Non-Directive Play Therapy

Play therapy is a form of therapy where children can’t act out their fantasies and express their feelings or experiences and are simply encouraged to do so through play, abetted by a therapist's interpretations.

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

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

Virginia Axline’s work in Child-Centered Play Therapy stemmed from the Person-Centered theoretical orientation of Carl Rogers. She shared the perspective in which the value of the therapeutic nature is derived from the recognition by the individual as a capable being and the realization of responsibility. A desired goal of therapy is understanding, which

Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) allows these children safety and unconditional regard. Among the many therapeutic benefits CCPT offers, is a contradiction to the trauma experiences the child has lived. Although HN continues to be exposed to emotional trauma and confusing messages, he has been able to increase his level of personal safety through an integrated form of CCPT sessions. As HN continues to grow and develop, he will need support and compassion to help him navigate the conflicting messages of what behavior is expected and appropriate in the world. Child centered play therapy is an effective modality that could help him heal from the continued trauma exposure by providing a contradiction through the validation of his emotions, exploration of healthy limits, and providing him with unconditional positive

Children often face various mental health issues when they are growing up. These issues include anxiety, trauma, depression and now even autistic children. Treating young children of these conditions has been a great challenge over time. Therapy can help give children the opportunity to express their feelings through play. According to the Association for Play Therapy (2002), play therapy is a "systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process in which trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development." Although various studies have been conducted in regards to play research, there is no link that has been given between play therapy and the success of an individual later in life.

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.

5) Maintaining responsibility for child to make choice during the session. In role-play, child can choose to continue playing with the sand tray or stop play. Stay with the child, giving the space and time for child to do whatever he needs at that moment. The basic theoretic belief of non-directive play therapy is promoting self-awareness and insight within the individual, so as to manifest change in behaviour. Placing the child as the focus of the therapy, tried to help child to realize his responsibility for himself. The whole therapeutic sand play session (10 mins) become child’s time to do whatever he needs to. Therapy remain with the child though the whole 10 mins, even child stated that he finished what he needs to do. No objection nor suggestion from therapy. Keep quite; stay calm, close and interested to the child.

In the selected case study, The mode of therapeutic intervention will take the Gestalt Play Therapy focus. The interaction between Jacob and I will be an open dialogue with straightforward caring, warmth, acceptance, and self-responsibility that specifically focuses on inclusion, with me fully present in the experience of Jacob, where I will not judge, analyze, or interpret what is observed. My presence refers to expressing observations, preferences, feelings, personal experience, and thoughts to Jacob. Commitment to dialogue will present the opportunity to encourage a sense of connection between Jacob and me. Our dialogue will be active and nonverbal or verbal. It can be any modality that expresses and moves

Child- centered play therapy sees development as flowing, fluid, and maturing process of becoming. Within child-centered play therapy, personality structure is centered on three ideas: the person, the phenomenal field, and the self. The person of a child is everything that they are; behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and their physical beings. Simply stated that as a child goes through life they make organized changes, as one part is changed based on an experience other parts are also altered. Making a continuous dynamic intrapersonal interaction system within each child. A child’s phenomenal field is everything a child experiences; at the conscious or unconscious level. How a child perceives their own reality is what must be known in order to know and understand their behaviors. It is important to appreciate a child’s behaviors via viewing it through their own eye’s. It is important for a therapist to not be judgmental or to evaluate a child’s simple behaviors. The last construct of personality structure with this theory is the self. The self is a child’s total experiences or a child recognizing themselves while interacting with their world. Being able to recognize themselves is an important part of developing their own concepts of self, their environment and about their own self in affiliation to their environment (O’Connor & Braverman, 2009).

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).

This is a treatise devoted to the dynamic psychotherapeutic treatment of children. In this therapy, talking and play are used to ameliorate disorders in adjustment.

The integrated model provides many advantages for children. Play-based activities encourage children to work through their thoughts and feelings. Children are more likely to participate in the process when given toys rather than sitting on the couch. Another advantage is that it “offers the child a powerful way of mastering his or her world and is crucial to cognitive development, personality formation, and social adaptation” (Wehrman & Field 2013). Play itself is important in child development. With the addition of play in therapy, children will be able to lean and develop even more. Counselors can apply there skills while interacting with children.

Play therapy is a technique in which the natural expression of a child is used as a therapeutic way to help the child deal with trauma and stress. This type of therapy has been used effectively with children with an understanding level of three (3) to five (5) years. Among the problems faced by these children are they have family problems such as divorced parents, disagreements between siblings, as well as those who have nail biting habits, urinate during sleep, violence, socially unfocused, Victims of child abuse and others. Other

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).