Behavioral Health Articles
Play Therapy, Part II
by Semra Kecelioglu, LCSW
In last month’s article we looked at the importance of play as the main and natural way children communicate. Some of the reasons for this were explored, such as the level of brain development preventing full use of words; the opportunity to control the environment through manipulating toys or using art media; and the ability to effectively show and work through one’s feelings by acting them out in play.
Knowing this, a play therapist will foster a relationship with the child in which self-expression through play is permitted. Without the pressure to talk, the child can feel accepted for who he is and not for whom he is expected to be. He can be understood from his perspective, on his own ground. The experience of being genuinely accepted and understood are the hallmarks of any client/therapist relationship if therapy is going to be helpful, especially between an adult therapist and child client. It is important for the therapist to establish a warm, friendly rapport with the child. By the same token the play therapist is not a “buddy”, substitute parent, baby-sitter, or rule-enforcer. The therapist does not solve problems for the child or try to shape and change the child’s actions according to the parents’, school’s, or any other agent’s requirements. A play therapist creates an environment and interacts with the child in a way which allows the child to discover what is necessary for herself and be creative in finding her own solutions and making her own decisions. The therapist does not interfere but remains actively involved, respecting the child’s ability to progress naturally toward health and maintaining interest in what the child presents.
To give a child room to self-explore and learn means having to be exquisitely patient. For the child to discover he is responsible for himself and to develop inner self-control, the therapist avoids temptations to steer and guide the content, the pace and the direction of the therapy. At the same time, the therapist ensures that the therapy setting and time provide safety, confidentiality, and consistency for the child. The therapist is someone responsive to requests initiated by the child to be involved in the play and takes cues from the child as to how to be involved, thereby giving the child an additional opportunity to steer the therapy.
In such a setting and time--that are set aside just for her--a child can develop the courage to risk self-exploration. She may test the therapist’s limits in the process. She can experiment with the play therapy materials to develop self-confidence, self-understanding and self-control. She may eventually take a chance on addressing overwhelming conflicts and feelings because she has come to trust the adult in the room to be predictably able to accept her as she is, without conditions (other than those involving safety). The successful, non-directive play therapist lets the child lead the way and does not hurry him. According to Virginia Axline, one of the founders of play therapy, the therapist remains alert to recognize the feelings a child is expressing and strives to reflect those feelings verbally in a way that makes it easier for the child to grasp insight into his behavior. Interpreting for the child is avoided and, when necessary, it is carefully worded as well as carefully timed.
The toys and materials used in play therapy are important vehicles for communication, growth and healing. The quality of the relationship between the therapist and child is central in determining the depth and extent of communication, growth, and healing.
Semra Kecelioglu, LCSW, is a clinical social worker for Franziska Racker Centers at the McEvoy Center, OCM-BOCES in Cortland. She also has a private practice at Copeland Ave. Associates in Homer.