Introduction There are too many children with anger problems in society and this is in fact proving to show difficulty in the home, in school, and with peers. A variety of behaviours are occurring, such as bullying, acting out, angry outbursts, fighting, harming self, and destruction of objects. These behaviours affect the individual as well as those around them. In order to improve the individual, play therapy needs to be implemented. This assignment will examine an eight year old child who has started to display aggressive outbursts since the discovery of his/her parents’ divorce. This will include the therapeutic approach, techniques and activities I will use as well as the play therapy principles that I will be using. Finally, I will …show more content…
This is a counselling method used to help youngsters communicate their inner experiences through using toys and play. Nondirective play therapy is a non-pathologizing technique founded on the belief that youngsters have the internal drive to attain wellness (Petruk, 2009). Play therapy is grounded on the theory that play is a youngster’s language, the toys considered the words a youngster uses to express or show their inner experiences and how they experience and perceive the world. Within a play session, and throughout the course of sessions, themes develop in the youngster’s play, giving the therapist insight into the child’s feelings, thoughts, experiences, and interpretations of their world (Petruk, …show more content…
I believe that my relationship with the child must be warm and supportive (Axline, 2013: 23-35). Whilst my sessions are taking place, the girl must feel safe in order to ensure progress. If she feels comfortable in her surroundings she will be more willing to share he thoughts and opinions with me. It is very important for me that she unconditionally accepts me and that I unconditionally accept her (Axline, 2013: 23-35). This is where I must gain her trust. The first session consisted of an assessment, the second session is where I engage in play therapy. Here I need to build a consistent relationship with her using toys and verbal communication. I will also allow her to freely express her emotions during the sessions (Axline, 2013: 23-35). Whilst she’s playing with the sand and figures, I will encourage any emotions (as long as it stays safe). For me to be able to help her I need to assess her different emotions surrounding different situations. Before the session I will adapt a positive mind-set which consists of believing in her capabilities when it comes to problem solving (Axline, 2013: 23-35). She will not be able to learn and grow if I do not provide her with the opportunity to solve the problem by herself. I will depend on her to find her own solutions. It is my work to help her grow throughout the therapy and this can only be achieved if she does things by herself. Through using
This study looked at the therapeutic relationship and its influence in the process of Child-centered play therapy (CCPT). An exploratory single subject quantitative-qualitative design was used to examine therapist relational variables and their associations with changes in children’s behavior in CCPT (Hilliard, 1993; Jordans, Komproe, Tol, Nsereko, & De Jong, 2013). Specifically, we examined changes in levels of therapist process variables and their corresponding relationships with changes in children’s behaviors within and between cases to better understand therapeutic processes that impact child behavior, as well as the therapeutic relationship.
Early Childhood is marked by a time in children’s lives when they develop “a confident self-image, more effective control over their emotions, new social skills, the foundations of morality, and a clear sense of themselves as boy or girl” (Berk, Kauffman & Landrum, 2011, pg. 45). According to Erik Erikson, early childhood is a period of “vigorous unfolding,” one where children have a sense of autonomy and a new sense of purposefulness or initiative (Berk, Kauffman & Landrum, 2011, pg. 45). Play is a means for children to learn about themselves and they begin to adopt the moral and gender-role standards of the society in which they live (Berk, Kauffman & Landrum, 2011). A negative outcome of early childhood is the guilt children feel as a result of excessive punishment and criticism by the adults in their lives (Berk, Kauffman & Landrum, 2011)....
Wehrman, J. D., & Field, J. E. (2013). Play-Based Activities in Family Counseling. American Journal of Family Therapy, 41(4), 341-352. doi:10.1080/01926187.2012.704838
Children and adolescents often test the limits of appropriate conduct by crossing the boundaries set by caretakers. When a youth exhibits a particular problem behavior, it is important to consider not only if the behavior has previously occurred, but also if it is exhibited in multiple settings and with what frequency, duration, intensity, and provocation. For example, a 2-year-old who playfully nips a playmate is less off the mark of developmentally appropriate behavior than a 4-year-old who aggressively and frequently bites playmates to forcefully gain possession of desired toys.
Rye N. Child-Centred Play Therapy. In: JH Stone, M Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. 2010.
Jennifer Bracewell Prof Name Class 4 March 2017 The Significance of the Human Whole In “Dibs in Search of Self,” by Virginia M. Axline, the application and benefits of play therapy are explored through the eyes of a therapist working with a young boy whose environment has caused him to be socially detached, emotionally disturbed and plagued by personality issues. In this story, there are many examples of concepts discussed in class, which I plan to point out and discuss in this paper.
My choice of research was in the play behaviors of children as well as aggression. Breaking the topic down more, behavior relates to the psychology and the psyche of each individual. The definition of psychology is “science of mind and behavior” (Clavijo, 2013). After reading the article by Clavijo, I have realized that psychology can be defined in three ways such as the study of the mind, the study of behavior, and the study of the mind and behavior. In the text “The Developing Person” by Berger, behavior is learned through social learning. Children learn different behaviors through the observation of others, others being children and adults. Different people have affects on a child’s life that can affect their behavior. A child’s behavior is heavily influenced by their parents. A son may speak aggressively and without respect towards his mother because this is the way that his father speaks to her therefore he feels that is how to communicate with his mother (Berger, 200, 2012). Moving into play behaviors, children learn from other children in how to play. Most believe cognitive growth relies on child’s play time. Vygotsky and Piaget both believe that when children play it is beneficial, but according to Vygotsky, playing enables a child to think outside the box and create their own meaning from objects, using their imagination. Piaget believes that child benefit from playing together because children and sharing their knowledge and making it more concrete ideas and thoughts. There are four stages of plays, with the fourth stage being the highest most complicated play which consists of rules and guidelines for the game. The lowest level or play would be functional play being infants shaking rattles, clapping their hands, or blow...
