HEALING THROUGH PLAY:

HOW DOES PLAY THERAPY WORK?

[BASIC PLAY THERAPY TRAINING]

9 January 2022
9.00AM- 4.00PM
Prepared by:
Pn. Nur Shakila Ibharim
Lecturer/ Registered Counsellor
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
ACTIVITY 1
Ice Breaking
Do YOU still remember your
play experience during your
childhood?
● Draw your childhood experience
(15 minutes)
Let’s get to know each other!
(20 minutes)
 THE OBJECTIVE OF
THE TRAINING:

● To provide participants with training in the basic

skills and underpinning theoretical frameworks
relating to delivery of therapeutic interventions
through the medium of play with children and
their families.
THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

● Children
● Play Therapy (CCPT)
● Toys
● Play Therapy Room
● Personal Qualities of Play Therapist
● Logistic Aspects
● Skills In Play Therapy
● Themes & Metaphors
● Parent Consultation
CHILDREN
 “To every child – I dream of a
world where you can laugh,
dance, sing, learn, live in peace
and be happy”
—Malala Yousafzai
Who is a child?
Kindly go to:
https://www.menti.com/a5rk92omcs
OR
Insert the Code: 6638 9049
Child Definition:

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the

Child (UNCRC)
● A child means every human being below the age of
eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the
child, majority is attained earlier.

The Child Act 2001 [Act 611]

● A “child” as a person under the age of eighteen
years.
……..
● A young person especially between infancy and
puberty.
 10 BASIC TENETS ABOUT CHILDREN
(Garry Landreth, 2002)
● …are not miniature adults…think
and act differently from adults. ● …are capable of positive self-direction.
● …are people…capable of intense ● …‘s natural language is play…safest
emotions & complicated thoughts. and most comfortable way to express
● …are unique and worthy of themselves.
respect…possesses an individual ● …have a right to remain silent…
personality and will. operate most expressively in a
● …are resilient…able to persevere nonverbal world.
beyond adult understanding. ● …will take the therapeutic experience
to where they need to be…no need for
● …have an inherent tendency the counselor to direct the experience.
toward growth and maturity.
● …‘s growth cannot be speed up…
cannot be directed by an adult.
Child Limitations:
1) Vocabulary
2) Cognitive
Reflection
 PLAY
THERAPY
(CCPT)
 Therapy for children:
play therapy
● Play therapy is to children what counseling is to adults.
● Play therapy utilizes play, children's natural medium of
expression, to help them express their feelings more easily
through toys instead of words.
● The systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an
interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use
the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or
resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth
and development.
Theoretical Approaches to Play
Therapy

• Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

• Adlerian Play Therapy
• Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy
• Eco-systemic Play Therapy
• Gestalt Play Therapy
• Jungian Analytical Play Therapy
• Psychodynamic Play Therapy Theraplay
• Prescriptive Play Therapy
Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

 Garry Landreth
 Internationally known for his
writings and work in promoting the
development of child-centered
play therapy
 Center for Play Therapy in 1987-
University of North Texas
 Dr. Landreth served as Director of
the Center for Play Therapy until
2003
 Non-directive approach
“Toys are children's words
and
play is their language”
—Garry Landreth
 What do you see from
Ali, why do you like to hit this picture?
your friends?

In the play therapy room…

Counsellor
 Individual

Play Therapy (CCPT)

can be conducted…
Group
(Not more than 3)
TOYS
Toys in Play Therapy
 Toys provide children with symbols for
expression and communication. ● A wide variety is great where
 As such, toys for use in play therapy possible.
should be carefully, intentionally ● Competitive games, battery
selected, not merely collected. operated toys, and toys that
 Toys should be durable and require adult assistance
communicate "go for it" rather than "be should be avoided.
careful."
Criteria for selecting toys:
● Does it facilitate a wide range of emotional expression?
● Does it facilitate a wide range of creative expression?
● Does it engage children's interests?
● Does it facilitate expressive and exploratory play?
● Does it allow exploration and expression with or without
verbalization?
● Does it foster mastery without a prescribed structure?
Choose and Click Activity
(5 minutes)
Choose any photos of toys given in the
Google Form that you think are
appropriate for Play Therapy
Go to: https://forms.gle/Run431LVfw4LgaNK9

(5 minutes)
 Categories of Toys:

Creativity Imaginative/Fantasy

Real-life/
Nurturing

Aggressive Scary
Categories of Toys (Real-Life/ Nurturing):
1. Real-Life / Nurturing: These toys facilitate exploration of family and community
roles, as well as clinical work related to relationships and themes of nurturing
and control.
Samples:
Doll house / family
Baby doll, clothes, bottle, diapers
Animal families
Soft blanket
Medical kit
People puppets
Play kitchen, dishes, pots, play food
Phones, cash-register and money
 Categories of Toys (Scary):
2. Scary: These toys allow children to express, explore and
resolve fears and explore themes of power, powerlessness,
and fear.
Samples:
Snakes
Rats
Monsters
Fierce dinosaurs
Dragons
Scary animal puppets
Categories of Toys (Aggressive):

3. Aggressive: These toys facilitate children's expression

and resolution of anger and aggression, as well as
clinical work related to trauma and themes of power,
control, and fear.
Samples:
Weapons – knives, guns, swords
Military figures
Handcuffs
Bop-bag
 Categories of Toys (Pretend/ Fantasy):
4. Pretend / Fantasy: These toys allow
children to explore and express a range
of emotions, explore roles, replay or
imagine situations, and experiment with
alternative behaviors and outcomes.
Useful with a wide range of themes.
Samples:
Dress up clothes & accessories
Magic wand
Doctor kit
Sand tray & figures
 Categories of Toys (Creative/ Expressive):
5. Creative / Expressive: These toys facilitate expression of a wide
range of feelings, help develop a sense of mastery, and involve
practice with problem solving, frustration tolerance and creativity.
Useful with a wide range of themes.
Samples:
Paints, crayons, markers
Glue / tape
Play-doh, clay, blocks
Finger paints, shaving cream
Scissors,
Paper (multiple colors)
Musical instruments
Pipe cleaners, egg cartons
PLAY THERAPY ROOM
PLAY THERAPY ROOM

What thoughts do you

have based on the
examples of the
playroom pictures???
 PERSONAL
QUALITIES OF
PLAY THERAPIST
Personal Qualities of a Play Therapist (1)
1. Like children and treat them with kindness
and respect.
2. Have a sense of humor and be willing to
laugh at himself or herself.
3. Be playful and fun-loving.
4. Be self-confident and not dependent on
the positive regard of others for a sense of
self-worth
5. Be open and honest
6. Be flexible and able to deal with a certain
level of ambiguity.
Personal Qualities of a Play Therapist (2)
7. Be accepting of other’s perceptions of
reality without feeling threatened or
judgmental
8. Be willing to use play and metaphors to
communicate.
9. Be comfortable with children and have
experience interacting with them.
10. Be able to firmly and kindly set limits and
maintain personal boundaries.
11. Be self-aware and open to taking
interpersonal risks and exploring his or
her own personal issues.
Logistics aspects of Play therapy

1. Set up a space for therapy

2. Choosing & arranging toys
3. Explaining the Play Therapy process – Parents & Children
4. Handling the initial session
5. Ending each session
6. Assessing patterns in children behavior in the playroom
7. Writing session Reports
8. Terminating PT
1. Set up a space for therapy
● - ‘ideal’ playroom? 12- 15 feet/ 100 -150 sqf
● What most important if you do not have space??
2. Choosing & arranging toys

 Toys/play materials should:-

- Facilitate wide range of emotional & creative expression by children
- Engage the interest of children in some way
- Encourage verbal & nonverbal investigation& expression by children
- Provide mastery experiences - children feeling success without
having to follow certain rules about how to use them
- Be sturdy & safe for children to use in play
 Arranging? Floor? Table?
3. Explaining the PT process – Parents &
Children

T O P AR E N T S … .

