luni, 12 februarie 2018

Explore Feelings And Emotions Using Sand Tray Therapy

By Donna Graham


For a lot of people - particularly children and teens - verbalizing internal struggles can be difficult. Today's world comes with more pressures and concern for young people than ever before, so it is important to find a way for them to express the things that are bothering them so that they can get the help they need. Some innovative therapists are using sand tray therapy as a means of providing clients such an outlet.

This therapeutic approach's name pretty much describes what it is. It involves using a sandbox, a variety of miniature figurines, and sometimes water. Utilizing these tools, the client will be free to set up various scenes from their mind to create a scenario that expresses their feelings, concerns, thoughts, or struggles, without actually having to verbalize them.

This concept is centered around the base ideal that children are naturally drawn to play and that when allowed to do so without interference or direction, adults can learn a lot. Sandbox sessions provides a safe outlet through which they may feel at ease enough to demonstrate a bit of what is happening in their young minds. Without pressure, a child can be comfortable and secure.

The belief is that given this freedom of expression, children are able to work through their problems and begin their own healing process. Once the child feels comfortable enough, the therapist will initiate a discussion about what is happening in their symbolic world. The things that they are unable to express verbally, they can demonstrate through these figurines.

This approach works well with very young children who do not yet have the verbal capability or the mental maturity to express what they are experiencing or clearly describe their feelings. However, play is something that they understand very well and by observing them in action, the therapist can get an idea of what they need to say. Kids often utilize play time as a way to act out things that they are seeing in their real life.

It is frequently used when treating certain autistic children of all ages as well. These individuals process sensory input in a different way and many of them are not able to verbalize very well, if at all. Their demonstrations through play can be an effective means of communication with their therapist, who can utilize other methods to get more in-depth information at a different time.

Because the idea is to allow the child to process their own situation and seek for a solution on their own, the therapist will not lead them into a scenario. Treatment could simply be a single session, it may last several weeks, or even years, depending on the client and their particular situation. The main thing is observation and patience.

While playing with toys in a sandbox is far from the typical approach for helping a child find a coping mechanism, it has become a very effective one - particularly for individuals who have verbal challenges. This simple, passive concept allows them to process safely and comfortably. Therapist might choose to make certain adjustments based on individual situations.




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