DOCSLIB.ORG

Play As a Form of Therapy for Children (Historical and Pedagogical Aspects of Problem)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Play As a Form of Therapy for Children (Historical and Pedagogical Aspects of Problem) Bożena Muchacka Pedagogical University of Cracow Play as a form of therapy for children (historical and pedagogical aspects of problem) Play is a spontaneous activity which arises from the mental, physical, and perhaps also social requirements of children. It is a “natural” activity of the child and it may be employed, as well as drawing (Wallon, Cambier, Engelhart 1993; Fleck-Bangert 2004; Oster, Gould 2005; Czaja-Chudyba 2006; Muchacki, Stolińska 2004), during a therapy with children (aged from three to twelve years) because of its diagnostic value. Play provides a possibility for children to express their emotions and feelings through a natural and self-healing process. Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852), a German educator, writes that play “[…] is the highest [form of] development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of [it] what is in the child’s soul […]” (1903: 22). Moritz Lazarus (1824–1903), a German philosopher and psychologist, and a famous professor of Preussische Kriegsakademie [Prussian Military Academy] in Berlin (1868–1872) and next of the University in Berlin (from 1873), presented the therapeutic aspects of play in his important theory of play-recreation and play-relaxation (1883/1907, in: Kalmar 1987: 671–690; Klein 2004). The first (known and documented) case of the therapeutic use of play by “great” Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was noted in Wien in 1909 (Freud 1921: 287–305). In the 1930s, psychologists and therapists working with children developed the theory of play therapy as well as the practical use of play in therapy with children. In 1934, Frederick Allen presented a new approach to the problem of play therapy (1934: 193–202) and David Levy (1938: 387–389) in the 1930s developed a new technique of play therapy (called “release therapy”) to deal with children with specific Bożena Muchacka 12 trauma. He showed that each child who had experienced a specific stressful trauma-situation would re-enact her/his trauma in “free” play (Levy 1938: 387–38). In 1932, Melanie Klein (1882–1960), the famous (Austrian-born) British psychoanalyst, incorporated play into her therapeutic sessions with children as the iure into therapy. In the 1940s, she devised a therapeutic technique for children that had an impact on the development of child psychology and contemporary psychoanalysis (Klein 1955: 223–237; see also: Ead. 1955: 122–140; Ead. 1955: 3–22; Grosskurth 1986; Kristeva 2004). After observing troubled children play (with toys [dolls], animals, etc.), Klein attempted to interpret the specific meaning [contents and forms] of child’s play (1959: 291–303). She explained the therapeutic function of play and also stressed that play therapy may provide a possibility to solve the child’s emotional problems. Donald W. Winnicott and John Bowly were her co-workers in that area and they continued her work. In the 1930s, Joseph C. Soloman developed a technique of “active play” which was used in therapeutic work with impulsive children, and Frederick Allen used Otto Rank’s theory of “birth trauma” in his practical work with children in play therapy and in his theory of relationship therapy. In the 1940s, psychologists and psychiatrists stressed that play may be used as a form of children’s psychotherapy, in which children reveal their problems as a “fantastic spectacle” to their toys or sometimes to their animals. During playtime, the therapists and children enter into a relationship which is designed to enable (the child) to experience basic trust and to trigger fantasies that represent the child’s conscious and unconscious thoughts. Children may learn to re-model the types of their emotional behaviour that have impaired their development. The play-setting (toys, creative tools and materials) and also the “freedom” of play activity (to do and to say whatever the child wishes) encourages the troubled child to realize a sense of child’s identification, transform her/his attitudes from passivity into activity, and separate fantasy and reality. Leo Kanner (1894–1981), an Austrian-born American psychiatrist and physician, devised a new diagnostic method for children. He offered children an opportunity to express themselves by speaking on behalf of dolls representing their parents and siblings, teachers or themselves. Kanner’s method gives the possibility to observe playing children (1943: 217–250). Play as a form of therapy for children... 