Glitter Jars & Panic

When working with clients, particularly younger ones, I prefer engaging in activities like purposeful crafts, walking, drawing, or mindful coloring while we talk. This approach serves several purposes—it helps clients avoid direct eye contact during tough discussions and allows me to smoothly shift the conversation to a neutral topic if I notice the client is uncomfortable. If we work on a craft together, it always results in a final product that aids in addressing the challenge we're focusing on.

I firmly believe that preteens and teens can absorb more information than many adults assume. This is why I often find myself explaining to clients about the development of anxiety or how different brain regions collaborate and change during puberty. If I'm assisting a girl in navigating challenges involving thoughts and emotions, she deserves to understand why she reacts in certain ways and why I believe my suggested strategy will be effective.

A common purposeful craft I do with clients is making a calm down glitter jar. I use this jar as an educational and coping tool, especially for girls dealing with anxiety or panic. A calm down glitter jar consists of a container with water, glue, various sizes, shapes, and colors of glitter, and food coloring. When still, the jar appears clear with a layer of color and glitter at the bottom. Shaking the jar turns the clear liquid into a vibrant color with swirling glitter. This motion symbolizes how anxiety can overwhelm our ability to think clearly and calmly about a problem.

As we observe, the smallest glitter, representing heightened emotions and stress responses, settles first, followed by larger glitter pieces symbolizing ongoing ruminating thoughts. Only when the color settles at the bottom can we see clearly through the jar again. It's a beautiful visualization of a panic response and ongoing anxiety!

Beyond its educational value, the glitter jar is an excellent calming tool for managing panic or stress. The swirling glitter is mesmerizing, with certain pieces catching the light and sparkling, providing a soothing and calming effect. Watching the glitter and color descend is a meditative act, and the girls can shake and watch as often as needed.

The best part is that the girls create these jars, each one unique to them. Recently, my client Charlotte (names changed for privacy) spent our entire session perfecting her jar. We adjusted her color multiple times, added more large and small glitter pieces, and tweaked the glue/water ratio to achieve her desired descent speed. Remarkably, in our next session, Charlotte shared that she not only used the jar but also taught her parents about its representation and function! I'd say that was a productive and successful session.

There are many "recipes" for creating these jars available online. Parents, I encourage you to make one for yourselves as well.