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Archive for History of Play Therapy

July Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· August 2, 2016 
· No Comments

I think Michael Altshuler said it best, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

girl with plane

 

Another month has come and gone and we have much to recap!

Another big ‘Thank You Very Much’ to Brandon R. Menikheim and Clair Mellenthin for their wonderful blog submissions! If you haven’t seen them yet, don’t miss out! Go check them out on the Blog page!

Jillian Roberts, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Victoria, shares her new book and some helpful tips for parents to use when talking to children about difficult topics, i.e. death of family member or violence in the news. Roberts says when she was writing her book she… “thought about all the different children [she] had seen in [her] career who had dealt with the loss of a parent or a sibling or a friend or a pet, even, and thought about the things that [she] said and the questions they asked and what was most helpful.”

Samantha Finch talks about some of the early childhood intervention options for autistic children for parents to look into. “Early intervention programs assist families with children under three years old who have developmental delays or disabilities such as autism. Early intervention starts with an evaluation, which is followed by therapeutic and support services for the autistic child and his/her family.”

Heidi Gazelle, Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, University of Melbourne, talks about overly shy children, when it may be a cause for concern, and why your child may be acting shy/antisocial. She also gives a few tips on how to break your little one out of their shell!

Does your child think rules are meant to be broken? Maybe you aren’t being consistent enough in your discipline methods. “Discipline is an important foundation of every child’s development which could help him or her have a happy and effective life in the future, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. That’s why no matter how hard it is for the parents, if they want their kids to be successful in the future, it is crucial for them to never give up applying this virtue to their kids.” ** please note that spanking is NOT an acceptable discipline method** 

 

Thanks for reading, can’t wait to see what August has in store!

 

 

 

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Categories : Autism, Child Development, History of Play Therapy, Intervention Ideas, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy, Uncategorized, Wrap Up

Dora Kalff’s Sandplay

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· March 7, 2015 
· No Comments

This video has been around for a while now, but it’s definitely worth a viewing. It takes a look at Sandplay pioneer Dora Kalff, who took Margaret Lowenfield’s “world technique” and Jungian ideas of the unconscious and created a unique form of expression and intervention.

 

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Categories : Child Development, History of Play Therapy, Sandplay/Sand Tray Therapy

New ‘History Speaks’ interview videos added

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· February 6, 2015 
· No Comments

We posted about the Association for Play Therapy’s fantastic video interview series ‘History Speaks’ a couple of months ago. The APT has recently added two excellent new interviews to their collection. The first is with Linda Homeyer PhD, LPCS, RPT-S, who was appointed Director Emeritus in 2014:

In the other interview, Terry Kottman, PhD, LMHC, NCC, RPT-S–who received the 2014 APT Lifetime Achievement Award–discusses her path to play therapy, and what she envisions for the future of play therapy:

Find the rest of the videos at the APT YouTube Channel.

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Categories : History of Play Therapy, Play Therapy, Videos

In case you missed it: APT ‘History Speaks’ video series

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· December 14, 2014 
· No Comments

The Association for Play Therapy launched History Speaks, a great new resource for play therapists, a few years ago. The series consists of a collection of videos of prominent child clinicians answering questions about play therapy and their own practices, and discussing the history of play therapy and APT. The first set of recordings includes Charles Schaefer, Louise Guerney, Dianne Frey, and Lessie Perry. Recent additions include talks with Phyllis Booth, Garry Landreth, and APT President and CEO William M. Burns. The videos can be viewed at the link above, or on the APT YouTube channel (Assn4PlayTherapy). Play therapists will find some interesting stuff in these interviews. It’s great to hear from veterans who have seen the organization, and the technique itself, change over the years. I’m looking forward to more.

For more play therapy videos and resources, check out the regularly-updated video section of myplaytherapypage.com.

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Categories : History of Play Therapy, Play Therapy, Resources, Therapy Practices

Snow White: An Archetypal Journey

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· August 24, 2014 
· No Comments

Here’s a very interesting article submitted by reader Martha Nodar on the subject of archetypes. Ms. Nodar earned a gift certificate to childtherapytoys.com for her submission. Learn how you can do the same!

Snow White: An Archetypal Journey

         Once upon a time, Jung (1953) argued that archetypes are shared universal and implicit patterns of behavior which reside in the collective unconscious. For instance, the Child archetype is innate in every psyche (Myss, 2001) and almost needs no explanation. Fear of rejection is a characteristic associated with this archetype and it is frequently explored in fairy tales such as in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—the story of a princess rejected by her family who is thrown into a journey of survival, both literally and metaphorically. Jung emphasizes it is important to understand the meaning of the symbolism behind the archetype. In other words, what does it mean to have the Child archetype and how does the fear of rejection is likely to manifest symbolically in one’s life as the result?

