When you think of warning signs to meltdowns what comes up for you?
Irritable mood, arguing, agitation, increased heart rate, glaring, whining, difficulty with concentration, and difficulty following through with expected tasks are a couple of the popular ones that come in my office.
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What if… hear me out… we could inadvertently be giving kids and teens the message that some feelings are “bad” and other feelings are “good”. As in, if you are calm that equals good and if you are sad, mad, frustrated, embarrassed, anxious, stressed, or one of the other dysregulated feelings it equals bad.
AND we can often (unintentionally) give that message when the focus of therapy exclusively becomes on regulation and calm.
One of the most important case conceptualization questions I ask for kids with dysregulation (and let’s be honest - nearly every diagnosis deals with regulation in some capacity) is “does this child have a trauma history?”
Want to know more about how trauma affects emotional dysregulation check out Part 1 and Part 2 in my series about what every therapist should know about how trauma affects emotional regulation.
There are 1.4 million reasons and counting that trigger dysregulation.
Sometimes there are patterns where we can see there is one issue or situation that is really difficult for a child, that may or may not be related to trauma. Other times the level of overwhelm and dysregulation is so chronically high that one tiny thing can send a child’s nervous system over the edge.
How many sessions “should” a child need in play therapy?
The only correct answer to that question is “it depends”. According to research HERE it takes an “average of 20 play therapy sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred for treatment”.
Sharing play themes with parents can be an important part of Child Centered Play Therapy. Check out more HERE about four reasons to consider sharing play themes with parents!
So while this blog HERE answers the WHY we share play themes with parents and caregivers I wanted to give you some step by step guidance with the HOW!
As a Child Centered Play Therapist you are interested in what a child is doing and why.
The short version? Themes and play theme shifts help you understand when a child is making progress and at the same time also helps you be significantly more effective during your time in session with a child. Want to know the long version? Check out the three reasons why knowing play themes is essential HERE!
What’s on the menu in your play therapy kitchen? Pizza? Sushi? Some tomato soup?
All of the above and sometimes all mixed together? A day in the life of a play therapist usually means you head to the kitchen a time or two to cook up some delicious (or not) food. BUT what does it all mean? Are kids “just playing” or is there a deeper meaning behind this three course meal?
What happens in your playroom when toys break?
If you are a play therapist this happens from anywhere to on the regular to at least 1-2x per year depending on the ages and populations you see. Some toys get stepped on, some wear out, others are lost to rough and tumble play. It happens. So what next? |
Hi, there!I'm Ann Meehan, an LPCC, Loading... Archives
July 2024
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