MHS 6421: Play Counseling and Play Process with Children Fall 2016
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MHS 6421 1 COLLEGE of EDUCATION School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education Counselor Education Program MHS 6421: Play Counseling and Play Process with Children Fall 2016 Instructor: Sondra Smith-Adcock E-Mail: [email protected] Telephone: 352-273-4328 Office: 1209 Norman Hall Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-2:00 and by appointment Class Meetings: Mondays 9:35 – 12:35 in 1331 Norman Hall and required off-campus activities Required Text: Axline, V. M. (1964). Dibs in search of self. New York, NY: Ballentine Books. Kottman, T. (2011). Play therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd Ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Kottman, T. & Schaefer, C. (1993). Play therapy in action: A casebook for practitioners. Rowman & Little. Other required selections (journal articles) will be distributed in class. • Students are expected to read assigned chapters/articles prior to each class meeting. Course Description: This course is focused on the use of play and expressive arts in counseling. Theoretical orientations to play counseling, foundations of play counseling, practice of play counseling, and assessment are major areas of focus of the course. Play media such as puppets and dolls, art, creative dramatics, music and movement, games, and sand play will be integrated into the course curriculum. Demonstrations and experiential activities are a primary method of teaching and learning the theory and practice of play counseling. Both directive and nondirective play counseling experiences are included in the course. Course Objectives: At the conclusion of MHS 6421: Play Counseling and Play Process with Children, students will be able to: 1. Define play counseling 2. Discuss the history of play counseling 3. Articulate and apply theoretical knowledge of play counseling MHS 6421 2 4. Demonstrate awareness of cultural issues in the practice of play counseling. 5. Demonstrate the use of various play media in the practice of play counseling. Methods of Instruction: Class sessions are focused on the application of readings and experiences. The class will include the integration of content, group discussions, and play counseling experiences. For many students, the study of Play Counseling represents a theoretical and conceptual shift from the orientations with which they are most comfortable. The philosophy at the root of play counseling is based on the idea that children are innately able to grow and heal through the therapeutic relationship, which is based on positive regard, respect, and the genuine interest of the counselor. In this course, students are required to participate in play counseling experiences with a child. Students are expected to prepare themselves by immersing themselves in the course material and reflective learning. Students will have the opportunity for supervision. CACREP Outcome-Based Program Area Standards: The 2009 CACREP Standards call for the documentation of student knowledge and/or skill performance of key components for all program areas. Portions of this course fulfill in part the following CACREP PROGRAM AREA STANDARDS: SCHOOL COUNSELING Standard Assignments Evaluation Standard Addressed Assessing Student Criteria Provided met if: (√) Knowledge/Skills in Syllabus (√) Counseling Prevention and Intervention Standard C. Knowledge 1. Knows the theories and processes of √ Play Counseling √ Student earns effective counseling and wellness programs Intervention at least a (C) for individual and students and groups of students. 3. Knows strategies for helping students √ Play Counseling √ Student earns identify strengths and cope with Intervention at least a (C) environmental and developmental problems. Standard D. Skills and Practices 1. Demonstrates self-awareness, sensitivity √ Play Therapy √ Student earns to others, and the skills needed to relate to Practice Session at least a (C) diverse individual, groups, and classrooms. in this area 2. Provides individual and √ Play Therapy √ Student earns group counseling and classroom Practice Session at least a (C) guidance to promote the academic, in this area career, and personal/social development of students. Research and Evaluation Standard I. Knowledge 5. Understands the outcome research data √ Play Counseling √ Student earns and best practices identified in the school Intervention at least a (C) MHS 6421 3 counseling literature. in this area Course Requirements: 1. Reflection on Dibs (25 points): This assignment is intended to help you gain an understanding of the play therapy process and experience. Students are required to read the book Dibs: In search of self and write a reaction paper. The reaction paper should be a maximum of five pages. Within the paper, students are expected to reflect upon (a) what they learned about the play therapy process, (b) their thoughts and feelings about the play therapy experience described in the book, and (c) their thoughts and feelings about play therapy after reading the book. 2. Play Therapy Practice Session and