Participants will be able to:
collaborate with play therapists and utilize play techniques to foster growth and change in children
recognize the impact of trauma and support children experiencing traumatic stress reactions
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
PLAY A NATURAL PHENOMENA
WHAT IS PLAY
THERAPY
WHAT IS PLAY
THERAPY
"Play Therapy is the dynamic process between child and Play
Therapist in which the child explores at his or her own pace and with his or her own agenda those issues, past and current, conscious and
unconscious, that are affecting the child's life in the present. The child's inner resources are enabled by the therapeutic alliance to bring about
growth and change. Play Therapy is child-centered, in which play is the primary medium and speech is the
secondary medium."
British Association of Play Therapy
Virginia Axeline – 1947
Non-directive Play Therapy (Also called Child-Centered Play Therapy)
Student of Carl Rogers
Maintains that play therapy can be most effective when child is allowed to take responsibility for direction of the therapy.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Virginia Axiline’s
(1969) Eight
Principlesof CCPT
Counselor:
develops a warm, friendly relationship with the child
accepts the child exactly as he/she is.
establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship.
is alert to recognize the feelings the child is expressing and reflects those feelings back to him so he gains insight into his behaviors.
maintains a deep respect for the child’s ability to solve his own problems. The responsibility to make choices and to institute the change is the child’s life.
Virginia Axiline’s
(1969) Eight
Principlesof CCPT
does not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversation in any manner. The child leads the way; we follow.
does not attempt to hurry the process. It is a gradual process.
Virginia Axiline’s
(1969) Eight
Principlesof CCPT
establishes only those limitations that are necessary to anchor the counseling to the world or reality and to make the child aware of his or her responsibility in the relationship
Virginia Axiline’s
(1969) Eight
Principlesof CCPT
How Child Centered
Play Therapy
(CCPT) is different
from other therapies.
We focus on the relationship, this is the most important factor.
We accept the child exactly as they are and DON’T ask that they change anything.
We do not investigate
We assess but don’t evaluate
How Child Centered
Play Therapy
(CCPT) is different
from other therapies.
We create an environment where the child can heal.
This can be frustrating to others because they are looking for a fast fix.
4 Basic Skills
Structuring
Empathic tracking/responding
Imaginary Play
Limit setting
DIRECTIVE
VS.
NON-DIRECTIVE
Non-Directive alone may work for some
When to add directive interventions Child is dysregulated Child becomes stuck in
traumatic play or reactions Child is overwhelmed by the
play Child needs to learn a skill
ALL PLAY THERAPY MODELS
happen in the context of the relationship
are based on children’s play being recognized as functional and symbolic
provides the opportunity to re-work traumatic events
Provide corrective emotional experiences which occur in the context of the relationship and the play
CHILD TRAUMATIC
STRESS
Child traumatic stress refers to the physical and emotional responses of a child to events that threaten the life or physical integrity of the child or of someone critically important to the child (such as a parent or sibling).
Traumatic events overwhelm a child’s capacity to cope and elicit feelings of terror, powerlessness, and out-of-control physiological arousal.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
CHILD TRAUMATIC
STRESS
A child’s response to a traumatic event may have a profound effect on his or her perception of self, the world, and the future.
Traumatic events may affect a child’s:
Ability to trust othersSense of personal safetyEffectiveness in navigating
life changes
CHILD TRAUMATIC
STRESS
Disrupts all aspects of normal development including: Brain Development Cognitive Growth and
Learning Emotional Self-regulation Attachment to Caregivers
and Social Emotional Development
Trauma predisposes children to subsequent psychiatric difficulties
Lieberman et al., 2003
CHILD TRAUMATIC
STRESS
Acute
Chronic
Complex
TYPES OF TRAUMATIC
STRESS
BRAINSTEM
DIENCEPHALON
LIMBIC
CORTEXAbstract ThoughtConcrete thoughtAffiliation/Reward
AttachmentSexual BehaviorEmotional ReactivityMotor Regulation
Arousal AppetiteSleepBlood PressureHeat RateBody Temperature
Neurological Hierarchy
Neurological Functions
Psychological Phenomenon
Guilt/Shame
Alcohol-Substance Abuse
Depressive and Affective Sx.
Trauma Core Sx.
(Dr. Bruce Perry, 2010
Relevant
Relational
Repetitive
Rewarding
4 R’S OF INTERVENTIONS
(Dr. Bruce Perry, 2010
REFERENCES
Cook, A., Blaustein, M., Spinazzola, J., & van der Kolk, B. (Eds.) (2003). Complex trauma in children and Adolescents. White Paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Complex Trauma Task Force
Perry, Bruce M.D., (2006). Applying principles of neurodevelopment to clinical work with maltreated and traumatized children, the Neurosequential model of therapeutics. In Webb, N.B. (ed), Working with traumatized youth in child welfare (pp. 26-53). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Ford, J., Curtois, C., Steele, K., van der Hart, O., Nijenhuis, E. (2005). In Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol 18, October, pp. 437-447. International society for traumatic stress studies
Gil, E. (2011). Helping Abused and Traumatized Children: Integrating Directive and Nondirective Approaches. New York, NY: The Gilford Press.
Landreth, Garry L. (2012). Play Therapy: the Art of the Relationship (3rd Edition). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group.
Schaefer, Charles E.. (2011). Foundations of Play Therapy (2th Edition). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Son, Inc.
van der Kolk, B.A., (2006) Clinical Implications of neuroscience research in PTSD. New York Academy of Sciences.
van der Kolk B.A. (2005). Developmental trauma disorder: Towards a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories. Psychiatric Annals, pp. 401-408.