13 Ernest Harms (1895–1976), a well-known American philosopher and psychiatrist, presented the diagnostic function of play in his paper in 1948 (1948: 233–246) and the play techniques in a handbook (1964). He allowed the psychologists to observe child’s spontaneous play-activity and he stressed that a serious attempt to create the systematic basis for the play-diagnosis must include understanding of the specific character and interrelationship of: [a] psychology of a child and psychology of play, [b] philosophy of play, [c] childhood mental illness. He also explained that child’s play is the response (or may be the reaction) to her/his unconscious motivation. Thus, the understanding of play seems to enhance the understanding of the child’s motivation and behaviour (1948: 233–246). Incidentally, it is worth recalling that Ernest Harms was an author (and co- -author) of papers (1944: 112–122) and monumental books on children’s psychiatry and psychology (Harms 1960, 1962; Id., Problems of Sleep and Dream in Children, New York 1964, 1967; Harms, Jenkins 1976). Virginia M. Axline (1911–1988) was one of the American pioneers in the use of play therapy in her therapeutic work with children. She studied child’s psychology and psychology of play (at the Ohio State University and Columbia University). She taught six years in two schools (the School of Medicine and the School of Education) at the New York University and next she taught seven years in the Teachers’ College at Columbia University. Axline is also the author of Play Therapy, a book which since its first publication in 1947 (in New York) has helped to make her name synonymous with the technique of play therapy for children (Ekslajn/Axline 2003). She also wrote Dibs in Search of Self: Personality Development in Play Therapy (first edition in the USA was in 1964), the story of Dibs, a little boy, in search of self through the process of psychotherapy. In the 1940s, Axline began to develop nondirective play therapy, the principles of which were based on Carl Rogers’ newly-emerging person-centred approach1. Current play therapy practice (in the contemporary USA and Western Europe) is still largely based on Virginia Axline’s therapeutic work with children2. 1 In her text Entering the Child’s World Via Play Experiences [“Progressive Education” Vol. 27: 1950, pp. 68–75], Axline summarized her concept of play therapy. 2 See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Axline – [dated: 2 December 2011]. Bożena Muchacka 14 Virginia Axline established eight basic principles of nondirective play therapy with children. In her opinion, each play therapist: [1.] must develop a warm, friendly relationship with the child, in which good rapport [between them – B.M.] is established as soon as possible, [2.] accepts the child exactly as she/he is, [3.] establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship (and the child feels free to express her/his feelings completely), [4.] is alert to recognize the feelings that the child is expressing and reflects those feelings back to the child in such a manner that s/he gains insight into the child’s behaviour, [5.] maintains deep respect for the child’s ability to resolve her/his own problems if given an opportunity to do so, [6.] does not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversation in any manner, [7.] does not attempt to hurry the therapy along [because it is a gradual process], and [8.] establishes only those limitations that are necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of her/his responsibility in the relationship (Axline 1989). Virginia Axline also presented the view that the playing child express her/his attitudes and concepts about herself/himself in relation to others people (1951: 358–363). In the 1950s, the theory of play therapy (as well as the practical use of play in therapy with children) was studied by the play therapists. In 1951 both Isidor Bernstein and Eugene Evart-Chmielnicki wrote about the diagnostic application of children’s play (Bernstein 1951: 503–508; Evart- -Chmielnicki 1951: 18–34). In the 2nd half of the 20th century, play therapists as well as educationists and psychologists presented play as the medium in therapy with children. In their papers and books, they stressed that play in therapy may be used for children suffering from a wide range of problems: from different “reactive” situations (such as a recent death in the family or the divorce of parents) to chronic stress or illness. In the scientific views of modern researchers, the use of play in therapy sessions with children is appropriate in many circumstances (abuse [by parents or by siblings] of alcohol or drugs, violence in the child’s family, maltreatment in the child’s family or at school) and disorders (brain dysfunction, brain damage syndrome, depressive psychosis and depression, Play as a form of therapy for children... 15 aggressive conduct disorder, attention-deficit disorder, hyperkinesias, etc.) as well as in children impairments or disturbances (autism, enuresis, etc.) and also emotional or sensor-motor problems. Edna Salant (1980: 93–97) discusses the preventive use of play therapy in the treatment of the preschool child. She states that play provides a good opportunity to initiate therapeutic intervention when there are indications that a child needs it. Play may also be used by a child to communicate a family-, kindergarten- or school-conflict, fear, and other problems.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2007 The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse Mary J. Roehrig Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Other Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Roehrig, Mary J., "The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse" (2007). Dissertations. 666. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/666 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. Andrews University School of Education THE USE OF PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Mary J. Roehrig April 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3261213 Copyright 2007 by Roehrig, Mary J. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
    [Show full text]
  • Filial Therapy with Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschool
    FILIAL THERAPY WITH TEA CHERS OF DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN David Michael Smith, B.A., M.Div. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2002 APPROVED: Garry Landreth, Major Professor Kenneth Sewell, Minor Professor Sue Bratton, Committee Member Janice Holden, Program Coordinator Michael Altedruse, Chair of the Department of Counseling, Development, and Higher Education C. Neal Tate, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Smith, David Michael, Filial Therapy with Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschool Children, Doctor of Philosophy (Counseling, Development, and Higher Education), May 2002, 189 pages, 28 tables, 259 references, 39 titles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Filial Therapy training in increasing teachers of deaf and hard of hearing preschool students’: 1) empathic responsiveness with their students; 2) communication of acceptance to their students; 3) allowance of self- direction by their students. A second purpose was to determine the effectiveness of Filial Therapy training in reducing experimental group students’: 1) overall behavior problems; 2) internalizing behaviors; and 3) externalizing behavior problems. Filial Therapy is a didactic/dynamic modality used by play therapists to train parents and teachers to be therapeutic agents with their children and students. Teachers are taught primary child-centered play therapy skills for use with their own students in weekly play sessions with their students. Teachers learn to create a special environment that enhances and strengthens the teacher-student emotional bond by means of which both teacher and child are assisted in personal growth and change.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychology 6000 Foundations of Humanistic Psychology Syllabus
    PSYCHOLOGY 6000 FOUNDATIONS OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY SYLLABUS GENERAL INFORMATION Professor: Dr. Chris Aanstoos Phone: 678-839-0618 Office: 208 Melson Hall Email: [email protected] COURSE DESCRIPTION “An examination of the paradigm of psychology as a specifically humanistic discipline. Its focus is on the historical origins and philosophical foundations of this approach. Required for M.A. students.” [from the catalog] COURSE OBJECTIVES The objectives are that students develop: 1) a knowledge of the primary works of the major scholars in humanistic psychology; 2) a command of the history of humanistic thought; 3) a comprehension of the philosophical foundations of humanistic psychology; 4) a facility for humanistic research methodology; and 5) an ability to express, orally and in writing, their understanding of the above. REQUIRED TEXTS This course is based on a wide variety of sources. The following books are required. Other required readings, listed on the next two pages, are available on the internet or by electronic reserve at the CourseDen for this course. Aanstoos, Christopher M. (Ed.). (1995) Foundations of humanistic psychology. Special issue of The Humanistic Psychologist, 23, (3). Axline, Virginia. (1964). Dibs: In search of self. New York: Ballantine. Maslow, Abraham H. (1999). Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley. May, Rollo. (1983). The discovery of being. New York: Norton. Moss, Donald (Ed.). (1999). Humanistic and transpersonal psychology: A historical and biographical sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood. Rogers, Carl. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Tarnas, Richard. (1991). The passion of the western mind. New York: Ballantine Toulmin, Stephen.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Copyrighted Material
    Trim Size: 7in x 10in Trim Size: 7in x 10in Prout c01.tex V3 - 11/05/2014 8:42am Page 1 CHAPTER 1 Counseling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents Historical, Developmental, Integrative, and Effectiveness Perspectives H. THOMPSON PROUT AND ALICIA L. FEDEWA he psychological treatment of children’s problems is the focus of several professions T and is carried out in many settings and situations. Although theoretical viewpoints are wide-ranging and essentially rooted in adult-based theories, the child or adolescent presents a unique challenge to the child mental health worker. Children are not sim- ply little adults. Their treatment cannot be viewed as scaled-down adult therapy; their developmental stages, environments, reasons for entering therapy, and other relevant factors necessitate a different, if not creative, approach to therapy. The child/adolescent therapist must have an expanded knowledge base of the human condition and a different perspective of whatCOPYRIGHTED constitutes therapy or counseling. MATERIAL This book is about psychotherapy and mental health counseling with children and adolescents. It brings together in a comparative format the major theoretical views of psychological treatment of children and highlights major issues in the area. A number of concerns, however, cut across the theories and are relevant to any provision of mental health services to children. This introductory chapter describes some of these issues: His- torical perspectives, the mental health needs of children and adolescents and the need for services, developmental issues, the unique aspects of child and adolescent therapy, a multimodal research/efficacy issues and evidence-based approaches. Throughout this chapter, the terms counseling and psychotherapy are used interchangeably.
