What are the different types of game therapies for children?
Play Therapy is a specialized treatment in which therapists follow, how children play and use what they observe to help them deal with emotional, mental or behavioral problems. There are several different types of game therapy for children, including children's therapy, family and group therapy. All three can be done with different levels of participation in the therapist. Session may include a number of activities that are usually selected on the basis of age and preferences of the child.
three main types
One of the most common types of game therapy for children is the therapy based on children in which the therapist and the child work alone. This is often used if there are concerns about parents or abuse in the family, but it can also be done to make the child feel more comfortable. It can be used to treat problems with behavior, anxiety, attention disorder (add) and attention disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), post -traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), autism and the effects of of abuse.
Another commonly used technique includes the participation of the father of the child, mother, siblings or other family members. This is called family therapy or nepherapy and is often used when children experience serious separation anxiety or if certain types of abuse are possible. The therapist does not always have to be directly involved in sitting sons' therapy, but almost always follows them and then discusses positive and negative points with their parents. This can be as useful for parents as for children, as they can learn parental skills and improve their relationship with the child. Classical sons' therapy focuses on four main areas of-structural, empathetic listening, an imaginary game focused on children and the determination of restrictions-but each session is usually adapted to the specific needs of the family.
Another type of game therapy for children is grotherapy based on UP. During these sessions, a large group of children plays together while the therapist follows and sometimesparticipate in. The purpose of this is to help build better social skills and self -esteem. It can also help therapists treat individual children by letting them observe them as the child interact with others. Sometimes it is used when the child feels too intimidated to work with the therapist himself, but can also be used as advantage or comfort.
Directive and Ne-Directive
Most types of game therapy for children can be performed either in a directive or in a non -delay manner. The main difference between them is the level of involvement of the therapist. Both start with a therapist who proposes a general topic or activity, but in the therapy of the Directive the therapist often poses on questions of the child throughout the meeting, encourages him to talk more about certain topics or participate in activities with the child. In non -sitting therapy, the therapy generally only monitors the child and then interprets the results of activity such as a drawing.
Generally speaking, directive therapy is considered to be cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), focusThe behavior and conscious deeds, while non -sitting therapy is often categorized as a psychodynamic theory. This means that it focuses on unconscious actions and beliefs. Both can be used to treat different conditions, but directive therapy is often used in trauma victims, while non -sitting therapy can be used to help with behavior problems. However, there is no hard and fast rule, and both therapies have proved to be effective with many problems.
Materials and activities
Many different materials and activities can be incorporated into the game therapy, some verbal and others more practical. One of the most classic activities is Sandplay. During Sandplay sessions, the child is encouraged to play with small objects or toys in the sand tray and the therapy observes the way he plays, including the objects he uses and what he does with them. After watching, the therapist could ask the child to talk about why he decided to do certain things like drawing the boundary between oneby the toy and all others. Other therapists could only observe it and then draw the conclusions of his state of mind.
Therapists also normally encourage children to use puppets or toys that are represented to speak, because it is often easier for them to face unpleasant topics if they can distance themselves. Another technique that could be used to help anxious child is to blow bubbles. In this activity, the therapist and the child blow the bubbles together and the child learns deep and slowly breath - as if he was blowing a large bubble - when he feels anxious. There is no definitive list of activities from which therapists can choose, and some suggest their own techniques. All activities are generally adapted to suit THD networks in the session.