Exam 2: Homeyer and Landreth Flashcards
Sandtray is a tool for self expression & self exploration
Sandtray:
• Childs internal world is expressed through the sand tray
• Easier to express trauma nonverbal thoughts/feeling
• Allows for emergence of metaphor
• Adults speak metaphors - child “plays metaphor”
• Adults & children use
• Miniatures “objects”
○ Nature, animals, humans, shadow items (dark/ugly), transportation, buildings, structures
*important - level of organization / order
3 steps in Sandtray/Play Therapy
Step 1: Set up the room
Step 2: introduce sandtray (directive + non-directive)
○ Put any items they wish into tray
○ *Non-directive = put as many miniatures wherever youd like
○ Directive - on one sand build world before divorce & the other side - after
Step 3: client creates the scene
Provide holding environment with calming presence = Child needs to feel Emotionally safe
Role of the therapist
○ Attuned witness , non-judgement, Empathic, freedom & protection that encourages them to express inner selves in safe non-judgemental place
○ follow the child’s lead (vs imposing structure or guidance on play)
○ Photograph session (put into notes)
○ Clean up
○ Don’t check out - stay present
○ Don’t engage in conversation
The process is the therapy (no analysis of symbols needed for meaningful therapy)
2 most important things?
DON’T TOUCH - unless invited by client
DON’T INTERPRET
6 steps during Sandtray process:
Step 1: visually observe completed santray
Step 2: Emotionally observe sand tray
Step 3: Evaluate the organization of the tray
Types of organization:
Step 4: identify the metaphor
○ The story line (the manifest content) process in story line - respectful of defenses
○ The meaning (latent content)
Step 5: Document the session
(Take picture of completed sandtray + include in client file)
Step 6: clean up
Step 3: Evaluate the organization of the tray
Types of organization:
An empty world (2/3 or more is empty) reflects view of world as unhappy, lonely, rejection, need to escape
Unpeopled world = wish to escape or hostility toward ppl (soldiers-typically represent aggression/protection)
Close or fenced world = client uses fences or dividers
(closed-most items inside fences)
□ May reflect need for protection, compartmentalize, fear of own impulses
Rigid world (aka "skematic") : patterns or rows □ arrange of miniatures is unrealistic □ reflect need for order, control or perfectionism, emotional rigidy (mandala - not rigid)
Disorganized world incoherent/chatoc - chaotic impulsive items - reflect inner confusion or inability to control self
Aggressive world - war, animal attack, angels/babies aggressive -
□ reflect anger or internal violence
2 ways of processing Sandtray:
- Global Processing (what you would say) sit from clients perspective when looking at ray
○ Title = “what is the title of your tray” or “whats the name of your world”
○ General (global) explanation
Tell me about your story
Free narrative
When they’re done - provide summary back to them
○ Discuss each scene
○ Discuss each miniature
Ask about significant ones w/facilitative responses & questions
- Focused processing (less organized/more chaotic worlds)
○ Title
○ General explanation
○ Discuss each miniature
○ Give voice
( Ask them to speak for the miniature & facilitate dialogue between them )Help them process different parts of self
○ Understand intuitive meaning (not doing for sand tray)
Carl Jung “archetype”
○ Notice interactions
○ Proceed with action
Trays often follow erikson developmental themes
TRUE
What does child do?
May or not play or engage
Termination:
Termination: Non-verbal work = don’t know when to end (p.54 & 55)–>themes for term
- Less chaos or rigidity in the tray
- More order & balance
- When miniatures are deliberately selected and carefully place
- Clients see themselves in the tray
Not when they don’t have problems - looking for resolution in stories to problems
Sandtray
expressive & projective psychotherapy
involves: unfolding & processing of intra/interpersonal issues
through sandtray: as nonverbal medium of communication
why use sandtray
expression to nonverbalized issues
sensory experience
creates therapeutic distance - allows client to direct process
inclusive experience
what is the primary responsibily of the therapist in sandtray?
provide a “holding environment” or “free and protected space” for child to feel emotionally safe
○ Attuned witness , non-judgement, Empathic, freedom & protection that encourages them to express inner selves in safe non-judgemental place ○ follow the child's lead (vs imposing structure or guidance on play) ○ Photograph session (put into notes) ○ Clean up ○ Don’t check out - stay present ○ Don’t engage in conversation ○ The process is the therapy (no analysis of symbols needed for meaningful therapy)
be fully present
silently but emotionally enter sandtray with child
observe process
while chid is creating sandtray = therapist is silent
TRUE
important to have miniatures that are disproportionately large
victimized clients use large predatory creatures = metaphor for emotionally/phsyically overwhelming experiences of being victimized
When we get really focused on trying to understand everything the child is doing we lose the child
A therapist who is too literal minded and who cant tolerate a childs flight into fantasy without ordering to it into adult meaningfulness might well lost at times _ virginia axline
Play can reveal:
Play can reveal: - What happened - Reactions - Feelings - What the child wishes, wants or needs The child's perception of self
Play:
Function: to act out situations (language)
Symbolic play: gives expression to child’s inner world (learn how to cope with big feelings)(toys=words)
TRUE
Play therapy is:
dynamic interpersonal relationship btwn a child and therapist: who provides materials/faciliates dev of safe relationship for the child to: express & explore feelings through play-the childs natural medium of communication, for optimal growth & development
voluntary
intrinsically motivated
child-directed activity involving flexibility of choice
no intrinsic goal exists
the success or failure of therapy rests on the dev & maintenance of the therapeutic relationship
toys are like worlds by children and play is their language
stages of feeling in the play therapy process
- diffuse negative feelings
- ambivalent feelings (anxious/hostile)
“I dont like any of the toys” - direct negative feelings toward family (forms of regression)
“I’m going to shoot them” - ambivalent feelings both pos & neg towards family
“kills toy, then later helps toy” - clear, distinct, separate & realistic positive attitude
(resolution of current problems)
Child centered play therapy is based on a belief in the capacity and resiliency of children to be constructively self directing
Creating conditions of worth and growth –> child naturally grows from it
Play therapy:
objective of the therapist
Objective of therapist:
Relate to child inw ays that will release childs inner directional, constructive, forward-moving, creative, self-healing power
*Not about teaching or cognitive changes -
when you focus on the problem you lose sight of the child
TRUE
8 basic principles for child therapy
- Genuine interest in child (warm, caring relationship)
- Accepts child
- Child fees safe to express/explore
- Sensitive to & reflects feelings
- Childs capacity to be responsible / solve problems
- Trusts childs direction/lead - (no directing)
- Gradual process (no rush)
Establishes limits that help child to accept relationship responsibility
Play therapy has No treatment plan
TRUE
inability to be present with child
the relationship is the therapy/KEY TO GROWTH ; it is not preparation for therapy or behavioral change
TRUE
10 objectives of play therapy
10 objectives of play therapy Focus on person rather than problem 1. Positive self-concept 2. Self responsibility 3. Self-directing 4. Self-accepting 5. Self-reliant 6. Self-determined decision making 7. Control 8. Coping 9. Internal evaluation Self-trusting
how therapist feels about child is more important than what therapist knows about the child
TRUE
child will not change until the child is free not to change
TRUE
4 healing messages that therapist works hard to communicate at all times
- i am here
- i hear you
- i understand
- i care
therapist tone of voice & expression is congruent with
childs affect & therapists responses
