How I do Therapy with Children
If you are reading this, it may be that your child is misbehaving at school or at home and you are frustrated as you cannot get your child to cooperate and change maladaptive behaviors. Perhaps your child is having a hard time adjusting to a divorce situation or blending of families. Maybe your child has witnessed or has heard of something tragic.
Whatever the problem your child may be facing, there are specific therapy interventions that can help your child with his or her challenges.
The Type of Therapy I Use With Children Is Known as Play Therapy
Now, to be clear, play therapy is not me, as your child’s therapist, going out skateboarding for fun. You will not see me playing with Barbies or blowing bubbles your child just for the heck of it (although the use of barbie dolls in therapy can be a powerful therapy intervention for a trained therapist to utilize with your child.)
Play therapy is an evidence based practice that has been statistically proven to positively assist a child in the improvement of his or her symptoms that are causing them distress.
There are a variety of tools and interventions I utilize with children in play therapy session, Some of which are role play, games, action figures, art and hobbies, sand tray, puppets, story- telling, and structured family play therapy.
When a child is engaged in non-directive play therapy, the therapist does not have a specific direction she wishes to go in therapy. Non-directive play is great for assessment purposes as well as sessions where the child appears motivated to do what comes naturally.
During play, a child is learning how to safely be themselves with no judgement. A trained therapist, will notice the behavior, and will reflect the specific behavior that is being observed, but therapists do not attach meaning to it. This gives the child space to further explore what comes next. The child has space to interpret his/her feelings about what is being expresses. During play therapy, a child will access feelings, gaining self-awareness, and acceptance skills, and may also come to resolve inner conflicts.
I have observed on several occasions, a child will repeat the same play over and over again each session. He/she will use the same toys, and perform the same actions over and over again. This can be a good thing. Often during this play, a child is actively processing thoughts and emotions connected to their involvement in a situation. With repetition, and consistency on part of the child, clinician and participating caregiver, a child can ultimately come to a resolution of the disturbing memory or problem. It takes a skilled clinician to mindfully reflect to the the child what is noticed to be happening in the play, and to validate the child in a mindful way what the child is seen doing, and to listen in a compassionate, wise manner, to a child’s interpretation of what is happening in their own version of the play.
When I Work With Your Child, You Will Be Actively Involved
You will learn helpful ways to interact with your child. You may notice your child to have a a decrease in undesirable behaviors, while they also may start to exhibit an increase in observably positive behaviors.
My work with your child, is comprised of a unified and Taylor made plan. You, the parent or caregiver are in charge of the course of treatment. I will provide for you my assessment, treatment modalities, interventions, and prognosis. The outcome of your child’s continued success in therapy, and predicted progress thereafter depends on you, the parents/caregiver:
- Your role is just as important as your child’s role in treatment.
- Without your active involvement, your child is more likely to show minimal improvement in therapy.
Be involved, be right, and do right for your children. The legacy you leave, for your child affects generations of people.
Contact me for a free consultation to see if your child may need therapy
