The benefits of brain breaks in teletherapy

The benefits of brain breaks during teletherapy are numerous—they help children stay engaged, regulate their emotions, and refocus during long or demanding virtual sessions. If you’ve ever seen a child melt down halfway through a virtual session or start spinning in their chair instead of responding, you’re not alone. Brain breaks are a simple yet powerful tool for redirecting energy, resetting attention, and keeping sessions productive and positive.

Summary

• Brain breaks are short, structured pauses that restore attention and regulate emotions during teletherapy. Download my free brain breaks for teletherapy PDF

• Combining physical and cognitive breaks maximizes engagement and retention.

• AI tools can assist with generating and tailoring brain break ideas, but therapist oversight is essential.

• Integrating brain breaks into teletherapy supports stronger focus, connection, and therapeutic outcomes in virtual sessions. Enrolling in a teletherapy course for therapists can help providers enhance their knowledge.

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What are brain breaks in teletherapy?

Brain breaks are short, intentional pauses in the flow of session work that allow the brain and body to reset. Rather than pushing through fatigue or distractibility, clients get a moment to re-energize. These moments might include stretching, doodling, breathing, or a quick game.

The benefits of brain breaks are real: better focus, greater emotional regulation, improved retention of therapeutic strategies, and a more positive session experience for both client and therapist.

“Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning,” says Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.

Even short movement or mindfulness breaks harness that principle, giving clients and their brains an opportunity to recalibrate.

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What are brain break activities?

Not all “breaks” are created equal. Brain breaks are not idle distractions, but purposeful, active resets built into the therapeutic rhythm.

They differ from:

• Fidget tools, which are passive supports to maintain subtle engagement (for example, a stress ball).
• Warmups, which are preparatory rituals at the start of a session.

Instead, brain breaks occur mid-session when attention wanes or before starting a new task to help the brain shift gears.

Brain breaks typically fall into two categories:

• Physical brain breaks include movement-based activities like jumping jacks, stretching, or following movement videos. These deliver sensory input, increase blood flow, and release tension.

• Cognitive or mindfulness brain breaks include quick riddles, drawing, breathing, or guided imagery that provide a mental reset.

Offering a mix of both keeps things engaging especially in teletherapy, where constant screen time can be draining.

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Benefits of brain breaks in teletherapy

The benefits of brain breaks cover a wide variety of physiological and mental functions.

Clinical and cognitive benefits

Research shows that the cognitive benefits of brain breaks include enhanced learning, attention, and memory. A classic study found that brief, in-class physical activity breaks improved students’ on-task behavior and academic performance.

From a brain regulation standpoint, breathing or gentle stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest-and-digest” mode), reducing stress and restoring calm.

Brain breaks also support executive functions such as planning, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility, which help clients return to tasks with renewed focus.

Engagement and therapeutic alliance

Another one of the benefits of brain breaks is strengthening the therapeutic relationship. A fun, child-led break (for example, choosing a silly movement) brings levity and agency. When therapists join in, it models playfulness and collaboration, reducing resistance and increasing participation.

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When and why to use brain breaks

Strategically inserting brain breaks makes them more effective.

Ideal times include:

• At the start, to bridge from home or school into the therapy space.
• Before a difficult task, to reset focus.
• When distraction or fidgeting arises, to pivot without reprimand.
• After emotional content, to allow processing time.
• During transitions, to shift between tasks or modalities.

Therapists can keep a simple “brain break checklist” (for example: 1) body reset, 2) mental reset, 3) choose your own break) to decide quickly which type fits best.

Brain break activities you can use today

Movement-based

• 20 jumping jacks, high knees, or star jumps
• “Copy Me” movement videos
• Yoga stretches or “animal pose” challenges
• A quick dance party to a favorite song

Interactive games

• Charades or “Guess the Emotion”
• Scavenger hunt (find something blue, soft, etc.)
• Mini whiteboard games (hangman, draw-and-guess)
• “Simon Says”

Sensory or creative breaks

• Doodling or coloring on a digital whiteboard
• Humming or rhythm games
• Breathing exercises (4-7-8 or balloon breathing)
• Guided imagery (“Imagine blowing bubbles,” “Walk on a beach”)

Keep a “brain break kit” of five to 10 go-to activities ready in your teletherapy resource library for quick access.

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How often to use brain breaks

Frequency depends on age and attention span:

• Ages: 4–8: every 10–15 minutes
• Ages: 9–14: every 20 minutes
• Teens: every 25–30 minutes

Adjust based on your client’s needs and energy level.

What you need to implement brain breaks

Implementation can be simple. Prepare:

• A playlist of short movement or mindfulness videos
• Access to free tools (for example, Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel, GoNoodle, CopyCat Me)
• A digital whiteboard (many teletherapy platforms include this)
• A “brain break kit” file or folder with prompts and visuals

With these tools ready, you can adjust live in session with no scrambling mid-therapy.

Integrating AI into brain breaks and teletherapy

AI can enhance creativity and responsiveness in teletherapy. Therapists might use it to generate ideas, personalize prompts, or track engagement patterns, but always under human clinical guidance.

Ways AI can help you achieve the benefits of brain breaks:

• Suggest quick, age-appropriate brain breaks on demand
• Personalize breaks based on client preferences
• Rotate content to avoid repetition
• Provide gentle reminders when attention wanes
• Analyze which breaks boost engagement most

Use AI safely by:

• Keeping therapist judgment central
• Reviewing all AI-generated content for appropriateness
• Maintaining HIPAA compliance and data privacy
• Avoiding reliance on AI for emotional or high-risk decisions

Weaving it all together

Brain breaks are far more than fun interludes, they’re strategic tools that boost attention, regulation, and connection in virtual therapy. When thoughtfully paired with AI, they offer therapists flexibility and creativity.

