Assignment Instructions
Week 6 6215C
Methods of Practice: Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy
Readings you must use what I have provided
· Webb, N. B. (2019). *Social work practice with children *(4th ed.). New
York, NY: The Guilford Press.
o Chapter 7, “Individual Play Therapy”
Day 2
· Brezinka, V. (2014). Computer games supporting cognitive behaviour
therapy in children. *Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 19 *(1),
100–110. doi: 10.1177/1359104512468288 Note: You will access this article
from the Walden Library databases.
· Davis, E. S., & Pereira, J. K. (2014). Child-centered play therapy: A
creative approach to culturally competent counseling. *Journal of
Creativity in Mental Health, 9*(2), 262– 274.
doi:10.1080/15401383.2014.892863
· Taylor, D. D., & Bratton, S. C. (2014). Developmentally appropriate
practice: Adlerian play therapy with preschool children. *The Journal of
Individual Psychology, 70*(3), 205– 219.
• Working With Children and Families: The Case of Elle (PDF)
Working With Children and Families:
The Case of Elle I received a referral for a 6-year-old Puerto Rican female
named Elle. The referral came from a local pediatrician. Elle was referred
because the pediatrician noted that Elle was showing symptoms of
depression, including weight loss, disinterest in typical activities, and
general lethargy. The parents, Mark (age 37) and Pamela (age 34), reported
no recent changes in the home situation and had no explanation for Elle’s
behavioral and emotional changes. As part of the initial assessment, I met
with Elle’s parents. I asked about the current situation at home, their
relationship, and changes that may have occurred recently. None were
identified. As part of my assessment, I questioned each parent about the
work that they did, their schedules, and any recent work changes. Elle’s
father reported no significant changes; her mother noted her return
tosecond-shift work. In my first meeting with Elle, I explained my role as
a person who helped children with things that bothered them. I introduced
Elle to our sand tray and invited her to “play” as we talked. Over the next
two weeks, Elle built a sand castle and told me that a small child lived in
one of the rooms. She circled the room again and again with a soldier on a
white horse. When I asked what the soldier was doing, she simply shrugged
her shoulders and continued to circle the castle. During our time together,
as Elle began to use the soldier on horseback to circle the child, I asked
her to show me how the soldier might help the child that lived in the
castle. She showed the soldier riding away. I asked how the soldier riding
away helped the child. At that point, Elle shut down and went to play with
other toys in the play © 2019 Laureate Education, Inc. 2 therapy room. I
did not intervene. Elle spent the rest of the time playing with a zoo,
telling me that the bear was missing. In the sixth session, I asked Elle
about the child in the castle. “Is the child safe?” I asked. “No way!” Elle
exclaimed. I asked her to show me how to help the child. After several
stops and starts, Elle brought a brown horse with a female rider. The rider
said, “Climb on, I will take you away.” The child climbed on, and the horse
took them to the other end of the playroom. When I asked Elle to tell me
what the child said to the rider on the brown horse as they were riding
away, she said, “It’s a secret.” I told Elle that when children tell hard
secrets, my job was to work hard to keep children safe. With eyes
wide-open, Elle asked if I could keep the child from the castle safe.
Assignment:
Play Therapy in Action
Review the “Case of Elle” from this week’s Learning Resources. , submit a
2--page paper addressing the following:
· Briefly summarize the key aspects of the case.
· Identify the direct and indirect play therapy strategies employed and
explain how they differ.
· Discuss why you would or why you would not be comfortable providing play
therapy—consider both direct and indirect approaches.