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Archive for Play Therapy

November Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· December 4, 2018 
· No Comments

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

Blog

There is a new mobile app that assists teens with medical and emotional challenges in explore and trusting their feelings. Though the hardship is ever-present for theses young adults, they are rarely given an outlet. With the game Shadow’s Edge, they are provided psycho-educational content in a fun ad fulfilling game- right on their phones! Read full post here.

Articles

The University of North Carolina has conducted a study on the affect of familial relationships on bullying. It was found that adolescents with good familial relationships were more likely to correctly identify bullying when they saw it, as well as intervene. This is important because while bullying often takes place outside of the home, it is very much a process that can begin or end with a child’s life at home. Read more here.

Don’t suppress your emotions! It’s been long assumed that it’s better to hide negative feelings or thoughts from children, though it’s known to cause emotional distress to the suppressor. In a study conducted by Washington State University, it was discovered that emotional suppression is just as bad for children, as they pick up on the negativity and learn inadequate methods for coping. Instead, express your feelings in a healthy way and turn your negative feelings into a positive example! Read more here.

Jessica Minahan is a certified behavior analyst, special educator, and author. She is typically called into schools to assist with challenging behavior in the classroom. She identifies the most likely reasons for acting out as anxiety, ADHD, and depression. She arms teachers with tips to interact with and motivate anxious or defiant students. Read more here.

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Categories : Feelings, Monthly Wrap-Up, Wrap Up
Tags : anxiety, child development, childhood stress, feelings, mental health disorders, parenting, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, therapeutic games for teens

Shadow’s Edge: A Mobile Game for Teens Who Struggle with Chronic Illness

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· November 30, 2018 
· No Comments

 

For young people who struggle with chronic illnesses or emotional challenge, the weight of their trauma is ever-present, yet rarely are they given the opportunity to talk about the dark or scary side of their situations, let alone have a tool to help them move through and grow from their experience.

Enter the Digging Deep Project, with the mission of empowering teens to take charge of their emotional health in fun and engaging ways.

The Project’s newest product, the recently released mobile game, Shadow’s Edge, is designed to build resilience in teens with medical or emotional challenges. Combining psychology and technology, this free app reaches teens with psycho-educational content right where they are—on their mobile devices and playing games!

Shadow’s Edge players are guided through a process of journaling and creative expression, helping these teen players come to terms with their challenges within an immersive, edgy game world.

The quest of the player is to revive Shadow’s Edge, a city that has been decimated by storm.  Through gameplay, teens learn they can rebuild their lives by trusting their feelings and finding meaning in their experience.

Teens struggling with hardship needn’t stay in an isolated or dark world—they have the power to reshape it. They can create beauty where there was once dilapidation: There can be light; There can be colour; There can be hope.

Available for free on the App Store and Google Play. For more information and blog for and by teens visit www.shadowsedge.com.  For parents and professionals, more information on www.diggingdeep.org.

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Categories : Behavior, Conflict, Depression, Feelings, Parenting, Play Therapy Games
Tags : anger, anxiety, board games, childhood stress, counseling games, family roles, feelings, games, Play Therapy, play therapy gams, teens, therapeutic games for teens, therapy games

October Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· November 5, 2018 
· No Comments

Articles

In today’s fast-paced society, social media is king. It can be difficult for young people to understand that what they see online isn’t always as it seems. Social media can cause young people to feel pressured to perform at a higher level and strive for unrealistic goals. Stephanie Samar, PsyD, has some tips on how you can help your child or teen to unplug, and understand that social media only shows one side of every story. Read full article here.

According to a research study performed by two University of Arkansas professors, at-risk elementary school children benefit from child-centered play therapy. Kristi Perryman and Lisa Bowers have spent three years screening children who may benefit from play therapy. They strive to identify the participants before intervention is critical when school and social competence are effected. Read full article here. 

