Check-In Questions for Group Therapy: Talking Piece, Ball Toss and Closing Round

About the technique

Opening and closing rounds, in which each member speaks briefly in turn, are a common structure in group psychotherapy. Irvin Yalom’s account of group therapy, first published in 1970, describes the therapeutic factors such structures can serve, including universality, the relief of finding that others share one’s struggles, and group cohesion (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). The talking piece comes from Indigenous North American circle traditions and was adapted into restorative justice and school practice, where whoever holds the piece speaks and everyone else listens (Pranis, 2005).

A round gives quieter members a guaranteed turn and lets the facilitator gauge the room before the main work begins. A light warm-up such as a ball toss lowers the threshold for speaking, and a one-word closing helps members leave with the session contained. None of these elements has been tested on its own. The evidence is practice-based, resting on the wider group therapy literature and on restorative practice rather than on trials of check-in formats.

These rounds suit outpatient, school, substance use and inpatient groups of teens and adults, in person or on video. Always offer a pass, keep warm-up prompts light, and make sure nobody leaves without a turn or with a thread left hanging at the close. Name the Indigenous origin of the talking piece with respect, and do not present the circle as a sacred or ceremonial practice.