...Play Therapy in Elementary School CED 600: Introduction to Counseling Abstract Because the child's world is a world of action and activity, play therapy provides the psychologist in elementary-school settings with an opportunity to enter the child's world. In the play therapy relationship, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language. Therefore, children play out their problems, experiences, concerns, and feelings in a manner that is similar to the process of talk therapy. This paper provides practical information about play therapy, a discussion of the skills needed by the psychologist/counselor, how to involve parents in the treatment process, and a review of play therapy research studies. Play Therapy in Elementary School An Overview of Play Therapy Play therapy is to children what talk therapy is to adults. Play is a child’s language, children express themselves best through their natural language—the language of play. Play therapy refers to a method of psychotherapy whereby the child’s natural means of expression, namely plays, is used as a therapeutic method to help him/her in coping with emotional stress or trauma. Therapist use a child's fantasies and the symbolic meanings of his or her play as a method for understanding and communication with the child. Play therapy is used to treat problems that are interfering with the child's normal development. Such difficulties would be extreme in degree and have been occurring for many months...
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...Childhood Depression and Play Therapy Techniques Reflections Viewing videos regarding both play therapy and childhood depression was both challenging and beneficial. There is so much left for me to learn about treating clients. It is important to remove all stereotypes from my mind when meeting a client. Sometimes it is important to acknowledge and accept a level of ignorance. It is in our humility that we can truly learn and become effective in the lives of others. Play Therapy Techniques Review Nancy Boyd Webb demonstrates several techniques for beginning therapy with young children. Ranging in age from 4-10 years old her clients each present with different issues and concerns. Depending upon the age and cognitive level of each child she...
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...importance of parental and family support is acknowledged as additional influences in their psychosocial growth and development. A. Therapist The role of the play therapist in comparison to other practitioners in health, education, social care and child care was clarified by Robinson (2011) through his terms of the level of severity: play and play work are deemed suitable for slight psychological problems, play therapy for investigating moderate to severe problems, and psychotherapy or psychiatry or a combination...
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...Play Therapy Introduction It is very normal for children to play, that’s what they do. Although play time is fun time, it can also serve a much need purpose, to allow a child to express their thoughts and feelings. Through play a child can often better communicate than with language, they are able to express their emotions and communicate difficulties without having to verbally speak to anyone. Many of the children which have utilized play therapy are those who do not have the words to express the situations they are in, they are not capable of correctly describing incidents which have occurred and usually are unable to express their feelings, describe their thoughts or perceptions of the world in which they live. Children who are exposed and have used play therapy seem to be able to develop more fulfilling relationships, become more resilient and facilitate emotional literacy and more importantly are able to communicate in a healthier way (BAPT, 2008). “It is an effective therapy that helps children modify their behaviors, clarify their self-concept and build healthy relationships. Theories and practices surrounding play differ within each Child Psychotherapy tradition. However, each tradition is connected by the central proposition that play transmits and communicates the child’s experiences, desires, thoughts and emotions” (2008) Important Contributors There have been many important contributors to the use of Play Therapy. Play therapy by no means is new; in...
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...I am a qualified play therapist having received a Diploma in Non-Directive Play Therapy and I hold a Masters in Therapeutic Child Care. LG was referred to me by her social worker, after her foster carer had reported that LG had displayed some worrying and confusing behaviours. In September 2007 LG and her younger sister were accommodated. They have remained in foster care since then and have lived with the same foster carers. The referral informed me that LG had witnessed domestic violence between her parents and excessive use of alcohol. It was thought that she may also have witnessed adults using drugs. The referral described occasions when LG’s carer found her very upset and crying silently. At these times it would take her foster carer a long time to soothe LG. LG has suffered from traumatic losses in her first five years. Consequently her sense of trust has been severely shaken, as was her sense of a secure base. I hypothesised that LG would not only have suffered from the experiences of loss, domestic violence, physical abuse and neglect, but from emotional neglect and broken attachments. After meeting with LG at her foster carer’s house 5 months ago, weekly play therapy sessions began. Throughout this time I have reviewed the therapy regularly with LG’s foster carer and regularly discussed the therapy with LG’s social worker. LG uses every session to its fullest extent. There have been occasions when she found it very difficult to leave the...