In their pre-teen and early teen years, girls experience a  dramatic drop in self-confidence. During this time they can find it difficult to try new things, take risks, and may even feel intimidated by activities they previously enjoyed. It can be difficult as a parent to watch as a thriving young woman suddenly feels inadequate by Stephanie DeAngelis has some tips to help. Read full article here.

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Categories : Monthly Wrap-Up, Wrap Up
Tags : child development, child play therapy toys, child therapy, childhood stress, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, teens

August Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· September 5, 2018 
· No Comments

Blog

This month, Dr. Gary shared the importance of emotional literacy. Therapists and counselors are often concerned about a child’s emotional literacy. Emotionally literate children can manage their feelings and their reactions to those feelings. They can recognize and respond to other people’s feelings, which is a significant advantage in life. Feelings are the most basic building blocks of social skills. Without the ability to recognize feelings in themselves and others, children are not able to master social interactions. Read more here.

Articles

New studies have found that toddlers as young as two years old are able to understand that their actions are being judged. They understand that their actions can render positive or negative reactions from others. This is important because it shows us that children, at a very young age, begin to understand far more than we assume. Read full article here.

As we return our loved ones back to school yards, campuses, and trusted teachers, we are too familiar with the temptations that our children face with each new school year. Social media is often an outlet to which they turn. The number of media platforms is ever-growing, however, and it may seem hopeless to a parent to monitor and supervise. Thankfully, we have found some useful tips to help you keep your loved ones safe on the web! Read full article here.

Bullying is scary. It’s a scary concept for parents that could become their child’s reality. But bullying in all forms is a sign of ignorance, and the best way to stop it is to educate your children about what bullying is, and what they should do it they see it, or become a victim. Loren Santos, a school counselor at Franklin Elementary School in Baltimore County, Maryland has six tips to help you talk about bullying with your children. Read full article here.

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Categories : Bullying, Child Development, Feelings, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Wrap Up
Tags : board games, childhood stress, counseling games, development, family roles, feelings, Play Therapy, therapeutic games for children

Identifying and Expressing Feelings

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· August 21, 2018 
· No Comments

Therapists and counselors are often concerned about a child’s emotional literacy. Emotionally literate children can manage their feelings and their reactions to those feelings. They can recognize and respond to other people’s feelings, which is a significant advantage in life. Many of our clients are not emotionally literate and our work with those children includes developing and enhancing the child’s ability to identify and express their feelings. Feelings are the most basic building blocks of social skills. Without the ability to recognize feelings in themselves and others, children are not able to master social interactions. Children adept at identifying and expressing their feelings are likely to display increased empathy which is crucial for social competence, social relatedness, and pro-social behavior.  Children with deficits in their ability to identify and express their feelings may display excessive anger and frustration, and have more troubled interpersonal relationships with peers, teachers, and family members.

Since the development of The Talking, Feeling, and Doing board game in the 70’s, there have been hundreds of games developed to promote feeling identification and expression. Below is a brief survey of six of the most popular games currently on the market.

Feeling’s Detective is a matching game and is especially helpful with children who have difficulty picking up on social cues. It is suitable for children in grades 1-6. Feelings Detective helps children understand their own feelings as well as the feelings of others. It is especially helpful for children who tend to misread social cues, including those who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or are at any other position on the Autism Spectrum. Specific examples help players link specific situations and thoughts with specific feelings.

The Emotions Mania Thumball is a great ice breaker for children, families, and groups.  Thumballs are a soft, stuffed ball that is safe for indoor use. Game play is simple. Simply throw, roll, pass or catch the thumball. Look under your thumb and react to the feeling word found there. Each panel has a different word. The Emotion Mania Thumball includes words such as happy, sad worried, curious, silly, proud and lonely. It is suitable for children, teens, and adults.

Go Fish: Fishing for Feelings teaches the skills needed to successfully deal with feelings, recognize feelings in others, and identify appropriate feelings. Players practice talking about their feelings in a non-threatening way. Players answer open-ended questions before receiving a requested card. Each question prompts a discussion about successfully dealing with feelings, recognizing other people’s feelings, or identifying appropriate feelings. The game plays like classic Go Fish. There are two decks of 50 cards in each game. One for children ages 5 to 8 years old, and the other for children ages 8 to 11 years old.

