Play Therapy
"Play therapy is a vital opportunity that is given to the child to 'play out' feelings and problems - fears, hatred, loneliness, and feelings of failure and inadequacy."
- Dr Virginia M. Axline
- Dr Virginia M. Axline
Individual Play Therapy
Play therapy enables a child to explore, express and process threatening areas in their inner worlds in a less threatening medium. It also allows the psychotherapist to observe themes or patterns and assist the child to make sense thereof in a developmentally appropriate way. Not only is play much more familiar to the child than, for example, simply talking about what troubles them, it also makes use of projection where the child is able to explore challenging topics in a way that is a less confrontational to them. Gradually they face the threatening areas in a more direct and conscious way as they build a stronger sense of self, or better coping mechanisms in order to process these difficult problems.
The types of challenges play therapy may assist with:
Various media are used when working in play therapy, and include paint, clay, figurines, story telling, role play, puppets, games and sand. The process of play therapy incorporates various phases with it's duration depending on the extent of the problem experienced by your child, the extent of which you parent-child bond (attachment) needs assistance or the unique process of the individual or dyad in therapy. Typically, however, the process are as follows:
The types of challenges play therapy may assist with:
- Adjustment difficulties, such as parental separation or conflict
- Trauma, such as being a victim of violent crime, sexual abuse, conflictual divorce process, bullying
- Self-esteem and sense of self issues
- Depression and anxiety
- Attachment or bonding difficulties between the child and parent
- Symptoms of ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder)
- And many more
Various media are used when working in play therapy, and include paint, clay, figurines, story telling, role play, puppets, games and sand. The process of play therapy incorporates various phases with it's duration depending on the extent of the problem experienced by your child, the extent of which you parent-child bond (attachment) needs assistance or the unique process of the individual or dyad in therapy. Typically, however, the process are as follows:
- The intake phase: This will consist of 2 to 4 sessions with the parents/ primary caregivers and any other significant others in a face to face interview or telephonic interviews where necessary. School reports and books, and any other information which can help sketch a picture of the child's world, can be brought along.
- The relationship building phase: The therapist will start building the therapeutic relationship with the child during assessment and continue into the first few therapy sessions. It typically extends from assessment into therapy over a period of 2-4 sessions, which will serve as important contributor to the therapeutic work with the child. The child will be introduced to the idea of therapy at a developmentally appropriate level, and get acquainted with the therapist, the therapy room and the process of play therapy. Within this phase of building the relationship, therapy is already taking place, as often problems that a child experience are in how they relate to others. It also allows the therapist opportunity to assess the problem experienced by the child and gain a better understanding of how the child relates to their world in the here and now.
- The therapy phase: This is the therapy phase as such where the child will typically be ready to start working on the reason for the referral or the therapist will start guiding the session to a milieu that will encourage its exploration. This phase is the most difficult to bind to a time frame, but may last from 6 to 20 sessions. However, change might take place in a shorter or longer time, or the growing child might need to re-explore certain problems in a new way at a different age.
- The termination phase: When sufficient progress has been made with the reason for referral and parents have a better understanding of how they can continue to support their child, a termination phase of about 2 sessions will be conducted. Here the child is prepared for the ending of the therapy process and care is taken to adequately assist the child in dealing with the end of a vital phase in their lives.
- Check-in's: Regular feedback sessions are scheduled throughout therapy and upon termination (if necessary) in order to support or maintain therapeutic effects, find support or deal with new challenges that might arise.
Parent-child Play Therapy
Sometimes working on the bond between the caregiver and the child is the best line of intervention. In this case the parent-child intervention focuses more directly on the parent-child dyad, with both of them present during sessions. This process will start with an in-depth assessment of the current functioning of the dyad, with detailed feedback. A treatment program is developed based on the dyad's unique assessment results. I have received both internationally accredited and local training on parent-child intervention, which I utilise in this intervention.
"Theraplay is a child and family therapy for building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. It is based on the natural patterns of playful, healthy interaction between parent and child and is personal, physical, and fun. Theraplay interactions focus on four essential qualities found in parent-child relationships: Structure, Engagement, Nurture, and Challenge. Theraplay sessions create an active, emotional connection between the child and parent or caregiver, resulting in a changed view of the self as worthy and lovable and of relationships as positive and rewarding." (www.theraplay.org)
"Theraplay is a child and family therapy for building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. It is based on the natural patterns of playful, healthy interaction between parent and child and is personal, physical, and fun. Theraplay interactions focus on four essential qualities found in parent-child relationships: Structure, Engagement, Nurture, and Challenge. Theraplay sessions create an active, emotional connection between the child and parent or caregiver, resulting in a changed view of the self as worthy and lovable and of relationships as positive and rewarding." (www.theraplay.org)