    [Show full text]
  • These Books Will Change Your Life
    These Books Will Change Your Life Saying a book will change your life is a large claim but self help books have always made bold claims offering to make you happier, richer, more confident, more successful, or all of the above. The books on my list won’t necessarily make you happier, richer, or more successful but they may make you look at the world, and yourself a little differently and may even set you off on a new trajectory. I’ve worked in the book industry for 20 years and have retrained and been working as a psychotherapist for the last 5 years. Putting together this list of books is in a way an attempt to bring together the two sides of my life, my book life and my therapy life. My first job back in 1993 was curating the self-help section in a Manchester branch of Dillons. I can still remember the mixture of alarm and unease with which I viewed my new purview. Like all newbie booksellers, all I wanted was to look after literary fiction, so self-help was distinctly uncool. What struck me on longer acquaintance with my new department was that there were real gems in there amongst the shrill Barnum and Bailey false promises. Navigating your way through to those gems is never easy and that’s where good booksellers really help. I’ve put together this selection of books with Foyles and you’ll find them either online at their website, www.foyles.co.uk or in the estimable psychology department of their Charing Cross Road store.
    [Show full text]
  • (CCPT) Modalities: a Meta-Analytic Review of Controlled Outcome Studies. Doctor of Philosophy
    CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH ON CHILD-CENTERED PLAY THERAPY (CCPT) MODALITIES: A META-ANALYTIC REVIEW OF CONTROLLED OUTCOME STUDIES Yung-Wei (Dennis) Lin, M.A. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2011 APPROVED: Sue C. Bratton, Major Professor Dee Ray, Committee Member Janice Holden, Committee Member and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Higher Education Jerry R. Thomas, Dean of the College of Education James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Lin, Yung-Wei (Dennis). Contemporary research on child-centered play therapy (CCPT) modalities: A meta-analytic review of controlled outcome studies. Doctor of Philosophy (Counseling), May 2011, 171 pp., 30 tables, 3 figures, 252 titles. The present meta-analytic study estimated the overall effectiveness of child therapy interventions using CCPT methodology and explored the relationships between study characteristics and treatment effects. Fifty-two studies between 1995 and the present were included based on the following criteria: (a) the use of CCPT methodology, (b) the use of control or comparison repeated measure design, (c) the use of standardized psychometric assessment, and (d) clear reports of effect sizes or sufficient information for effect size calculation. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) techniques were utilized to estimate the overall effect size for the collected studies and explore relationships between effect sizes and study characteristics. Dependent variable included 239 effect sizes, and independent variables included 22 study characteristics. The mean age of all child participants in the collected studies was 6.7. In 15 studies, the majority of participants were Caucasian. An equal number of studies were made up of non-Caucasian participants, including 3 with majority African American, 4 with majority Hispanic/Latino participants, 5 with majority Asian/Asian American participants, and 3 with other ethnic populations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use, Beliefs, Perceived Barriers, and Methods of Delivery of Play Therapy by Elementary School Counselors
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarWorks @ The University of New Orleans University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses 8-7-2008 The Use, Beliefs, Perceived Barriers, and Methods of Delivery of Play Therapy by Elementary School Counselors Christine Holbrook Ebrahim University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Holbrook Ebrahim, Christine, "The Use, Beliefs, Perceived Barriers, and Methods of Delivery of Play Therapy by Elementary School Counselors" (2008). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 718. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/718 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Use, Beliefs, Perceived Barriers, and Methods of Delivery of Play Therapy by Elementary School Counselors A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education by Christine Holbrook Ebrahim B.A., University of Mississippi, 1993 M.S., Loyola University, 2004 August, 2008 Copyright 2008, Christine Holbrook Ebrahim ii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Sherif, and my two beautiful sons, Gardner and Adley.