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...Music Therapy - The idea of music as a healing influence which could affect health and behavior is as least as old as the writings of Plato and Aristotle - “music affects the emotions and could influence the character of an individual”- Plato - “music affects the soul, and music is a force that purified emotions”- Aristotle - Hippocrates also played music for his mental patients. - The profession of music therapy in the U.S began to develop after World War I and World War II. What is Music Therapy? - Music therapy is an inter-personal process in which the therapist uses music and all its facets- physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic and spiritual to help clients improve or maintain their health. With whom is Music Therapy Used? - Music therapy is used with individuals of all ages and with a variety of conditions, including: 1. Psychiatric disorders 2. Medical problems 3. Physical Handicaps 4. Sensory Impairments 5. Developmental disabilities 6. Substance abuse 7. Aging What do the Clients do in Music Therapy? 1. Improvising- the client makeup his/her music extemporaneously, singing or playing. The client may improvise freely or according to the directions of therapist. 2. Re-creating- the client sings or plays pre-composed music. 3. Composing- the therapist helps the client to write songs, lyrics or instrumental pieces. 4. Listening- the client takes in and reacts to live or recorded music. - Music therapist also engages clients in verbal discussions...
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...connection socially with him and to stimulate his interests. When something was given to him he would not accept it directly, but when it was left there for him he would examine it scrupulously. When he was given a book he would sit for a long period of time pouring over the pages “as though he could read”. Dibs’ behavior was so inconsistent to the point where his teachers had thought he could have a mental illness, but on the other hand he expressed feelings and actions that suggested superior intelligence. Not sure what else to do for him, Dib’s parents and teachers called upon the help of Dr. Axline, who used the theory of “Play Therapy” in order for dibs to freely express and eventually find himself. When Axline was working with Dibs, she would bring him into a large playroom where he was alone and free to do anything that he wanted. Through his play and how he interacted with objects within the playroom, Axline was able to see the root of Dibs’ inconsistent behavior and help him find...
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...Tell the Truth and is systematically shown. For instance, Janice seeks forgiveness for the ill feelings she has created and, tired of being angry at the past, she ends the play on a note of hopeful reconciliation. Readers get a clear understanding of the theme, and how it contributes to the meaning of the play. In this play, we observe that the past influences what happens in the present by affecting one’s life, the lives of others, and by creating conflicts between people. Whatever happens in the past affects you as an individual, and this is clearly shown with Janice/Grace. Janice is an educated young lady, with a great career ahead of her as a lawyer. She lives in a high-rise condo in downtown Toronto, and leads a financially stable and healthy life. However when Janice went back to visit Otter Lake on Christmas, everything changed. She completely broke down in emotion and couldn’t handle all the overwhelming information that she received “.. That’s why I left last time. It was too much too soon. I was crumbled. Thirty five years stuffed into an hour” (Pg. 78). As a result of this, Janice’s out-going personality completely vaporized. She became depressed, sad, and had conflicting feelings about her true identity. These feelings led her to not being able to work and then later on having her go to therapy to seek help “… However, finding herself under severe emotional distress due to her visit, my client is unable to resume work. She decides to take two months off, to deal with...
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...I attended the play, “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball”. This is the story about Dana, a struggling artist who tries to commit suicide, and her experience in a psychiatric hospital as she tries to fake a multiple personality disorder. The auditorium the play was performed in was small and their sets were minimal, so the characters’ costumes really stood out to me. While the props and set designs appeared well thought out and detailed, the costumes really made the play come alive. I thought the characters’ personalities and roles in Dana’s life were demonstrated through their costumes well. There are two very distinct groups of people that are both a big part of Dana’s story; her art friends and her hospital friends. The art friends all...
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...applied to help clients cope with anxiety consist of Existential Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy and Gestalt Therapy. It should be noted that the focus of this essay will be on REBT. Anxiety is a feeling of dread that results from repressed feelings, memories, and experiences that emerge to the surface of awareness (Corey, 2009). However, anxiety is not only a feeling; anxiety affects your mind and body. If one’s anxiety level is too high, they may show physical symptoms. It may begin as chest pain, but result in the numbing of an entire limb or even half of a person’s body (Carleton, 2009). Anxiety is seen as a condition or disorder, but it is also noted as a metaphysical and spiritual problem (Costello, 2011). One can experience anxiety due to irrational thoughts that they have created through their cognitions. If a student has the belief that they need to ace every single class, they may become filled with anxiety when a lot of assignments are close to being due. Anxiety is fairly common amongst teens and young adults. The reason for that is because these groups of people are beginning to be brought into the “real world”; therefore there are a lot of changes constantly occurring. With changes there are also uncertainties as well, which can cause someone to experience anxiety. Anxiety can prevent people from fully living their life. Fortunately there are different forms of therapy that can help people lessen the amount of anxiety they experience...
