Classmate 1: Chapter 17 Play Therapy   Choose four different play therapy techniques

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Classmate 1:

Chapter 17 Play Therapy

 

Choose four different play therapy techniques. Describe and discuss how those techniques might be used. Is there one technique that you like above the others?

Problem-Solving- Creating a problem then the counselor teaches the problem-solving tools for the child to create their own solutions. Creating a hypothetical realistic problem that the child may relate to which is targeting toward their goals will promote awareness of feelings and thought process to relate to the problem. When a problem occurs outside therapy then the child will remember that hypothetical problem then uses the tools they learned to take control and create solutions resulting in a healthier state of mind, feelings, and positive behaviors.

Cognitive Restructuring- techniques that will help the client become aware and change their faulty thinking. Once the client realizes that their faulty thinking is causing them to have negative feelings then they will take back their control and change the thought to produce more positive feelings which will result in healthier behaviors. This will lessen self-sabotaging behaviors.

Self-Monitoring- this technique is to help clients become aware, identify, and understand how negative thoughts and feelings trigger physical cues and behavioral responses. The client will start to see a pattern and take responsibility for themselves.

De-catastrophizing- to challenge that “fight or flight” thinking. For clients, when it is always worst-case scenario induced thoughts, it sends them in a panic self-sabotaging state. This technique will challenge those thoughts into a more realistic outlook. As clients become aware that they are “over-reacting” they will become more conscious of their feelings and thoughts leading to positive behaviors. They will start changing their cognitive distorting thoughts from “what if” scenarios that causes negative mental and emotional states to healthier ones.

I personally like the de-catastrophizing better than the others I chose because once that ultimate panic of “fight or flight” is diminished, it makes room for the client to think and feel without being in a heighten state all the time. Making room to learn, become aware, and taking responsibility for the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors will empower the client to fill that space with tools learned in therapy to apply outside that safe space.

Compare and contrast two different types of family play therapy. Include which has the greatest appeal to you and your reasons.

Storytelling- Counselor helps the child tell a story with the fundamentals of having a beginning, middle, and end. Counselor then retells the story with problem solving techniques which will change the end of the story with a positive resolution.

Puppets- Children put their feelings into stories through puppets where they are in charge to re enact it by taking charge to change the plot and outcome. This stimulates communication skills, self-esteem, and confidence that they can change their outcome.

Both have a story line where the child can express their feelings and take their power back and change those stories into healthier successful ones. My choice is the puppet play therapy because the puppet provides a barrier between the child and the story which helps the child feel safe and secure to be able to express themselves. Having a trustworthy environment where the child can express themselves is key to their success. After progress is made that barrier may be removed and the child will feel empowered to tell a story without a barrier then eventually into telling their own story.

Chapter 18 Group Counseling with Children

Explain the stages of group development.

Beginning- the participants get acquainted with each other and oriented about group therapy. The counselor allows the group to set rules and gets a perspective based on how the participants are reacting and what approach they are going to use based on that groups needs.

Transition- during this stage, the participants challenge each other and the counselor to see if the space they are in is trustworthy and a safe space.

Working- the participants start working together. I like to say they start connecting with each other and this is where feelings, behaviors, and goals are discussed.

Ending- participants summarize and evaluate their experience. Discussion on what and how participants put into play what they learned worked outside of the group.

Differentiate the group models such as group therapy, group counseling, group preventive processes and group crisis counseling.

Group Therapy is more of education where one re-learns a healthier perspective that what one was taught.

Group Counseling is an approach where the group is used to help each other and changing behaviors to desired ones.

Group Preventative Processes empower the clients in the group to use their strengths and competencies while teaching tools to prevent stressful and negative problems in their lives.

Group Crisis Counseling is to help the participants cope and grieve from the extenuating circumstances which fear, helplessness, and powerlessness drive their lives.

Choose and discuss five group leadership skills and five group leader personal characteristics.

Skills

 

Encouraging participation of group members- this helps encourage discussion within the group by asking simple questions like, “raise your hand if you can relate to what (name here) just shared” following by a pause to let them process. Followed by a question of, “who would like to share how they related to their story.”

Attending to, acknowledging, clarifying, summarizing, confronting, and responding empathically to group member statements is where the emotional validation is done. The participants often think something is wrong with them and that they should not feel a certain way because of beliefs or that it is someone else’s fault (not taking responsibility). This helps with knowing that we all are human and what they are feeling is valid and that they are responsible for those emotions, thoughts, that lead to undesired behaviors. What also happens is that the participants will make a statement that is incongruent with their story. Challenging that will trigger a thought in the client of “this does not make sense; it is not rationale” making them aware of their faulty thinking.

Providing appropriate self-disclosure motivates the participants to share. Sometimes it is the belief that the counselor is superior that everyone and appropriate self-disclosure can help ease those feelings that the counselor is human too and not perfect. Most of the time this encourages the participants to share as well.

Maintaining group focus; keeping a group on task is important because side talk may happen, trailing off into a different direction then what the goal is can distract members. Redirecting the group and shifting the energy helps keeping the group focused.

Giving and receiving group feedback is important because it is a way of checks and balances to enhance the experience for the better for both the participants and the counselor.

Personality Characteristics

 

Presence- being there for the clients allows them to open up by feeling heard and seen.

Openness—being vulnerable with the group allows them to connect to the counselor on a humanistic level.

Willingness to model- showing the desired behavior may help the client build confidence to be able to do it although it may cause some discomfort because it is new to them. Having it modeled can bring them back from feeling inadequate to empowered to do it.

Personal power is an extremely important characteristic because if one is not confident in who one is then if the client says something that triggers the counselor than the counselor will not be effective. Being aware of who one is allows us to be aware that the client is not a threat, and we are here to help.

Courage- replacing fear with courage to promote desired feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Fear has its own risks which has resulted in an unhealthy mental state which leads to a poor quality of life. Taking risks in courage optimizes the chances of living an enriched more satisfying life.