 What is PT?
 How long? TO CHILDREN ….
 What children should wear?
 Reports about the session
 Confidentiality ● Confidentiality
 Explanation handout & introductory ● Explanation play
book session
 Therapeutic goals
 Roles & responsibilities
 Insurance, health care, payment
 Other importance information
 Professional disclosure statement
 4. Handling the initial session

● To establish relationship
● Complete Paperwork
● ???
 5. Ending each session
● 2 procedure to end the session – Adlerian (10 minutes) & CCPT (5 minutes)
● Handling the children who do not wish to leave the room?
6. Assessing patterns in children behavior in
the playroom

● Observe : behavior, attitudes, verbalization

● Behavior – therapist vs parents
in the playroom vs parents
descriptions
● Suggest FILIAL, FAMILY THERAPY, PARENT
TRAINING
● Exaggerate???
 7. Writing session Reports

● Legal Documentation
● References for therapist
● ??
 8. Terminating PT
● When?
● Who?
● How?
● Child reaction?
 SKILLS IN
PLAY THERAPY
SKILLS IN PLAY THERAPY
1. Tracking / Penjejakan
2. Restating Contents / Penyataan Semula
3. Reflecting Feeling / Refleksi Perasaan
4. Returning responsibility / Memulangkan
5. Setting Limits / Menetapkan Had
 Tracking / Penjejakan
● To let children know that you pay attention to them, what they are
doing, what they are communicate to the therapist
- What the client doing?
- What the objects are doing?
● Indirect (objects) vs direct (child) communication with therapist
● Defensive?
 Restating content / Penyataan Semula
 How?
 Ajuk?
 Listener…relax, comfortable
 3 different ways children talk in session:
1. Directly

2. About the play media

3. Through the play media

 Reflecting feeling / Refleksi Perasaan

 Making guesses or statement what the therapist think

 Direct or indirect
 3 ways to reflect:
1. Feelings expressed nonverbally (body language. Facial expression. Tone of voice)

2. Feeling expressed in the general affective tone of the play

3. Feeling expressed in an implicit way in the child’s comments (toys/the child)

 Returning Responsibility / Memulangkan
Tanggungjawab
 When? – ask for help with  When not to return
behavior decision : explicitly, responsibility??
implies = can you tie my
shoes? I can’t tie my shoes. 1. Therapist believes…the child is not
 How to return responsibility capable

2. ……the behavior appropriate for that

1. Direct
child
2. Indirect – using child metaphors, 3. The child history…
using minimal encouragers,
whisper techniques. 4. The child need special nurturing for a
limited period of time.
 Setting limits/ Menetapkan Had

 Why?
 What to limit?
 When to limit?
Landreth’s method A-C-T
● Acknowledge the child’s feelings.
● Communicate the limit
● Target an alternative behavior.
Example:-
A: “You seem….”
C: “I am not….”
T: “Tina, you can choose…”
Sssss….Sss
sss…SSSsss
ss
 THEMES &
METHAPHOR
THEMES in play therapy
● Repetitive (Pengulangan)
● Intensity (Keamatan)
● Context (Konteks)
METAPHORS
● …are symbolic, not direct, so the meaning of the metaphors may be hidden
inside of the story or the play.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASE
 PARENT
CONSULTATION
Parent consultation is
referred as a collaborative
problem solving, allowing
for specific intervention
strategies directly tailored to
the caregivers' needs
● Stage 1
● Stage 2
● Stage 3
● Stage 4
 Stage 1
Initial parent contact by phone
● Occur before the therapist start to meet with a child client.
● Share with parent the basic structure of play therapy.
● Briefly explain the rationale use play versus talk therapy.
● Short explanation about theoretical approach.
● Support and provide a comfortable thoughts and feelings.
 Stage 2: Intake session
● A face to face appointment with the caregivers.
● The primary goals :
- to continue to establish rapport
- gain a clearer understanding
- to further educate the caregivers about the play therapy and parent consultation
processes.
● Without the child present will allow caregivers to openly express their concerns.
● To build a strong caregiver and therapist alliance.
● The meeting will be arranged after therapist have meet the child clients.
 Stage 3
Ongoing parent consultation

● The main purposes :

1. to continue develop and maintain a strong
therapeutic relationship
2. trusting rapport with the caregivers.
● May elicit information about which of the child's
behaviors are changing and which of them are staying
the same.
● Continually monitor the goals of therapy are being met.
● Clarify understanding of the child's behaviors.
● Use phone conversation or face-to face meeting.
 STAGE 4 Termination
● The termination occurs when the caregiver and therapist agree that the goals of
therapy have been met,
● Therapist has observed that the child's attitudes, self-expression, and behaviors have
changed.
● Relationship and termination process should be done in a proper way.
● Discuss with the children and caregivers several sessions to make the transition as
smooth as possible.
● Welcome caregivers to come back if there is any concern that arises after termination.
 EVALUATION
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THANK YOU!
[email protected]