For this assignment I have chosen Jean Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
Although, this session ended with amazing results, I feel as though I need more practice with this type of therapy. I have to continue to practice on allowing the patient to come up with their own solutions. I found it hard not giving advice to my client, because I already knew the situation. However, in the end I found myself very proud, because even though this was not a real therapy session, but the client was able to find a real solution to her problem. This experience is one that teaches the therapist restraint, it allows one to step back and listen. It also gives the client the opportunity to reach a solution themselves without someone giving them the answer to their
For example, when considering Landreth’s definition of play, does this research even study play (Landreth, 2012)? Clearly, there is a difference of opinions on what constitutes as play, as Landreth believes that play is child-oriented, but in this study play is completely initiated by the parent. On a more positive note, both Landreth and the researchers of this study agree that it is important for parents to be partners in therapeutic play (Landreth, 2012). Another interesting relation to class discussions, is how play used in the study can be categorized as any of the three types of play practice because it all depends on how the parent and child interacted when ‘playing’ with the plush toy. If the child used the toy to learn about his surgery and it aids in learning/development then this could fall under educational play practice. Conversely, if the child used the toy to play freely or as an outlet for discovery, this could be considered recreational play practice. Equally, if the child used the toy to be expressive or as a way to confront stressors, then this type of play could be associated with the ideals of therapeutic play practices (Howard & McInnes, 2013). This study also aligns decently with the ideals and practices of Child Life Specialists (CLS), and the implications of this study for CLS can be far-reaching. The authors state that
Both types of therapies had the specific elements that PCIT wanted to convey. One element was an emotional calm that play therapy produced in work with children. However, the calm play that the therapist and child do inside session, is far from the relationship that the parent and child may have outside therapy. By training the child’s parent to provide behavior therapy, enables treatment benefits to be longer-lasting. The use of play therapy in parent-child interaction strengthens the parent-child attachment and provides the child greater exposure to the calming therapy with their own parent. However, play therapy is not the only appropriate intervention when it comes to disciplining children. Parents get the skills need to deal with the behavioral issues by the live parent training, for setting limits and drawing back from tough discipline (Funderburk,
The intervention that I chose for this assignment is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. The intention of article that I examined, as it related to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, was to “examine Parent-Child Interaction Therapy’s effectiveness for increasing positive parenting skills, reducing children’s behavior problems, reducing parents’ stress, and improving the parent-child relationship with a sample of children typically considered in need of attachment-focused treatment.” (Allen, Timmer, Urquiza, 2014, pg. 334). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is an intervention “founded on social learning, behavioral, and attachment theories” (Allen, Timmer, Urquiza, 2014, pg. 336). In addition, PCIT is an assessment driven model that uses play therapy
As the semester comes down to an end, I have realized how much I have grown. My knowledge for play therapy was not as large as it is now. I am so thankful that I was able to be in this class and learn what I have learned. The skill set I have gained has helped me tremendously with my practice.
According to Weil and Pascal (1990), “games are educational instruments through which preparation for life is brought about by imitation of the adult world and the acquisition of such socializing characteristics as integration in a social framework, acceptance of instructions, and postponement of gratification” (p. 128). Games are a multifaceted tool in therapy according to Weil and Pascal (1990), through facilitating establishment of contact, reducing resistance, inducing spontaneity, catharsis and help the therapist to get acquainted with the issues that the client faces in a social setting. I concur that games can be a very useful tool in establishing cohesion, universality and catharsis. The adolescent can uncover parts of their personality and behavior that may not be exposed in individual therapy through role playing and games in group therapy. In my opinion, play and games are important to a child’s development as it is a child’s form of work. Children learn from their environment and those around them. I feel that children learn social skills through how others react to their ideas and games. The article explained that the clientele that this study observed were adolescents with instability in their environments. I feel that using games and play for adolescents with unstable environments permit the adolescents to
Holistic development of young children is the key determination and through play they are able to survive and become physically healthy, able to learn, and emotionally secure and into where they progress into responsible and productive adults with positive reinforcements in the future. When there are societal issues that are barriers such as “technology, childhood obesity, culture, etc.” (Gaston, A, Module 1, Unit 1, 2016), children are then unable to revel in freedom of movement in where play is adventurous and brings out positive behavior. “Play supports the holistic development through the development of intellectual, emotions, socially, physical, creative and spiritual” (Gaston, A, Module 1, Unit 2, 2016), signifying that holistic development is an important factor to be aware of as the child grows. An example would be when in Workshop 1 of Social and Cognitive Styles of Play, we had to play in the given activity for the time being and observe our members and distinguish what kind of cognitive play it was. And one of the assigned question to