Play Therapy Reflection

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.

This reflective essay will try and develop an understanding of the experiences and theory that has been applied to a counselling roleplay and applied content over the duration of the module. Furthermore, identifying what has been covered and what has not been covered in the roleplay, its strengths, weaknesses, what needs developing and how it can help as counsellors within the field. The first topic will reflect on the skills and attributes that have been applied to the roleplay and how it has been beneficial. The second topic will be a critical analysis on the roleplay conducted during counselling focusing on what techniques have not been covered, what skills and attributes were not demonstrated in the roleplay. Then identifying how improving and applying these skills and attributes may contribute to the overall effectiveness of counselling. The last topic will touch on micro-skills such as summarizing and goal setting, its application to the role play looking at both the strengths and weaknesses assessing why micro skills are important in the counselling practice.

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”

Often, elementary school counselors are reluctant to suggest play therapy and have perceived barriers to its efficacy. This study surveyed 259 members of the American School Counselor Association about those barriers to implementing play therapy, and the potential solutions that could be used to overcome any reluctance. The typical barriers are logical: training, administration, time, resources, and space. It is not that the counselors as a whole do not believe in play therapy, it is that they cannot always find appropriate resources to implement the tool. The study raises the awareness that in the contemporary school in which budgets and resources are extremely tight, more training, educating faculty and administrators, and even using alternative or personal funds to purchase play therapy materials are often necessary to help students.

The field of child counseling has been enriched through the integration of play therapy within different therapeutic approaches, as this method allows children to express thoughts and feelings that they might not be able to convey any other way due to their limited vocabulary (Henderson & Thompson, 2016). Over the past eight years, MacGill (2017) has built both her private practice, as well as functioned as a school counselor for students with special needs, MacGill demonstrates each day the many ways that play therapy can be integrated with several different therapeutic approaches as a method of building rapport and gaining a better understanding of each child’s mental health needs. MacGill is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor,

A field that has seen rapid growth in the last few decades is child therapy. Unlike adult therapy which can be as simple as a conversation between peers, child therapy presents a variety of new barriers. One barrier faced by child therapists is understanding behaviors that come from individuals on a different developmental level than themselves. Techniques and conversations that can be readily applied to adults by therapists are lost on children. Additionally with disorders that effect communication and connection, all attempts previously used would be null and void. Unfortunately, the individuals who would benefit from therapy the most are the ones who present these barriers. In an effort to make up for these deficits, play therapy was introduced as a way to transcend language barriers and aid the child in becoming self-aware on their own.

The topic of this book is how play therapy can help a child who has been in isolation, and self-discovery. Axline supports this view in various ways throughout the book. She explains her reasoning for not interrupting Dibs and gives many examples of using counseling skills. Axline’s style is formal and the chapters are clearly organized. There is a chapter for each play therapy session. She describes Dibs’ activities captivatingly, making the book engaging to read and showing that she, too, is engaged with Dibs (counsellorjen/wordpress).

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.

When I think about the word “play therapy”, I think of it as a tool or a way to help out another individual or child express their anxieties and conflicts through play in a therapeutic setting. In class, the introductory handout on “Playful Thoughts” was a useful way to capture moments from childhood that would emphasize either happy or unhappy play memories. From one of the questions in the handout, a moment I would never forget would be when I accidentally stapled my hand at the age of four, when I was trying to staple a couple of pages back to a coloring book. A couple of students in class discussed their experience; and their experiences were mixed, as in some described happier moments, while others discussed sadder moments. In class we

Learning about the stages of development and the different approaches to therapy was my favorite content to learn about. Piaget’s, Erik Erikson’s, and Kohlberg’s stages of development were interesting and enjoyable to learn about. I liked being able to connect what we were learning in class to the things I observe in everyday life. The three approaches to therapy: Gestalt therapy, Rogerian Therapy, and Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy, were also very exciting to learn about. I liked watching the different responses to the different therapy, as I was unaware that there were multiple kinds of psychotherapy.

Trauma informed practice is defined by Schreifels and Walz (2014) as an approach that “recognizes the presence of trauma” for some children in the classroom and “acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives” (slide 36). A child’s play is their language; therefore, it can be a valuable experience for “self-healing” (Schreifels and Walz, 2014, slide 41). Teachers can use children’s play to gain information about their experiences. Trauma informed practice is about giving children choices, prioritizing trust, and creating an environment that makes children feel safe. Teachers can help children feel safe by telling them that the classroom is a safe place and by providing them with things like “cozy corners” to go to if they feel overwhelmed (Schreifils and Walz, 2014, slide 51). To promote self-regulation, educators can help children learn to recognize, reflect on, and share their feelings by talking to them about their emotions. Some calming activities for children that can help with emotional regulation include playing with clay, paint, or play dough. Educators also need to help children understand that they are “worthy of nurturing and care,” and that “all [their] feeling are ok; it is how [they] express them that matters” (Schreifils and Walz, 2014, slide 57). A final aspect of trauma informed practice is the importance body language. Sometimes words do not work and in those cases, it may be appropriate to hold children, rock children, or sing to them softly to remind them that they are safe (Schreifils and Walz, 2014, slide

Taken together, these studies suggest that child centered play therapy is an effective intervention to decrease the clients presenting concerns. Continued CCPT may reduce the client’s acting out behaviors including yelling and hitting his peers (Paone & Douma, 2009), reduce the number and frequency of his anger outbursts (Bratton, et al., 2005; Bratton, et al., 2013; Ritzi, et al.,

The success of play therapy achieved in the end was uplifting. Throughout the story, my emotions were on a roller coaster. I was engrossed in the techniques of Axline’s approach and the gradual development of Dibs’ personality. His improvement was evident and I felt joyous each time he demonstrated strength and hope. In the beginning, Dibs was resistant to leaving the Child Guidance Center because he feared going home to an emotionally absent environment. Soon, he began accepting the fact that when the hour ended he had to leave. An endearing moment happened when Dibs told Axline that he would return the following Thursday to “fill up again with happiness” (Axline, 1964, p. 133). The playroom was a special place where Dibs could express himself without limitation, and his liberation was refreshing.

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.

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