 

Emotional Bingo for Children (Spanish & English) is a great game for groups, class rooms, and individual sessions. In this bingo game players identify feelings rather than numbers on their Bingo cards. Emotional Bingo helps children learn to recognize various feelings and make empathetic responses. The game rules provide opportunities for children to discuss their own feelings and to respond with empathy to the feelings of others. The children’s version is suitable for children ages 6-12 and there is a version available for Teens.

 

The Yes I Can! Talk About Feelings cards are designed to facilitate conversation, insight, expressive skills, and increase an individual’s feeling word vocabulary. It is suitable for families, classrooms, counselors, & therapists and improves feeling identification and the expression of emotions. The Yes I Can Talk About Feelings game is great for enhancing self-awareness and the impact of one’s behavior. The instructions include several fun activities and suggestions for using the cards. This game is suitable for ages 5 and up, 2-6 players.

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Categories : Asperger's, Autism, Behavior, Child Development, Communication, Feelings, Play Therapy, Play Therapy Games
Tags : board games, child development, child therapy, counseling games, feelings, Play Therapy, play therapy gams, therapeutic games for children, therapeutic games for teens, therapy games, thumball

July Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· August 7, 2018 
· No Comments

Blog

This month produced a treasure trove of info and advice. Donna Hammontree outlined the differences between Rights, Responsibilities, Privileges, and Rewards. Knowing the difference between them is important to helping children and teens regulate their behavior. Donna cautions to be consistent when coaching your children/clients, and use positive reinforcement rather than negative. Read more here.

Articles

According to the University of Michigan, there is no correlation between pressuring you children to eat food they don’t want to eat, and positive results of any kind. Researchers say that picky eaters’ weight is unrelated to how hard their parents push them to eat “healthy” foods. likewise, their attitude towards those foods did not improved. You might just be fighting an uphill battle for no reason! Read full article here.

Living in the present has many advantages for children and adults alike. It can sometimes be easy to let worry and fear for what has been, or what could be, turn your day upside down. Rabbi Sam Frenkel’s mission is to use play therapy to help children overcome those worries by living in the present and focusing on today. Read full article here.

It can sometimes be hard to release the reins that keep a parent feeling in control of their children. But as a parent, your role is not to make your child’s decisions for them, but to teach them to make the right choices on their own. This can be exceptionally difficult because a parents first instinct will always be to ensure their child’s safety and happiness. Nancy Buck discusses how you can achieve that without being a helicopter parent. Read full article here.

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Categories : Anxiety, Feelings, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy, Wrap Up
Tags : child development, childhood stress, counseling games, development, family roles, feelings, parenting, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, therapy intervention

June Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· July 2, 2018 
· No Comments

Children learn as they play. More importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.

-O. Fred Donaldson

Blog

Another great submission from Leah Davies highlights the importance of encouraging thoughts for children. Leah has tips on how to provoke children to encourage themselves as well as their peers. Examples of positive “self-talk” from Leah’s list include, “It’s OK to make mistakes because everyone does” and, “Each new day brings a chance to do better.” Learning to encourage themselves and others teaches children the value of a positive disposition, and helps them to manage peer relations. Read more here.

Articles

A study conducted in the 60’s has been given new life. The marshmallow test was used to measure the impulsiveness of children by giving them one marshmallow to eat immediately, or wait and get two marshmallows later. The initial test found that most children couldn’t wait for the better deal. Surprisingly, the test re-administered to today’s youngsters told a different story. Researchers are looking to credit technological advances for today’s children’s higher IQ levels, which may lead to higher self-control. Read full article here.

A new study has found that there is no difference in the developmental outcomes for children of same-sex versus different-sex marriage. The study followed lesbian mothers, gay fathers, and heterosexual couples. While there were no findings that one type of family unit performed better or worse than the others, it was found that parents in unhappy relationships reported more problems with their childrens’ behavior. Read full article here.

