Play therapy
Transcript of Play therapy
Play Therapy
“Play is the language of children. Toys are their words.”
Significance of Developmental Play
• Children explore their world at an experiential level rather than a cognitive level.
• Play is their way of expressing their feelings about their world as well as their feelings about themselves.
• Counselor meets the child at his/her level rather than the adult level.
Who Benefits from Play Therapy?
• Children 3 - 10 (or even older)• Traumatized children• Selectively mute children• Autism spectrum children• Impulse Control *Difficult to work with young children
without it.
Approaches to Play Therapy
• Directive - Therapist knows where the child needs to go therefore guides the session.
• Nondirective - Child guides the sessions. Therapist believes that child knows where to go so child leads the way.
The Directive Play Therapist
• Directs the session based on understanding of the child’s needs.
• Chooses specific activities that will address child’s issues.
• Joins play without being invited by the child.
*Does all of this with kindness and empathy.
Example: Change the Channel
Statements in Directive Play
• “Let’s do a clay pummel to let all of your angry feelings out.”
• “Can you make your world for me out of Moon Sand?”
• “Lets choose your feelings for the day.”• “Let me help you with that.”
When to Use Directive Play
• When the presenting problem is clear.• After you’ve developed a connection
with a child.• When you only have a limited number
of sessions.• When you only have a limited amount
of time.
The Non-Directive Play Therapist
• Child chooses the toys they want to play with.
• Child chooses the activities that are done within a session.
• Child chooses if counselor plays or does not play.
• Counselor“tracks” what the child says.
Tracking Statements for Non-Directive Play
“The dinosaur is very angry.”“You are wanting to play with the sand today.”“You’re frustrated because the lid won’t come
off.”“You’re having trouble deciding what to do
today.”
*Therapist has a“hands-off”approach.
When to Use Non-Directive Play
• When you don’t have a clear idea of what the issue is.
• Before child develops a connection and trusts you.
• When a child is resistant to directive play.• When a child is rigid and lacks
imagination.
Integrating Directive and Non-Directive Play
Structuring Sessions: Directive in the first part of the session, Non-Directive in the second part.
Building Connection: Start with Non-Directive and moving into Directive Later.
Child has specific issue: Directive activity for whole session to address it.
Child is frustrated or shut down: All Non-Directive.Issue is too scary: All Non-Directive
Who Can Practice Play Therapy?
• You do not have to be an RPT to do play therapy.
• You should receive training and supervision and practice within your scope of knowledge.
• Just because you have toys doesn’t mean your doing play therapy.
Registered Play Therapist
www.a4pt.orgMust be a licensed mental health professional first:
LPC, LCSW, Ph.D.2 years and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical
experience.150 CEU’s in Play Therapy
WorkshopsGraduate Classes
50 Hours of Direct Supervision500 hours of Supervised Play Therapy experience
Recommended Play Materials
• Dolls, bottles, dollhouse, multicultural people
• Aggressive and domestic miniature animals; puppets
• Clay, arts/crafts materials
• Cars/trucks, emergency vehicles, planes
• Wooden blocks, balls• Sand tray with sand
Criteria for Toys
• Toys must be sanitary• They must represent a reality in
the child’s life.• They must fit the population
you’re working with (i.e. AA doll for AA population).
• They must be non-descript (choose Barbie instead of Hannah Montana doll).
Where to Buy Toys
• www.toysofthetrade.com• www.annastoydepot.com• www.childtherapytoys.com• APT annual conference• Workshops• Dollar General
Therapeutic Meaning of Toys
• Airplane - escape, freedom, protection• Wild Animals - aggression, fear, survival• Baby bottle - regression, nurturing• Ball - relationships, trust• Blocks - boundaries, rigidity, vulnerability• Cars - mobility, power• Doctor’s kit - healing, repair, power
• Dolls - self identity, regression• Dollhouse - family• Flashlight - control, secrecy• Magic Wand - fantasy, wishes, future• Soldiers - conflict, attack• Telephone - communication• Unicorn, Wizard - wishes for change
Setting up Your Space
• Determine how much space you can designate for play area.
• Try to allow room for parents/adolescents to sit if applicable.
• Arrange toys in areas: arts/crafts area, miniature area, puppet area, sand tray area