for fun!

A "scene edit" for me means some resources for you!

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The workshop provides 6 CEs for social workers, counselors, and other professions depending on your state, is being held over Zoom and broken up over two learning sessions, and has tiered pricing in keeping with our anti-ableist theme.

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The Substack post linked above gives more context for Jennifer's workshop and the journey she set me on when I attended one of her workshops a few years ago, as well as links and resources to learn more about her. If it resonates, please join us!

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for addressing the biases that perpetuate it, gently affirming our own unique needs, and clinical wisdom that applies across diagnoses, presenting problems and people.

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Therapists often think they don't work with anyone impacted by ableism, but we are all impacted by it, and Jennifer's workshops are such a helpful tool...

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Megan Odett @megan2wheels.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

If you're a mental health pro in need of continuing education, you may not know you need this workshop!: bit.ly/3NDvk9w It sounds a bit dry and boring, but I assure you that when Jennifer Glacel talks about ableism and its intersection with neurodiversity, it is anything but.

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Reposted by Lisa Kays

"What if Nothing's Wrong With You" -- a breath of fresh air and a timely reminder that things are hard for me because Things Are Hard, not because I am an incompetent person who Persons All Wrong.

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Lisa Kays @lisakays.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Oh, it was that one! :) That's the labor of love! Though Gabriele's is also! It's a big "nothing is wrong with you" conspiracy cult! :)

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Mental Health In Chaos(Ep. 32)

If so, this episode may be for you... open.spotify.com/episode/6KpU...

open.spotify.com

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We recorded this MONTHS ago; yet it remains timeless, as the chaos keeps unfolding. Struggling a bit to cope with all that is happening right now? Being down on yourself because you feel like you can't quite "get it right" or "do it right" or feel "okay" about what you are or aren't doing?

Oh wait, ha ha, you meant the other podcast...Gabriele's is awesome, too! :)