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...injuries. But without those injuries, I do not think I would have met the person that inspired me to be a physical therapist, Dave Marsh. The first time I went to Dave as a patient was when I was in the fifth grade for knee pain. From my very first visit, I knew that physical therapy was something I want to do for the rest of my life. I went to him again for physical therapy my senior year of high school, and being a little bit older, I was able to obtain an internship under him and really learn what it takes to be a good physical therapist. Dave’s interest in physical...
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...Of this category are training errors, and surface used for activity. Some training errors are over training, or training to long, to hard , and to far, also advancing training schedule forward to quick.some cases of jumpers knee have been affected by the surface the activity was played on. When running it is best to run on a track like at a highschool or college.When playing a sport like basketball it is best to play on a surface that is meant for basketball(most likely wood or gym floor) not cement.(huston,Causes part). Some symptoms of patellar tendonitis can vary depending on the condition, but usually pain in the kneecap, worsens when pressure is used, and interference in physical activities. First and most common sign of jumper’s knee is pain right below the kneecap where the patellar tendon is located. This pain can affect walking and other physical activities, when this pain occurs the best thing to do is to go see a doctor and if in any sport tell your coach that you cannot practice. Swellness will also occur on the knee and by the knee.icing the knee is also a good idea to reduce swellness(houston, symptoms...
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...What is drama therapy? The central idea of drama therapy is the deliberate use of drama or the therapy process to help achieve therapeutic goals. This approach allows the child to tell their stories freely, it helps those set goals and solve problems and not forgetting, express their feelings in a creative manner. Theorist such as Peter Slade and Brian Way has laid the ground work of drama therapy. They helped shift the idea that creative drama is only meant for the classroom and moved it into other settings. These imaginative people began their works way before therapy of any sort was known. They ideas and theories have come a long way in the 21st century. Dealing with children is a very delicate task. The manner in which they are handled can either repair them or scar them forever. Although children seem to have similar face valued common trait, each child are not the same and they have to be handled differently. Being children, they have not yet experienced life therefore all of these emotions and feelings that they are going through are new to them and in most cases it becomes overwhelming that they do not know how to handle it all. Years ago, children who have suffered from things like child abuse or even neglect had only one option available to them and that was a direction interaction with a counselor or psychologist. This direct approach where though to help ‘heal’ the child by talking and explaining to them what, why and how to feel differently. However, times have...
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...The play space is not school, and whilst learning may be an important playwork priority, what is even more important is how the child learns and whether s/he retains control over prioritising what is learnt. Play is a process of trial and error in which the error is as valuable to learning as is the success. Within playwork we generally define play as behaviour which is 'freely chosen', 'personally directed' and 'intrinsically motivated' (Hughes, 1984). The definition is seen as having authenticity by playworkers because it recognises not only the child-centredness of play, but its experimental nature (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1967, 1970). (Hughes, 2001, p. 97) Playwork, as defined in Bonel and Lindon (1996) as 'managing the play environment and providing the resources which enable children's play' (p. 15), for example, by identifying and emphasising play as a powerful biological force which, I believe may only be subsumed into any particular social model at the expense of the children it is attempting to serve. (Hughes, 2001, p. xx) Else and Sturrock (1998) get closer, by defining playwork as 'work[ing] with children in the expansion of their potential to explore and experience through play'. (Brown, 2002, p. 81) Adult supervisors need to be trained observers who understand how to guide children when needed and who are wise enough to then stand back and let children play. While we take precautions to provide safe, challenging, stimulating playgrounds, we understand that risk is inherent...
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...Counseling Trine University of Fort Wayne--SPS To help me come to terms with my shyness as a child, my mother and grandmother explained to me that some people, including me, are flowers who bloom in the shade and keep their petals closed, while others are sunflowers who draw energy from their surroundings. In psychological terms that I have studied, these two kinds of people are known as introverts and extroverts. Most of us exhibit some qualities of both, but knowing our primary orientation may help us play up our strengths, cope with our weaknesses, and keep our personality types balanced. I was once an introvert. Always shunned myself from others and just kept myself trapped in exile because I did not want to be bothered with others. As I got in my teen years and adulthood I became an extrovert. It is like I broke out of my shell and transformed into a new person. I loved to play all types of sports and making friends was not a problem either. I found myself interacting a lot more with other people. Even though I was not the life of the party, I still enjoyed being at social events and other entertaining functions. When I was a boy I had a reputation for being stubborn. I don't personally recall any incidents in which I exhibited stubbornness when I was young and I am not sure I considered myself stubborn but I do remember that my mother regarded me as stubborn, and not just stubborn but stubborn in the extreme. According...
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