    [Show full text]
  • “Parents and Children's Experiences in Family Play Therapy”
    Parents’ and Children’s Experiences in Family Play Therapy By Catherine L. McMonigle Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Human Development Eric McCollum Committee Chair Eliana Gil Committee Member Angela Huebner Committee Member April 30, 2008 Falls Church, Virginia Keywords: play therapy, family play therapy, perceptions, experiences, parents, children Copyright 2008, Catherine L. McMonigle Parents’ and Children’s Experiences in Family Play Therapy By Catherine L. McMonigle (ABSTRACT) Family Play Therapy is a creative therapeutic approach to engage children in therapy in the context of their family system. While the young field of family play therapy offers both the benefits of family therapy and play therapy, research concerning its efficacy is largely unavailable. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experience of family play therapy in context of child sexual abuse treatment, from the perspective of child clients and their parents. A secondary purpose of this descriptive study was to provide contextual data to inform future quantitative research on family play therapy. In separate, semi-structured and open-ended interviews, eight children and their non-offending parents described their therapy experience of the family puppet interview intervention, in which they created and acted out a story with puppets. Participants’ descriptions of their experience revealed five broad themes: (1) the perceived benefits of play (what participants liked), (2) parents feelings about play as a medium, (3) parent’s perceived role in the session, (4) children’s thoughts about family participation in therapy, and (5) suggestions for improvement.
    [Show full text]
  • Therapy Methods
    Therapy Methods My approach when working with children and families is dependent on assessment data, presenting issues, best practice standards (i.e., modalities informed by research), and the training I have received. Below are the methods of treatment you can expect from me. Parent Education, Support & Training When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out. ~Erma Bombeck Few, if any, experiences in life are more important to most of us than raising healthy, well-adjusted children. Parenting brings joy and meaning to our lives but can also be challenging and exhausting. This is especially true when par- enting children with special needs or children who are experiencing difficult life circumstances. I generally spend ample time educating parents about their child’s disorder or the circumstances causing their child’s distress. When parents have a thorough understanding of how these factors impact the psychological functioning of their child, they are better able to understand why their child is displaying emotional or behavioral problems. This knowledge empowers parents and better equips them to successfully help their child. I also find value in helping parents reflect on their parenting style, attachment style, and their own families of origin. Forty years of research has linked specific aspects of parenting style to several key outcome areas in child development. For example, traits of high parental warmth, responsiveness and sensitivity balanced with maintaining reasonable expectations of children is linked with children who understand and regulate their emotions well, display healthy self-esteem, and show greater social-emotional competence (e.g., the ability to get along well with others, negotiate social conflicts, manage their emotions).
