Play Therapy Strategies- Understanding and Implementing Techniques in Child Social Work

Play Therapy Strategies- Understanding and Implementing Techniques in Child Social Work

Key Aspects of the Case

According to O’Connor et al. (2015), play therapy is a form of child therapy used for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. This kind of therapy is used because children may be unable to articulate their problems or process their own emotions to adults or to their parents. A therapist can observe a child during play time and gain insight into the problems the child is facing. The therapist is then able to help the child in exploring the emotions that it feels as well as help the child deal with unresolved trauma. Through play, a child can learn new mechanisms of coping and ways of redirecting behavior that is inappropriate.

The patient is a six-year-old female of Puerto Rican origin. She was recommended to the therapist by her pediatrician after the latter noted that the patient was lethargic, depressed, and disinterested in typical activities. During the first couple of weeks, Elle, the patient, would play with a sand castle, and in one of the rooms, there was a small child. She also had a man on white horseback that circled the child. She did not say how the soldier helped the girl in the castle. Elle said that the girl in the castle was not safe. She also pointed out that the only person who could rescue the girl in the castle was a woman riding on a brown horse.

Direct And Indirect Play Therapy Strategies Employed

The main difference between direct and indirect play is that in the former, the therapist takes a lead role in introducing the goal of the therapy and working towards it. In the latter, the child takes the lead in the therapy, and the therapist follows cues and observations to path the way for the therapy (Kottman & Meany-Walen, 2018).

Non-directive play therapy is also referred to as client-centered therapy, where the child is allowed to direct the play. The therapist then utilizes reflective listening and encourages the child to express their feelings while observing the behaviors. Non-directive play therapy builds trust and shows unconditional acceptance (Ashby et al., 2017). In this case scenario, the therapist allowed Elle to play with the castle and watched her circle a man riding on a horse around a room where a little girl was locked. The therapist observed as Elle played and then asked her if the man would help the child. The therapist did ask Elle for the man to rescue the child but instead watched for several days until she finally asked the question on the possibility of a rescue. The therapist also watched as Elle brought a female horse rider to come and rescue the girl. This was how Elle chose to communicate that it was possible for the girl to be rescued.

In directive play therapy, the role played by the therapist is bigger, and the child is encouraged to engage in specific activities. A goal and a topic are identified in direct therapy (Jayne & Ray, 2015). In this case scenario, the therapist wanted to know whether the child in the castle was safe and, therefore, asked a direct question to bring Elle to discuss the child. The therapist, in pursuing this line of inquiry and in wanting to know the status of the child, asked Elle to explain how the child in the castle could be rescued. Elle was hesitant, and after several starts and stops, she seemed to have a solution. This hesitation could mean that the child was still unsafe, and Elle thought there were different ways of rescuing her, but none seemed effective until she came up with the final solution of the female riding on a brown horse. The therapist also wanted to know if Elle had shared her troubles with anyone and, therefore, asked what the child told the woman riding the horse. Elle responded that whatever the child said was a secret that could not be revealed. This shows that Elle had confided in someone else about their trouble, or the man who was the cause of her trouble had told her that the ordeal was a secret that could not be shared with anyone, including the woman on the horse.

Why I would be comfortable providing play therapy considering both direct and indirect approaches.

Play therapy is equivalent to talk therapy for adults. Play is important for the development of a child and is a natural part of childhood. I would use play therapy to help a child express anything that is troubling them when the child is unable to express the trouble in words or emotions. The playroom is a comfortable setting, and this allows the child to be comfortable and not feel like they are in a clinical setting. The toys are like the words that the child would want to speak, while the play is the language that the child uses in communicating their thoughts and feelings. During indirect play therapy, it will become possible for me to build a relationship of trust with the child, which is very important. When a child feels that it can trust me, it will be able to open up to the feelings and thoughts it is experiencing, knowing that I am a safe person to confide in and that I am a person who can help them resolve their trouble.

Once I zero in on the problem that the child is experiencing, I can then continue using play therapy, this time direct play therapy, to help the child learn how to cope with the problem and resolve the emotions it is experiencing. I will use the toys I have observed the child play with to craft a solution to help the child resolve its inner conflict. Through play therapy, the child will learn communication skills, problem-solving, express their feelings, self-respect, and self-control, as well as modify any problematic behaviors.

References

Ashby, J. S., Wood, L., & Kiperman, S. (2017). Ethics in play therapy consultation and supervision. In Emerging Research in Play Therapy, Child Counseling, and Consultation (pp. 214-231). IGI Global.

Jayne, K. M., & Ray, D. C. (2015). Therapist‐provided conditions in child‐centered play therapy. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 54(2), 86-103.

Kottman, T., & Meany-Walen, K. K. (2018). Doing play therapy: From building the relationship to facilitating change. Guilford Publications.

O’Connor, K. J., Schaefer, C. E., & Braverman, L. D. (2015). Handbook of play therapy. John Wiley & Sons.

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Social Work Class APA 7 format
Social workers are trained to “start where the client is.” You are responsible for using language and interventions that respect your client’s developmental and emotional level. But what if your client is a child? How can you start from the child’s point of reference?

Play Therapy Strategies- Understanding and Implementing Techniques in Child Social Work

In this Assignment, you identify the play therapy strategies evident in the case of Elle (found in your Learning Resources). You also engage in self-reflection and discuss your comfort level by providing play therapy.

Review the “Case of Elle” from this week’s Learning Resources.

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following:

Briefly summarize the key aspects of the case.
Identify the direct and indirect play therapy strategies employed and explain their differences.
Discuss why you would or would not be comfortable providing play therapy—consider both direct and indirect approaches.