AI should enhance, not replace, the human relationship at the heart of therapy.

Choosing the best HIPAA-compliant platform

Telehealth use has skyrocketed since the pandemic, with teletherapy emerging as a trusted, convenient, and secure alternative to in-person care for both children and adults. Therapists and clients report high satisfaction, and teletherapy now accounts for 13–17% of U.S. healthcare visits.

To protect privacy, providers must use HIPAA-compliant video platforms. The top platforms not only secure sessions with encryption but also support scheduling, billing, documentation, and client portals to streamline practice management.

The best teletherapy platforms go beyond video conferencing. By combining compliance, reliability, stable video, resources, games and practice management tools, they help therapists deliver care that’s safe, effective, and adaptable to modern client needs.

Marketing is also another aspect of owning a practice that can be conducted through secure through a HIPAA-compliant platform as you can communicate with existing clients via chat, email and more.

Why therapists choose TheraPlatform as their teletherapy platform

Whether for solo practice or larger clinics, therapists choose TheraPlatform for its blend of usability, flexibility, and robust telehealth tools.

Here are top reasons why therapists choose TheraPlatform for teletherapy:

• Efficiency and convenience: Everything down to payments, scheduling, documentation, and insurance claims is managed in one integrated platform, saving time and reducing friction.

• Security and compliance: TheraPlatform is fully HIPAA and PIPEDA compliant, with encrypted video sessions, secure data storage, and 24/7 monitoring for peace of mind.

• Engagement tools: Built-in interactive features like whiteboards, games, media sharing, screen annotation, and therapy-specific “apps” enhance client engagement especially useful in pediatric and speech therapy.

• Client-centered functionality: The secure client portal empowers clients to book sessions, complete forms, submit documents, and make payments, reducing admin work for the therapist.

• Customization and flexibility: Therapists can create and customize templates for notes, treatment plans, and intake forms allowing them to tailor workflows to their practice style.

• All-in-one practice management: Combines telehealth, EHR, billing, insurance, scheduling, and documentation, eliminating the need for multiple tools or software.

• Therapy-specific design: Unlike generic telehealth platforms, TheraPlatform is purpose-built for mental health, speech therapy, OT, PT, and more with features tailored to each specialty.

• Professional credibility: Recording features, branded portals, and compliance tools help therapists present a more professional, trustworthy experience to clients.

• Positive user experience: Therapists appreciate having everything in one place and often report a smoother workflow, fewer tech issues, and faster onboarding.

What therapists are saying about TheraPlatform

Therapists praise TheraPlatform for its ease of use, seamless scheduling, and built-in billing tools like superbills. They value the platform’s features including intuitive charting, customizable notes, and interactive telehealth tools as well as the responsive support team, which listens to feedback and implements updates.

Many highlight that the platform offers the best of all worlds, combining excellent video conferencing with resource sharing and an engaging, client-centered teletherapy experience.

"There's seriously no better platform out there! Easy to use … syncs to your personal schedule, provides superbills …"- Jacqueline S. (Source)

“It is not just the platform, it is the team behind TheraPlatform, always willing to help and receptive to feedback to bring updates requests to live,” Orly, Smarty Therapy PC (Source)

"The video conferencing is excellent and the ability to share resources and the interactive screen make Telehealth a rich experience."- Kathy J. (Source)

"TheraPlatform has been the best of all worlds! … intuitive charting, in-system billing, customizable notes …"-Kendrah B. (Source)

Resources

TheraPlatform is an all-in-one EHR, practice management, and teletherapy software built for therapists to help them save time on admin tasks. It offers a 30-day risk-free trial with no credit card required and supports different industries and sizes of practices, including speech-language pathologists in group and solo practices.

More resources

• Top-to-bottom approach to launching teletherapy on-demand video academy
• Teletherapy worksheets
• Teletherapy blog

References

Mahar, M., Murphy, S., Rowe, D., Golden, J., Shields, A., & Raedeke, T. (2006). Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 38(12), 2086–2094. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17146314

Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Parasympathetic nervous system: Function and disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23266-parasympathetic-nervous-system-psns

Zhou, K. et al. (2021). Implementation of Brain Breaks® in the Classroom and Its Effects on Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33401384

Gkintoni, E. et al. (2025). Next-Generation Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/3/431

Ni, Y. et al. (2025). A Scoping Review of AI-Driven Digital Interventions in Mental Health. PMC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40428041

Sharma, A., Lin, I. W., Miner, A. S., Atkins, D. C., Althoff, T. (2022). Human-AI Collaboration Enables More Empathic Conversations in Text-based Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support. https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.15144 ?

Dartmouth News. (2025). First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits. https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/03/first-therapy-chatbot-trial-yields-mental-health-benefits

Yin, J., Chen, Z., Zhou, K., Yu, C. (2019). A Deep Learning Based Chatbot for Campus Psychological Therapy. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.06707 ?

APA Services. (2025). Using generic AI chatbots for mental health support a dangerous trend. https://www.apaservices.org/practice/business/technology/artificial-intelligence-chatbots-therapists

Blog: AI-Powered Brain Breaks (TCEA) (2024). https://blog.tcea.org/ai-powered-brain-breaks/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-education/classroom-pa/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/classroom-pa.htm .

Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York: Little, Brown Spark.

Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/JackHartmann

GoNoodle. Free movement and mindfulness resources. https://www.gonoodle.com