Evaluation (70 points): You will prepare two counseling tapes, but only one will be evaluated. First, you will tape a baseline (to be taped with a classmate). After receiving feedback on your baseline tape you will be required to videotape your use of play media and play process (with emphasis on basic skills—tracking, reflection, and limit-setting), and submit one tape for evaluation. You will also self-evaluate your videotapes and you may be asked to meet with other classmates or teaching assistants to go over portions of your tape. Please note that you will be required to play with a child at least 4-5 times throughout the course. Attached to this syllabus, you will find a form, Self-Evaluation of Child-Centered Play Therapy Sessions, which is to be filled out and brought to class with your videotape. You will also find a Play Counseling Notes Form for use after every session. Taping might be conducted in a practicum or internship setting or in a site designated by and/or supervised by the course instructor. Flip video cameras can be checked out from Educational Technology located in Norman Hall. Parents must provide consent in most cases for their child to participate in taping. A Parental Consent form will be provided as needed in class. For these sessions, the purpose is not to “treat” the child but to experience the play media and play process with the child. Children who participate in these limited sessions, however, may benefit from a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult and may also learn about feelings of self and others and show increased confidence and self-awareness. This is a lab requirement. Therefore, please know that some of these activities may take place outside of class time. 3. “Create Your Own” Play Counseling Intervention (Paper [50 points], Group Facilitation [20 points]: This project is designed to offer you further practice with the integration of theory and practice in play counseling (e.g., puppet shows, bibliotherapy activities). You will be assigned to a small group early in the semester and each group will provide an intervention, linked to theory, to be used with school children. A handout (with references) describing each intervention is required and is to be handed in on the date the intervention is presented (& will be provided to the class). You will be provided approximately 20 minutes for your presentation. The keys to this presentation are DIRECTIVE PLAY, SHARING RESOURCES, and PARTICIPATION. In your handout, be specific in the description of the activities and how they illustrate play process. Include the following in your assignment: MHS 6421 4 a. Title—Give your idea a descriptive title. b. Purpose—Describe the theoretical approach of your intervention. c. Rationale—Reason for using this intervention to address this topic. c. Objectives—Cite one or two specific objectives for the intervention. d. Materials Needed—List those items or materials needed for the session. e. Experiential & Verbal Components—Describe extent to which experiential components and verbal components will be used in the intervention. f. Procedures— List in chronological order the specific steps (procedures) needed to carry out the activity. Be descriptive. Tell what counselors should do in easy to follow guidelines (i.e., puppet script) g. Processing leads—List possible phrases or statements, which might be used to help process the experience or activity. h. Recommendations/Cautions— Provide any recommendations that are appropriate or seem relevant to help make the activity successful. Discuss cautions for counselors to be aware of. i. References—Cite any relevant references or resources needed. 4. Class Participation (20 points): Your participation is crucial in this course. Please attend all class meetings or inform the instructor of the nature of your absence and make arrangements to make up in-class activities. Please also fully participate in your group assignment and lab component of the class. Group members are encouraged to openly discuss the level of involvement of their fellow group members and to notify the instructor if there are concerns about individual participation. It is also your responsibility to make yourself fully available to see your play buddy at the times you agree to and to meet the minimum requirements of sessions with your child (at least 4 times, which will be discussed further in class). Evaluation Criteria: Reflection on Dibs 25 points Play Therapy Practice Session and Evaluation 70 points Play Counseling Intervention Paper and Handout 50 points Play Counseling Intervention Group Facilitation 20 points Attendance & Participation 20 points Total 185 points Grading Scale: A = 94-100 A- = 90-93 B+ = 86-89 B = 83-85 B- = 80-82 C+ = 76-79 C = 73-75 C- = 70-72 F = Below 70 ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TYPED & IN APA FORMAT MHS 6421 5 * Assignments are due by the deadline. Late assignments will be accepted; however, 10% will be deducted for each day an assignment is late, including weekends. No assignment will be accepted after one week. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that assignments are submitted on time.