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Negative Countertransference Utilizing an Integrated Counselor Mindfulness Training for Counselors Working with Childre
    University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations Spring 2019 Managing Negative Countertransference Utilizing an Integrated Counselor Mindfulness Training for Counselors Working with Children Exhibiting Externalized Behaviors Jessie D. Guest Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation Guest, J. D.(2019). Managing Negative Countertransference Utilizing an Integrated Counselor Mindfulness Training for Counselors Working with Children Exhibiting Externalized Behaviors. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/5322 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MANAGING NEGATIVE COUNTERTRANSFERENCE UTILIZING AN INTEGRATED COUNSELOR MINDFULNESS TRAINING FOR COUNSELORS WORKING WITH CHILDREN EXHIBITING EXTERNALIZED BEHAVIORS by Jessie D. Guest Bachelor of Arts James Madison University, 2006 Master of Arts Gardner-Webb University, 2013 Educational Specialist Gardner-Webb University, 2013 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education College of Education University of South Carolina 2019 Accepted by: Jonathan H. Ohrt, Major Professor Dodie Limberg, Committee Member Ryan G. Carlson, Committee Member Katie Wolfe, Committee Member Cheryl L. Addy, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School © Copyright by Jessie D. Guest, 2019 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There is a quote by Isaac Newton that reminds me of how I made it to this point of my doctoral program and completion of my dissertation and it reads, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” If it wasn’t for the support, advocacy, love and many shoulders of so many people, throughout my life and the last three years, I would not be where I am today.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Workers' Role in the Delivery of Play Therapy to Children
    St. Catherine University SOPHIA Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers School of Social Work 5-2012 Social Workers’ Role in the Delivery of Play Therapy to Children Sara Weil St. Catherine University Follow this and additional works at: https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Weil, Sara. (2012). Social Workers’ Role in the Delivery of Play Therapy to Children. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/102 This Clinical research paper is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Social Work at SOPHIA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers by an authorized administrator of SOPHIA. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Social Workers’ Role in the Delivery of Play Therapy to Children Submitted by: Sara B. Weil May 2012 MSW Clinical Research Paper The Clinical Research Project is a graduation requirement for MSW students at St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work in St. Paul, Minnesota and is conducted within a nine-month time frame to demonstrate facility with basic social research methods. Students must independently conceptualize a research problem, formulate a research design that is approved by a research committee and the university Institutional Review Board, implement the project, and publicly present their findings. This project is neither a Master’s thesis nor a dissertation. School of Social Work St. Catherine University & University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minnesota Committee Members: Keith DeRaad, Ph.D., (Chair) Colleen Mens, MSW, LICSW Lynn Starr, MSW, LICSW i Abstract The purpose of this project was to explore the role that social workers play in the delivery of play therapy services to children.
    [Show full text]
  • Child-Centered Play Therapy
    Child-Centered Play Therapy Risë VanFleet Andrea E. Sywulak Cynthia Caparosa Sniscak Foreword by Louise F. Guerney THE GUILFORD PRESS New York London Contents PART I. BACKGRouND AND RELEVANCE CHapTer 1. The Importance of Play 3 What Is Play? 3 Play and Child Development 6 Changing Trends in Children’s Play 7 Assumptions about the Therapeutic Use of Play 8 CHapTer 2. A Brief Overview of Play Therapy 11 Types of Play Therapy 13 Why Play Therapy? 18 CHapTer 3. History, Theory, Principles, and Variations 20 of Child- Centered Play Therapy Building the Relationship 21 Acceptance of the Child 23 Establishing a Sense of Permissiveness 25 Empathic Recognition and Reflection of Feelings 26 Respecting the Child’s Ability to Solve Problems 30 Letting the Child Lead the Way 32 xvii xviii Contents Treating Play Therapy as a Gradual Process That Cannot Be Hurried 37 The Importance of Limits 38 Variations of CCPT 41 PART II. LogISTIcs AND TECHNIQUES CHapTer 4. Playroom Set-Up and Logistics 45 Playroom Set-Up 47 Principles of Toy Selection 49 Toys for Older Children 52 Messy Materials 53 Controversy about Aggression Toys 54 Arrangement of Toys 55 Logistics 56 Explaining CCPT to Children 58 CHapTer 5. The Four Skills of Child- Centered Play Therapy 59 Structuring 59 Empathic Listening 65 Child- Centered Imaginary Play 75 Limit Setting 78 Are You Really Being Nondirective? 86 CHapTer 6. Recognition and Interpretation of Play Themes 88 Recognition of Play Themes 89 Critical Considerations in Understanding Play Themes 90 Thematic Stages in CCPT 90 Levels of Interpretation 92 Understanding Play Themes in Context 94 Common Play Themes 99 Suggestions about the Interpretation of Play Themes 99 Documentation of Themes and Progress 100 PART III.
    [Show full text]