Child-Orphan Archetype

        While Jung (1953) focused on a few major archetypes, Myss (2001), a Jungian analyst, has expanded Jung’s repertoire to cover different dimensions of the major archetypes Jung suggested. She contends that although humans share four major symbolic archetypes in their collective unconscious (Child, Victim, Saboteur, and Prostitute) (Myss, 2001), there is usually one archetype that seems to be more prominent in an individual’s psyche. For instance, in the case of Snow White, Myss (2001) proposes, the princess embodies the Child-Orphan archetype (a dimension of the Child archetype), which includes those who feel “they are not part of their family. . . [and yet, oftentimes]. . . succeed at finding a path of survival [after] having won a battle with a dark force” (p. 372). Snow White’s dark force is her wicked stepmother who wants to see her dead. Consistent with Myss’ arguments, one of the characteristics associated with the Child-Orphan archetype is the ability to build a network of friends—illustrated in the story through the princess’ relationship with the dwarfs and Prince Charming. One of the aspects of the shadow side of this archetype is the extent to which one may be vulnerable to be indiscriminately trusting of others who may have a hidden agenda. This dynamic is symbolized in the fairy tale when the princess trusts the disguised wicked stepmother and eats the poisoned apple.

Check out the full article here: Snow White

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Categories : History of Play Therapy, Intervention Ideas, Reader Submissions, Research and Case Studies, Sandplay/Sand Tray Therapy

The Use of Art Therapy With Children and Adolescents Who Have a Trauma History

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· August 24, 2014 
· No Comments

Art Therapy has a longer, richer history than one might think. This excellent paper submitted by reader Paula Jensen delves into the origins and evolution of this creative intervention and, more specifically, its many applications in treatment of trauma. Ms. Jensen earned a gift certificate to childtherapytoys.com for her submission. Learn how you can do the same!

 

Abstract:

Art therapy has been an accepted treatment modality in the therapeutic community for approximately 60 development of art therapy psychological years. Throughout this time, art therapy has been utilized in the treatment of several psychological, the purpose of its use with treating traumatic effects, including amelioration of disorders including trauma. The following review of the literature discusses the disturbances, fostering identity development, self-awareness, self-esteem, its effectiveness associated with the treatment of trauma, and its use as an adjunct with Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

The Use of Art Therapy With Children and Adolescents Who Have a Trauma History

           Art has been a prominent part of world culture since the beginnings of man. The oldest recorded piece of abstract art is dated approximately 70,000 years (Whitehouse, 2002). Cavemen carved hieroglyphics as a way to tell stories and communicate messages while Ancient Egyptians carved markings and pictures into the sides of tombs to symbolize the belief of what happened to the human spirit after death. Native Americans use sand paintings in their healing and initiation ceremonies (Ammann & Sandner, 1991). In his book, Man and His Symbols, psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1964) discussed the value of symbols in relation to human existence. Judith Rubin (1999), a pioneer in art therapy, reported that healers, past and present, utilized art-making because of the universality and related power of the symbolic mode. After being used for self-expression and healing for thousands of years, art is now an accepted modality for the treatment of psychological issues by the therapeutic community.

Art Therapy

            Art therapy is described by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) (2011) as “[the use of] the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages” (p. 1). Art therapy is based on the belief that “the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem, self-awareness, and achieve insight” (AATA, 2011, p. 1). Contemporary counselors utilize art therapy to address a variety of mental health issues including: “anxiety, depression, substance abuse and addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and neurological problems; and psychosocial difficulties related to medical illness” (AATA, 2011, p. 1). Art therapy is an innovative modality for addressing a variety of traumatic experiences when working with children and adolescents (Baker, 2006; Buschel & Madsen, 2006; Finn, 2003; Kennedy, 2008; Malchoidi, 2006; Pretorius, 2010; Yohani, 2008).

The Development of Art Therapy

            Carl Jung theorized about the importance of exploring and gaining awareness into the unknown self, memories, and understanding the symbolism within the unconscious mind (Jung, 1916; Jung, 1964). Jung, who participated in creative processes in his own life, explored these symbols with clients and helped them to recreate and interpret the meaning of their experiences (Malchiodi, 2006). Throughout his life, Jung continued to draw and paint, in addition to portraying his dreams in writing and carvings in wood and stone (Gladding, 2006). Through his use of art in psychoanalysis, Carl Jung demonstrated that the artistic process is capable of facilitating a deeper understanding of each level of an individual’s psyche.

Open and read the full document here: Art Therapy and Trauma

 

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Categories : Art Therapy, History of Play Therapy, Reader Submissions, Trauma and Grief

New ‘History Speaks’ series from the Association for Play Therapy

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· March 13, 2011 
· No Comments

The Association for Play Therapy recently launched History Speaks, a great new resource for play therapists. The new series consists of a collection of videos of prominent child clinicians discussing the history of play therapy and APT. The first set of recordings includes Charles Schaefer, Louise Guerney, Dianne Frey, and Lessie Perry. The videos can be viewed at the link above, or on the APT YouTube channel (Assn4PlayTherapy). Play therapists will find some interesting stuff in these interviews. I’m looking forward to more.

For more play therapy videos and resources, check out the regularly-updated video section of myplaytherapypage.com.

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Categories : History of Play Therapy, Resources, Videos
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