While there are multiple studies on working with children with externalizing and anxiety issues in general, many of them do not investigate Adlerian play therapy. Adlerian play therapy says that “people are unique and creative, they strive toward belonging and connection with others, and they create fictional goals that influence their behaviors. Social interest is an important concept of Adlerian play therapy” (Meany-Walen, Kottman, Bullis & Taylor, 2015 ). In fact, 40% of the studies in this paper are the first of their kind. Many of the articles included in this review have limitations including small sample sizes, small age range, and teachers and caregivers being involved in the process of picking and evaluating students for these studies. …show more content…
Schools participating in the studies were generally ethnically diverse, and in each study there was more than one race being represented. Many of these schools were title one (Blanco & Ray, 2010), which means that students’ families may not be as financially stable as the families in other schools and many of the students are at risk of failure or dropping out. In these schools, students who do need mental health support will likely not get it. A few of the studies had children drop out because they were put on medication for mental health issues, and were not compliant with their medication, as well as excessive absences (Meany-Walen, Bullis, Kottman &Taylor, 2015). Most of the studies picked participants by way of parent and teacher evaluation of children’s behavior. Depending on the study, children received between five and 17 play therapy sessions during their respective …show more content…
One study (Stulmaker & Ray, 2015) used the revised children’s’ manifest anxiety scale, two studies made use of teacher report form, three of the studies used the direct observation form, one study used the index of teaching stress, and the young children’s’ achievement test, as well as the caregiver-teacher report form were used. The use of the same instrument in many of the articles increases their reliability. These studies are an important step in helping students get the education and counseling that many of them need. Instead of sending students with disruptive behaviors, or anxiety to the principal or other disciplinary personnel, if counselors are educated in Adlerian play therapy they may be able to help cut down on disciplinary action, and give the children the help that they need in order to be successful in school and life. The results of these studies indicate that for the most part Adlerian play therapy is beneficial for anxiety, externalizing behavior, and improving academic achievement. The only mixed result is counseling students with off task behaviors. This may be because “off task” can have a very broad definition depending on the classroom and the
The crucial C’s of Adlerian play therapy are I feel Connected, I am Capable, I Count, and I have Courage. Feeling connected to others, being self-reliant, perceiving
This book portrays the effectiveness of play therapy on an emotionally disturbed boy named Dibs. Dibs', 5, had been attending a private school for 2 years. Throughout his years in school, he showed no improvement on his behavior. He continued to alienate himself from the other kids, as well as, his teachers. In the beginning, he never spoke nor moved. He then started to crawl around the room observing every item in his way. Dibs' would come in everyday and stand where his mother had left him until one of the teachers took off his coat. He spent most of his time looking at books, as if he could read them. Although, if anyone approached him, he would back into the wall and cover himself. He would scream, push, and sometimes scratch anyone that
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.
play therapy experiences for children to help reduce anxiety and fear. Additionally, they can help
Amy Romero is a certified teacher, school counselor, and registered play therapist. She offers support groups for children between the ages of three and eight. This support group help children process their levels of daily stress and anxiety to ensure they are able to alleviate those stressors in a healthy positive manner. She is able to interact with these children via “play” and observe their psychological baseline. Then use that baseline to improve their behavioral, mental, and cognitive development. The session is open to boys and girls in that age group and is located in Lafayette. Succession of this group therapy will result in children having a higher self-concept, self-esteem, ability to display their behaviors/feelings in a healthy
The paper topic is focused on how play therapy can help children develop their behavioral and emotional structures. The primary research question for the paper is Can Play Therapy help children with emotional and behavioral issues get better? The primary hypotheses for this paper are: If play therapy can help a child overcome his self-esteem issues, then it can help the child grow emotionally and if play therapy can help a child overcome his self-esteem issues, then it can help the child grow a strong behavioral structure. The paper is divided into an introduction which gives a brief background of the topic, literature review which focuses on the results of 10 recent studies with familiar topics, the methods section, and the results sections which provides the primary results of the study and the discussions section which illustrates the lessons learnt from conducting this study as well as the differences and limitations of the study alongside the new directions that similar researches in the future could look to explore.
Thus, examinees must understand common school-based intervention programs, such as bullying prevention and promoting good health. The foundation of school psychology delves into the importance of culture, background and individual values. Examinees must demonstrate understanding of research design, evaluation and statistics. Finally, the children’s service section covers instructional strategies, curricular accommodations and effective group interventions. In fact, examinees must clearly understand school-based intervention skills and techniques. They must also be familiar with child and adolescent psychopathology, such as common symptoms of mental health problems and how these impact a student’s
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.
Utilizing Adlerian therapy for adolescents has been beneficial for S.H. she has gained knowledge from psychoeducation, gained insight into her life style, learned about her purpose in life, and implemented new techniques to help her heal. Though our work was not yet done, the time I had with S.H. was a wonderful learning experience. I was able to watch S.H. grow and change with each new skill or technique. I feel that I left S.H. with hope because she recognizes if she continues therapy with a new clinician she will be give herself the gift of personal healing and growth. S.H.’s goal was to alleviate the depression and anxiety she experienced, and I feel she did much more than that. She now has knowledge, tools, and hope to move
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”
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
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).
The primary aim of the gestalt play therapist is to help children become aware of their unique process. The focus is on the experience of the process, what children do and how they do it, which they are, what they feel and what they want. Acceptance of this leads to the realization that they can personally make choices and experiment with new behavior. Gestalt play therapy focuses on children’s direct experience in the here and now. The therapist’s goal is to facilitate the client’s awareness of their process. (Corey, 2000)
Play therapy is a form of the therapy in which emotionally disturbed children are encouraged to act out their fantasies and express their feelings through play, aided by a therapist interpretations. While conveying their feeling in a healthy way, it can also be used on adults. Grown-ups can benefit from play therapy, not just children. Though adults can convey their feeling effectively, most of the time, in words to their therapist. It is in my belief that play therapy helps adults convey and un surface feelings that are tucked away and they even they forget they have. Basically, play or play therapy can help stressed, disabled play deficient, and emotionally disturbed adults work through their feelings.