The Role Of Play Therapy On Trauma Victims

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

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.

Signs of repetition include nightmares and flashbacks. The authors then discuss trauma resolution. They make the important point that children’s trauma must be discussed by direct disclosure in order for them to resolve their issues. Simple play therapy, these authors believe, is not adequate to do this.

play therapy experiences for children to help reduce anxiety and fear. Additionally, they can help

In addition, children’s play holds significant therapeutic value in providing a safe, protective environment in a space where children can recreate themselves and self-cure” (Campbell et al., 2010). The strongest therapeutic tool used in this process is the child’s innate drive to self-actualize.

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

Medical play is a kind of therapeutic activity which the children use special themes and tools related to medical while they play. This can help the adult to observe the child's feelings and take the information that can support the children when dealing with their healthcare experience. There are three different type of play in healthcare setting. The first type is therapeutic play which helps in improving the healthy state of the child physically and psychologically and the study show that therapeutic play is effective in coping and improving the healthy state of the child. The second type is recreational play which commonly used to make the child happy and facilitate normalization. The third type is developmentally supportive

Play therapy involves working on rules and boundaries, such as coming up with tasks that enables the client to establish trust; therefore, building interpersonal skills. Since Spike expresses himself through animation, I used humor in treatment by simply following through with his imaginations. I was sensitive to Spike’s values and beliefs by being cognizant of the stigma associated with Spike’s view of his presenting problem and treatment

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

The effectiveness of play therapy comes from the integration of play based skills into the day-to-day family life interactions.

“Dibs in search of self” is a book written by Virginia Axline that offers a case study to describe the practice of child centered play therapy. Play therapy is a type of therapy for children, where they are able to self-heal through expressing and processing their experiences in a non-directive, natural, and uninhibited way. The book is centered on the struggles of a young boy named Dibs, who enters therapy with Dr. Axline, and begins his journey to establish his own identity, confidence, and self-acceptance. Throughout the book, Dr. Axline shows how play can be a therapeutic experience for a child because it offers a safe space and secure relationship between child and adult. It is a space where children are allowed to use play to communicate

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.

It was conducted in order to gauge the effectiveness of play therapy. To analyze the data, hierarchical linear modeling was used. It was believed by the conductors of this study that all of the usable and available studies on the effectiveness of play therapy were generalized using an amalgamated meta-analysis. This meta-analysis was conducted on studies that focused on play therapy’s effect on children. Certain facts were discovered. When comparing play therapy outcomes to non-play therapy outcomes, the results for the difference in effectiveness between the two therapies were not significantly different. A variable that was considered was the number of sessions that each child had. It was discovered that the amount of therapy sessions had a curvilinear relationship on the effectiveness of the therapy session. This relationship was evident up to 30 therapy sessions and then from there it showed no difference in effect. The most effective number of play therapy sessions was 20. Having fewer sessions, such as 10, would result in negative outcome due to the child’s inability to resolve their unexpressed feelings. Other variables that are often considered by researchers and therapist as having effect but actually have no effect include age of the child, sex of the child, the training of the therapist, and the presenting of the

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

Ray, Bratton, Rhine, and Jones. (2001). The Effectiveness of Play Therapy: Resopnding to the Critics. International Journal of Play Therapy, 10(1), 85-108.