Fifteen Effective Play Therapy Techniques

Fifteen Effective Play Therapy Techniques

School Age Art and Play Directives

By Linda Chapman, ATR_BS, RPT-S

 

Complete a Picture (work in pairs, have one start and another finish)

Draw a scene about something or someone you hate or are jealous of

Draw a scene of the last time you cried

Me Mobile (coat hanger with collage from magazine pictures of things that represent who

you are)

Take a Trip (draw 5 or 6 things that you would want to take to Jupiter)

Draw favorite childhood toy

Draw scene of earliest memory

Draw a scene from fairy tale or story that you have much in common with

Draw scene of self as baby, now and in the future

Draw scene of having three wishes

Draw self as animal

Draw animal you would most like to be

Draw what a Saturday night at home is like

Create a personal collage (this is great with a junior higher, bring in a big poster board

and lots of magazines or have them cut things out at home and bring them in. They can work creatively while the kinesthetic movements allow them to open up and talk to you about their day, their week, their life, or why the pictures on the page are important to them and their sense of self)

Incorporate a word into a picture

Draw self doing favorite thing

With Clay, create a creature

With clay, sculpt something that is a symbol of self and one thing that symbolizes every member of family

 

Where Do You Feel It?

by Angelique Bagley, LMFT

 

Purpose: Learn to identify different emotions and the connection to how they are physically felt in one’s body.

Modality: Individual, Group, or Family

Age Range: 5 – Adult

Materials:

1) rough outline of a body on a sheet of regular paper, or person can outline themselves

on a sheet of butcher paper

2) round stickers found at an office supply store

Description: Clients often describe that they “suddenly” feel angry, fearful, or sad. Often, there are early warning signals from the body before the client has the thought “I am angry.” This exercise is designed to help them identify early signals from their body so that they may make good use of coping skills to calm down.

Have the client think about a time when they were mad. Give them examples of where they might feel it in their body (i.e. fists clenched, jaw clenched, muscles tense, etc). Ask them to place the round stickers (small ones for a small sheet of paper, large ones if it is a life-size drawing) on the parts of their body that they feel mad in. Discussion can center on paying attention to the early warning signs and identifying positive coping skills to help diffuse the feelings before they have erupted.

An adaptation of this exercise is to use different color stickers for different feelings. The client may have sweaty palms when they are angry, but get a stomachache when they are afraid. The client assigns a feeling to a color

(red = anger, yellow = nervous, purple = fear). In addition, this exercise may be used to explore feelings related to a specific traumatic event. (i.e. witnessing domestic violence). Discussion can center on having multiple feelings about an event and the places you may feel the feelings. This may also lead to an age-appropriate discussion about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms that they might be dealing with as well.

Angelique Bagley is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice and MFT supervisor for Teen and Family Counseling Center in San Jose, California with over 15 years experience working with children and families. Angelique specializes in working with children with multiple traumas using play therapy to help heal their wounds. She enjoys introducing people to the joys of working with children in therapy through her supervision with interns and in trainings to licensed professional, interns, and trainees. She is a past president of CALAPT and a current Member-At-Large for the CALAPT Board of Directors.

 

Squiggles Your Feeling Group

by Tracy Schroeder, MSW, LCSW

 

 

Purpose: Social skills development; emotional expression; increasing insight

 

Modality: Group

 

Age Range: 10 years – Adolescents

 

Materials: Crayons, markers, paper

 

Background: I worked with adolescents in a locked psychiatric unit. They had a hard time trusting others and sharing about themselves. I use to do the squiggle game with my sister when I was young; never knowing it was used as a therapy technique with children. Donald Winnicott called the therapy technique “The Squiggle Game”.

 

Description: Give each person a piece of paper and a pencil. Have them draw a squiggle and then pass the paper to their right. Each person is asked to make a drawing to depict their feelings or what ever comes to their mind using the squiggle they received.

 

After they are finished, each participant shares their completed drawing with the group. If a client is resistant to share, another client in the group is asked to explain how that person’s picture makes them feel.

 

The therapist can gain great insight on how the group members work together and on the client’s individual problems and issues.

 

About the Author: Tracy Schroeder is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who currently serves as a Social Service Supervisor on a psychiatric unit. In addition, she has experience working as a therapist with children and adolescents. Tracy is serving as a Member-at-Large for the California Association for Play Therapy.

 

Newspaper Punch and Basket Toss

by Jennifer Wentz, LMFT

 

Population: Ages preschool through elementary school; specifically children who are depressed, unmotivated, withdrawn, or display low self esteem.

