Essay On Play Therapy

When I first started reading Dibs in Search of Self, I was not sure if I was going to really be able to get into the book. Once I started reading it, I found it to be interesting, informative, and enjoyable. I found myself being more and more interested after each chapter and found myself wanting to learn more about Dibs’ situation. There are so many aspects of this book that made me feel emotionally connected to it. I could not help but become interested in learning more about this child’s life and seeing how he changed throughout the course of the book. Along with the book being a great read, it was also interesting being able to read a book that related heavily to the topics that we have talked about in class. This book not only gives a real-life perspective about childhood psychopathology, but it also make you think about the difference factors that can influence a child’s overall development.

When I was 18, I was involved in a car accident that almost took my life, this caused me to fall into depressive state while I attended college. The depression was due to not knowing who I was as a person without football. Before the accident every aspect of my life revolved around the sport, and I was highly scouted to come the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and play football. It was this whirlwind of emotions constantly plaguing my mind by being immersed in a place that reminded me of something that I could no longer experience. With the assistance of a counselor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, I was able to begin healing. This was a turning point in my life, and it was these sessions that sparked my interest in the field of psychology.

Children develop normally when they are exposed to different types of play that allow them to express themselves while using their imaginations and being physically active. According to the Center for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness, “Play is child’s work”; this is true because it is a child’s job is to learn and develop in their first few years of life, in order for them to do this, they play (CHETNA). Not only is playing a child’s full time job, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights listed play as a right of every child (Ginsburg). Through their full time job of play, the children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and creatively. Children need to participate in child-led play in order to

If play is a child's language, then toys can be taken as the words. With play therapy the child can resolve their difficulties and concerns utilizing the toys that they pick, exposing their inner thoughts and discussions. With play the child has the ability to check out numerous circumstances and habits in a supportive environment. Genuine favorable regard and approval urges the child to feel safe adequate to be able to discover

10). According to Landreth (2012), “Play therapy… facilitates the development of a safe relationship for the child… to fully express and explore self (feelings, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors) through play, the child’s natural medium of communication, for optimal growth and development”

Haslam, D., Harris, S. (2011). Integrating Play and Family Therapy Methods: A Survey of Play

Her words should have been a song to my ears, “your strength and determination has brought you thus far, and not many victims of sexual abuse are able to overcome such adversity an expeditious and healthy manner”. When the lack of joy failed to be expressed, my family counselor asked why I was perplexed. All that I could utter was “what about the victims of modern slavery and victimized children”? My counselor assured me that many professionals such has mental health counselors helped them. Though my life proved to be valuable again, my only focus was on other traumatized victims.

I conducted this first play therapy session with J, a five-year-old boy who is my boyfriend’s cousin. J and I already have an established relationship as I have known him for about three years. Usually, I spend time with him by taking him to different places or playing games, so this setting was new for our relationship. The session was conducted in the basement of my home, which a is mostly used as storage for different items. I was careful to hide and remove objects that I did not want to be played with to the side and covered them with blankets. J was receptive to the toys that were in the play time and appeared comfortable. In the beginning of the session, he explored the room and went around

Play is a way for children to learn about their environment and how interaction occurs within. It is through trial and error that children are able to create options; follow their own interests and show “independence in thought and actions” using their knowledge and understanding (Moyles, 2005, p.3). Children develop resilience though play. However for a number of children can experience stressful occurrences during their lives and play can often be restricted. Therefore the play worker’s role in supporting children’s play is a crucial measure towards children's development. For those that work with children require the dexterity to prompt and contribute to children’s play, which can be seen as a principle aspect of therapeutic alliance.

Non-directive play therapy, also called client-centred or unstructured play therapy, is a non-intrusive method guided by the notion that if given the chance to speak and play freely under optimal therapeutic conditions, troubled children and young people will be able to resolve their own problems and work toward their own solutions (Landreth, 2001). The hallmark of non-directive play therapy is that it has few boundary conditions and thus can be used at any age (Landreth, 2002a). This technique originates from Carl Rogers's non-directive psychotherapy and in his characterisation of the optimal therapeutic conditions (Landreth, 2001). Virginia Axline further adapted Rogers' theories to child specific play therapy in 1946 and is widely considered the founder of this modality (Landreth, 2002b). In contrast, directive play therapy is a method that includes more structure and guidance by the therapist as children work through emotional and behavioural difficulties during play (Landreth, 2002b).

Play is the business of childhood, allowing your child free rein to experiment with the world around him and the emotional world inside him, says Linda Acredolo, professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis and co-author of Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk and Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love. While it may look like mere child's play to you, there's a lot of work — problem solving, skill building, overcoming physical and mental challenges — going on behind the scenes. Here are some of the things your child is experiencing and learning, along with ideas on how you can help boost the benefits of his play. Play builds the

Play Education is the most important activity in the lives of children. Play is the foundation of learning for young children. For children play, is how they begin to understand and process their world? The best part for children is that play is fun and this keeps them always wanting more because they enjoy participating in it. Play education is for children up until age 12. And different ages are broken down into groups. Giving the child time and some few basic toys can provide them with a variety of valuable learning opportunities. It is important to let children explore and learn how to play, if the child can’t seem to figure it out then a person can guide them. Play Education is simple and very effective; this is an individual

There is great importance placed on the therapeutic relationship in both CCPT and Gestalt play therapy. The importance is that there is a need for true connection in order for a child to properly work on their inner self, growth, development or self-regulation. Virginia Axline made principles for CCPT therapists to go by in order to help assist therapist to create a good therapeutic relationship with their clients; after a time Gary Landreth revised and added more to make eight principles to be followed. A few of those principles are “1: The therapist is genuinely interested in the child and develops a warm, caring relationship. 2: The therapist experiences unqualified acceptance of the child and does not wish that the child were different in some way. And 3: The therapist creates a feeling of safety and permissiveness in the relationship so the child feels free to explore and express self completely” (OConnor & Braverman, 2009). When a CCPT therapist is nonjudgmental, kind, caring and permissive in their relationship with a child than that child is given more courage to look further into their real self. The relationship between therapist and child/client in CCPT is so important that if creating and sustaining the relationship is not done correctly the therapy may fail (OConnor & Braverman, 2009).

Gestalt therapy is a type of therapy used to deepen our awareness of ourselves. According to O’Connor and Braverman, (2009) “Gestalt" implies wholeness. “Gestalt therapy is a process-oriented, experiential therapy that is concerned with the integrated functioning of all aspects of the person: senses, body, emotions and intellect.”

Gestalt therapy is a type of therapy used to deepen our awareness of ourselves. According to O’Connor and Braverman, (2009) “Gestalt" implies wholeness. Gestalt can also be considered as the essence, or shape of a complete form. A theoretical opposite of structuralism, the entity constitutes more than the sum of its parts. Gestalt therapy is comprised of a complex psychological system that stresses the development of client self-awareness and personal responsibility through a process-oriented, experiential and phenomenological modality that addresses the totality of an individual in terms of senses, body, emotions and intellect.” In an active process, suppressed feelings can be explored in depth and through understanding of the how