Christopher J. Ferguson, a professor  of psychology at Stetson University, claims that addiction to technology is “rubbish.” According to his research, the chemical reaction in the brain while having “screen time” is similar to that of other play-time activities, such as swimming, reading for leisure, or conversing. True addictive substances tend to drive the brain’s levels of dopamine much much higher  than the body can naturally produce. Read full article here.

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Categories : Child Development, Feelings, Impulse Control, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Wrap Up
Tags : child therapy, child therapy toys, childhood stress, feelings, mental health disorders, Play Therapy

Encouraging Thought By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· June 18, 2018 
· No Comments

Encouragement means to stimulate initiative and positive actions. Teachers, counselors, and parents are asked to encourage children to do their best by acknowledging their efforts and strengths. However, when children do not feel good about themselves or their situation, they need to be reminded of ways they can encourage themselves and each other.

Ask children for examples of thoughts that help them feel better when they are unhappy. Explain that helpful thoughts are called positive “self-talk” and that adults often use this as a way to cope with their problems. List the children’s ideas on the board.

Some examples are:

  •   I am a good person no matter what anyone does or says.
  •   It is okay to make mistakes because everyone does.
  •   I do not give up; I keep trying.
  •   I think about what is good in my life.
  •   Everyone feels good and bad, now and then.
  •   I can do it!
  •   Money cannot buy happiness.
  •   How I act is more important than how I look.
  •   I am lovable.
  •   When I smile, I feel better.
  •   I can do many things well.
  •   I cannot control what grown-ups do.
  •   I am unique, one of a kind.
  •   When I feel sad, I think of things I like about myself.
  •   Each new day brings a chance to do better.
  •   I think about my choices and then choose what is best for me.
  •   I will change what I can and accept what I cannot change.
  •   I treat others the way I want to be treated.
  •   I cannot change my family; I can only change myself.
  •   What I learn today will help me in the future.

After making an extensive list, have the children choose a sentence that is meaningful to them. Ask them to make a picture or poster featuring their saying complete with illustrations. Have them prominently sign their creation. Then divide into small groups or pairs and have the children discuss their work. Caution the students to be respectful of each other’s ideas. Display the results in the classroom or in the hall to challenge ALL children to use positive “self-talk” that will encourage them to do their best.

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Categories : Behavior, Child Development, Communication, Feelings, Parenting
Tags : child development, child therapy, communication, encouragement, feelings, parenting, Play Therapy

Why Early Intervention Is So Important for Children’s Mental Health Issues

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· May 14, 2018 
· No Comments

“Everyone agrees that treating children early on for mental health issues is crucial, but barriers to diagnosis and treatment can make that difficult.

When Stephanie Elliot’s son was in the sixth grade, she noticed a concerning change in his demeanor.

He’d recently been put on a new medication for epilepsy that seemed to be working, but the side effects included his sudden morphing into a sullen, fearful boy who asked questions like, “Why am I even alive?”

One night, genuinely afraid that she was losing her son, Elliot called her local emergency room. They advised her to not let him sleep alone and to bring him in first thing the next morning.”

Read full article here!

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Categories : Article of the Month
Tags : child play therapy toys, child therapy, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, therapy intervention

Trauma Reaction Cards

Posted by Gary Yorke 
· May 14, 2018 
· No Comments

The Trauma Reaction Cards are a therapeutic tool to assist children and adolescents in understanding and identifying their reactions to traumatic or stressful life experiences. These colorful and illustrated cards are categorized into the four domains of trauma reactions: Behavior Reactions, Body Reactions, Brain & Thinking Reactions, and Feelings Reactions.

To be used by qualified professionals only.**

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Categories : Product of the Month
Tags : Child Abuse, child therapy, child therapy toys, childhood stress, counseling games, feelings, Play Therapy, play therapy gams, therapeutic games for children
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