 

Materials needed: Newspaper

 

Directions: The therapist takes a single sheet of newspaper and stretches it tautly in front of the child. The child then punches through the sheet when given a signal. (The signal can be something fun like “bananas” and the therapist can go through several fruit or food items before saying the signal word). The therapist must hold the newspaper firmly so that it makes a pop when the child punches it. This can be done multiple times with other sheets of newspaper, varying the hand the child uses, or the signal word. Once this has been done several times, the therapist and the child can crush the torn newspaper into balls. The child then tosses the newspaper balls into the “basket” that the therapist makes with her arms.

 

Purpose: This is a Theraplay activity that promotes the challenge dimension in a session. By creating a game where the child can be successful, the therapist helps to increase the self esteem of the child and help him or her feel more competent and confident. In addition, structure and limit setting is created when the child has to wait for a signal to proceed with the activity. This gives the child a sense of safety and releases him or her from the need to maintain control. This activity also promotes interaction and engagement with the therapist as well as playfulness.

 

About the Author:  Jennifer Wentz is a licensed MFT who has worked doing play therapy with children and substance abuse treatment with adolescents and adults. She currently provides case management for families with developmentally disabled children at the Regional Center of the East Bay. Jennifer has been active in the San Francisco Chapter of the California Association for Play Therapy and currently serves at the state level as the Assistant Treasurer.

Musical Chairs & Play Therapy

by Ryan Froelich, MSW

 

Remember the days of laughing and running around in circles to the sounds of your favorite musical tunes, and playing musical chairs at birthday parties. In this natural setting, children are allowed to express themselves freely and often times display behaviors and attitudes without inhibition. But do you remember the isolation and the way you felt when you lost and were separated from the group? This situation provides a genuine opportunity for a therapist to intervene and reinforce proactive positivism in children who display reactive negativism internally and externally. According to Landreth, Homeyer, Glover, and Sweeney (1996), group play therapy has been correlated with children’s positive changes including externalizing behaviors such as aggression, impulsivity, and self-control. Additionally it has been correlated with internalizing behaviors such as depression, anxiety, somatization, increasing self-esteem, self-concept, and self-confidence. By using musical chairs as a model for play therapy, the therapist can intervene and help children sublimate their feelings by encouraging the child to be in control and express how they really feel about their environment. Musical chairs as a therapeutic tool of play therapy, has potential to help children to develop appropriate social skills, attitudes and behaviors.

 

Before the game of musical chairs begins, the therapist must create a mindful awareness of goals and expectations in order for the children to be successful. Materials needed for this musical chair intervention are a music player, certificates of completion, and chairs. Place a number of chairs in a circle with their backs to each other. The number should be one less than the number of children in the game. Ask the children to stand in a circle around the chairs before the music begins. Once the music starts, they should move in a line around the chairs. Next, stop the music. All children must try to take the seat closest to them. The child left without a chair is eliminated and one chair is removed from the circle after the remaining children stand up. The therapist shall recognize how the child without a chair behaves based on verbal and non-verbal cues. The therapist shall explore with the child his or her reactions of being eliminated from the game. Through this exploration, the therapist can observe the feelings or reactions

that may imply abnormalities in the child’s cognitive understanding of how to deal with their emotions.  This is a perfect point for the therapist to show acceptance and empathy for the child in order to reinforce positive valueand self-worth. The therapist must reflect upon the expressions of this child’s feelings to support the child’s developmental growth. By doing this, the therapist reframes the response of the child and puts new perspective on the emotional meaning of a situation to assist in problem solving. The therapist will then continue with the game and play the music and stop it in the same manner, eliminating one player and one chair at a time. Each time a child is eliminated, the therapist can support the child in a positive manner. At the end of the game, the therapist will award each child a certificate for participating in the game and being proactive in recognizing their feelings and behaviors.

 

Reference: Landreth, G.L., Homeyer, L.E., Glover, G., & Sweeney, D.S. (1996). Play therapy interventions with children’s problems. Northvale, NJ: Aronson.

 

About the Author:  Ryan Froelich is an Associate Clinical Social Worker and holds a Personal Pupil Service Credential. Ryan has been working with at-risk youth, adults, and families since 2003. He has worked in various settings including schools, hospitals, jails, residential treatment centers, and private homes in the Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino County regions of Southern California. Ryan is currently working on the Community Crisis Response Team for San Bernardino County assessing children and adults who are experiencing a mental health related emergency. Additionally, he works for Mountain View School District as a Guidance Counselor. He received his Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies at Fullerton College, Bachelors of Psychology from California State University, of Fullerton, and his Masters of Social Work from University of Southern California.

 

Group Flag

by Kate Rome, LMFT, PPS

 

Population: Groups, ages elementary school through adult, families, step-families, couples

 

Materials Needed: White poster board, markers, art materials

 

Directions:  At a session early in therapy, the therapist asks the people in the group or family to gather around the white poster board. The participants are directed to come up with both a group name and images that represent what is positive about the group, and with these ideas, they are asked to create a group flag. They work on this for as long as the therapist deems necessary/practical.  Once finished, each of the group members shares his or her experience in the flag-making process.

