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Play therapy
From CopperWiki
Play Therapy is a technique whereby the child's natural means of expression, namely play, is used as a therapeutic method to assist him/her in coping with emotional stress or trauma. It has been used effectively with children who have an understanding level of a normal three to eight year old, who are; distraught due to family problems (e.g., parental divorce, sibling rivalry), nail biters, bed wetters, aggressive or cruel, social underdeveloped, or victims of Child Abuse. It has also been used with special education students whose disability is a source of anxiety or emotional turmoil.
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
Play, which is vital to every child's social, emotional, cognitive, physical, creative and language development, helps make learning concrete. Even those who find verbal communication difficult can benefit.
Through play therapy children receive emotional support and can learn to understand more about their own feelings and thoughts. Sometimes they may re-enact or play out traumatic or difficult life experiences in order to make sense of their past and cope better with their future. Play therapy also teaches children to manage relationships and conflicts in more appropriate ways.
[edit] All about play therapy
Practitioners of play therapy believe that this method allows the child to manipulate the world on a smaller scale, something that cannot be done in the child's everyday environment.
Play therapy uses games, toys and mediums such as clay to help a child or adolescent to express their emotions, thoughts, wishes and needs. It is a special counseling approach to help children understand their muddled feelings and upsetting events which they don’t have the skill to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain what is troubling them, as adult therapy usually expects, children use play to communicate at their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.
By playing with specially selected materials, and with the guidance of a person who reacts in a designated manner, the child plays out his/her feelings, bringing these hidden emotions to the surface where s/he can face them and cope with them.
[edit] Therapy process
The therapy initially focuses on building a relationship between a child and the therapist. Building this relationship is vital because a child or adolescent will more readily talk about their intimate feelings when they feel respected and accepted.
Specific techniques are used during the session to assess the children’s experience of their world and their ability to communicate and react to the events and people. A therapist attempts to bring about change in the children’s behavior by creating awareness, which is a very important process in the therapy. This way the child is empowered to learn more about who they are, to talk about things that are frightening or painful, to be self supportive and to experiment with new behavior.
[edit] What can I do?
It is very important that a child’s emotional and behavioral problems are not left untreated as it can not only cause fear and lower confidence, but can also have impact on other areas of life, such as the ability to complete tasks and schoolwork, to make friends and to deal with stress.
If your child displays strange, uncharacteristic behavior which lasts for at least two weeks, it is time to seek professional help. Such behavior is possibly an indication that your child is not able to deal with and express what he is experiencing or feeling.
- Explain in detail your concerns about your child and family to a play therapist. He will first review and analyze your child’s history.
- He may further seek information from school and other adults who have an influence in your child’s life.
- A play therapist may work as part of a team of other professionals or independently and may suggest a referral for other professional intervention as part of the support. This might include support for you.
- Sometimes play therapists may ask you to join in the playroom with your child.
- Some specially trained Filial Play Therapists may train parents in how to relate better to their child using child-centered techniques.
[edit] Role of therapist
Play therapists receive extensive training in subjects such as child development and attachment (the bonding process). They are also trained to use play, a child's natural form of expression, as a means for understanding and communicating with children about feelings, thoughts and behavior.
In its most psychotherapeutic form, the teacher is unconditionally accepting of anything the child might say or do. The teacher never expresses shock, argues, teases, moralizes, or tells the child that his/her perceptions are incorrect. An atmosphere should be developed in which the child knows that s/he can express herself/himself in a non punitive environment. Yet, even though the atmosphere is permissive, certain limits may have to be imposed such as restrictions on destroying materials, attacking the teacher, or going beyond a set time limit.
[edit] 90 degrees
Dreams can be used to help the child to become aware of his feelings about something or someone in his life. Anxious children, for example, often have vivid and scary dreams which can help to uncover their unconscious anxieties or fears. The therapist does not magically interpret the dreams, but rather uses them as an aid in talking about specific feelings or events in a child's life. [1]
[edit] CopperBytes
- Play therapy offers a safe environment for children exposed to trauma such as divorce, domestic violence, or neglect and Child Abuse.
- Acting out with the child in a drama helps give them mastery over their situation and feelings.
- As a child is by nature open, honest, he is highly accessible to therapy. With growth his defense mechanisms become stronger, making it difficult to access his natural capability for healing.
- Often parents need to be taught how to respond to their child’s behaviors in a supportive and not judgmental way.
