You are holding the bonding board in your hands for the first time – freshly bought and unpacked, or borrowed from the test library. In any case, congratulations!

At first, the multitude of parts may seem a little intimidating. But don’t worry, everything is very simple! It’s best to start with two figures and gradually add more elements – and only as many as you like. My tip:

• Squeeze out all the parts and sort them into plastic bags.
• Initially, only keep the large – white and gray – figures in the box so that everything remains clear – for you and your clients.
• Put the small parts aside for the time being or keep them in a drawer. But don’t forget them! Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll probably want to add more elements – for example, the emotion rings (preferably just a few in the basic colors at first) and then the smaller figures, etc.

More information and support

• Short videos: For a quick introduction, take a look at our two short videos on this page. Because a similar compact introduction is also sufficient for clients. https://bondingboard.com/videos
• Video tutorial: You can find a 30-minute video on our YouTube channel that explains all the functions of the parts: https://youtube.com/@bondingboard
• Live webinars: If you prefer a short introduction and would like to ask questions directly, take part in one of the free introductory webinars that take place every month. To register, visit https://bondingboard.com/webinare.
• Instructions: A 4-page quick start guide is included in the box. Upon purchase, you will also receive a download link to an 18-page PDF manual – when borrowing from the test library, this document should ideally be available in printed form.

How to start your first exercise

Think about a situation that you have recently experienced – a situation in which two people were at the center and emotions played a role. Take two characters and act out this situation step by step. Take it in turns to move one character and then the other:
1. what did the characters (i.e. the persons) do?
2. what did they think?
3. and what did they feel? Say: Move the figure to its current position on the BondingBoard.
– The color: Which color matches the arousal level of the emotion?
– Proximity: Did the person feel close, was they open/reachable, closed/unreachable or physically absent?
What do you know for sure, what do you have to make assumptions about and what remains unclear and should perhaps be discussed later?
What did the game sequence show you?

Made it?

Then you are ready for the exchange – be it with a colleague at work or at home. Explain to the person how the BondingBoard works and let them act out a situation, just as you have just done.
You can find more tips here: https://bondingboard.com/wp-content/uploads/EinstiegArbeitMitDemBindungsbrettV2.pdf

Have fun and good conversations!