The flag is then kept by the therapist and, if appropriate, brought out and displayed during every group meeting.

 

Purpose: The purpose of this intervention is two-fold. First, the group works together to create a tangible representation of itself and gives itself a name and an identity. This idea fosters cohesion, identity and pride for the group members. It gives the group a chance to get to know each other through a directed project and to have a finished product that can be brought out and referred to throughout the group process. Creating a positive identity can be especially beneficial for families that are struggling or step-families that are trying to blend. Secondly, the therapist may gain important information about the group dynamics, strengths and difficulties by watching how they manage this task. It also gives the therapist a tool to refer to and bounce off of in the group work to follow.

 

About the Author: Kate Rome is a licensed MFT and credentialed school counselor (PPS) who has worked extensively with children and families in a variety of settings. Kate is currently employed as Adjunct Faculty at John F. Kennedy University, teaching graduate courses in play therapy and child abuse reporting. Kate has been actively involved with the California Association for Play Therapy since 2003 and has served both locally and on the Executive Board of Directors.

 

Family Clay Play

by Kate Rome, LMFT

 

Purpose: Improve & strengthen family communication patterns

Modality: Family

Age Range: 4 years – Adults

Materials: Model Magic™, clay, Play-Doh®, or other clay-type material

Description: By the time families arrive at therapy, they often have difficulty connecting and communicating. The intervention, “Family Clay Play”, has proven to be an excellent technique to facilitate dialogue and understanding.

The intervention begins with family members selecting whatever colors of clay they would like. Model Magic is a versatile and appealing medium to use, but any clay material will work.

Once the clay has been selected, the family is given different directives including such things as make a gift for other family members of something you think the person needs, create a symbol for the family, or make a representation of a worry they have about the family.

When family members are finished, each member is given the opportunity to share their creation and receive feedback from others in the family.

The playfulness of the clay, as well as the experience of working with the material, often lowers defenses and opens up channels of communication that had previously been stuck.

About the Author

Kate Rome is a licensed MFT and credentialed school counselor (PPS) who has worked extensively with children and families in a variety of settings. Kate is currently employed as Adjunct Faculty at John F. Kennedy University, teaching graduate courses in play therapy and child abuse reporting. Kate has been actively involved with CALAPT since 2003 and has served both locally and on the Executive Board of Directors.

Smelly Collage [Play Therapy Intervention]

Based on an Intervention by: Lucille Prouix, MA

Presented by: Eva Miller, MSW

Materials

* Self adhesive shelf paper – 2 pieces cut in 18″ lengths

* Colorful tissue paper and/or other colorful paper cut into small pieces of various sizes and shapes

* Spices such as cinnamon, coriander, paprika, dill, etc. – choose 3 or 4 spices that are different colors. Be sure to choose some which are fragrant but don’t choose something that would be very unpleasant if tasted such as very hot chili’s

* Glue stick

* Masking tape

Treatment Modality: Individual with Family Member Present

Goals

* Increase client’s self expression

* Provide opportunity for bonding

* Observe parent/child interaction

Description

This is a non-directive play therapy activity. Encourage the parent to participate with the child but to let the child take the lead on making the artwork and selecting materials.

The therapist should take the backing off a sheet of the shelf paper and place it on the table sticky side up, then tape down the corners with masking tape to hold it in place. The client and his parent/caregiver should be seated side by side at the table. Give them the pre-cut tissue paper pieces and encourage them to decorate the sticky paper with the paper. Also provide a glue stick because often children will want to put layers of paper on their collage. After a few minutes give them the spices and encourage them to use those as part of their artwork. If time allows, you can provide a second sheet of shelf paper for a second project.

Discussion

This art dyad project encourages the parent and child to work together with a medium which has no rules or right or wrong. It can be very useful with parents who have difficulty being non-directive. The different textures and colors add interest to the activity. Using spices with strong smells and encouraging the participants to sniff them adds to the interaction and smells like cinnamon may trigger conversation about memories of things they have baked or foods they like. When the art project is complete the therapist can have a brief discussion with the parent and client about what they liked about the activity and get the parent’s insights about what they noticed about their interaction with their child. The Therapist may also provide some insights about strengths and challenges in the process.

This activity can also be used in a group, which includes multiple clients each with a parent or caregiver.

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About the Author: Eva Miller, MSW, works for a non-profit community mental health agency in San Bernardino County. She runs a program for children aged 0-5 who are experiencing significant behavioral and/or development issues. The program uses a multidisciplinary team to assess and treat these children and treats them with relationship focused play and art therapy. Eva is currently a Member at Large on the CALAPT Board of Directors.