Child-Centered Group Play Therapy in School Settings: Enhancing Opportunities For Learning

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1 Child-Centered Group Play Therapy in School Settings: Enhancing Opportunities For Learning Presented by Pam Dyson, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S Texas School Counselor Conference February 8, :00pm 6:00pm Learning Objectives Explain the rationale for integrating Child- Centered Group Play Therapy into a school setting as an adjunct to the learning environment. Identify the toys and play materials needed to facilitate Child-Centered Group Play Therapy with a culturally diverse population. Explain how community-based play therapists can collaborate with school systems. School Demographics Urban School St. Louis, MO Grades K-8 Multi-Cultural 16 native languages At-Risk Population 1

2 School Demographics Caucasian 41.6% African American 36.7% Hispanic 11.8% Asian 6.4% Multi-Racial 3.2% Native American.3% School Demographics 72% receive Free or Reduced Lunches 3% Homeless 18% ELL 16% have an IEP The Problem Social-emotional concerns. Significant behavior problems. Academic failure. Mainstream educational setting not meeting needs of a number of students. 2

3 The Solution Supplemental programming for K-5 students who need additional support. Students supported by the school counseling staff with group counseling and other therapeutic services targeted to students specific needs. Students supported academically through small group tutoring with a teacher outside the classroom. Rationale for CCGPT Psycho-educational and directive counseling groups already utilized. Culturally responsive. Practical in terms of time and money. Rationale for CCGPT Opportunity for self-growth and selfexploration. They learn to evaluate themselves in light of peer feedback. Limit setting and reality testing occur as the group serves as a tangible microcosm of society. (Sweeney and Homeyer, 1999) 3

4 Goals for CCGPT Child develops capacity to relate to an adult in an open, positive, caring manner. Child becomes aware of their feelings. Child learns social skills by practicing in situations similar to real life. Build-up self-concept, self-control, self-efficacy. Enhance opportunities for academic success. Referral Process Students considered through teacher or parent referral. Counseling staff and administrators reviewed referrals and made a determination, based on need level and appropriateness, if student would be admitted. Once accepted, written consent from parent was required before beginning services. Referral Form Describe primary concern Current academic standing Services child receives Describe attempted interventions Other relevant information 4

5 CCGPT Considerations Selection of group members Group size Age and gender Length of sessions Therapy room and materials Not Appropriate for CCGPT Extremely aggressive children. Children experiencing difficulty due to attachment issues. Sexually acting-out children. Children intending to inflict harm or revenge. (Sweeney, Baggerly, Ray, 2014) Selecting Toys Toys and materials should be selected, not collected. (Landreth, 2012) 5

6 Categories of Toys Real-Life Aggressive-Release Creative Expression (Landreth, 2012) 6

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9 Facilitative Responses Think of yourself as a big mirror into which the child can look and have reflected back everything they do, say, think or feel. Tracking Reflecting Content Reflecting Feelings (Landreth, 2012) Limit Setting Process ACT STEP 1: Acknowledge child s feelings, wishes, wants STEP 2: Communicate the limit STEP 3: Target acceptable alternatives ACTshould be gone through a minimum of three times before verbalizing the final step. STEP 4: State the final choice (Landreth, 2012) 9

10 Video Clips Unique Problems of CCGPT Noise and Mess Matching and Timing Control issues Philosophy challenges Role of therapist (Ray, 2011) Assessing Progress in CCGPT Evaluations are critical in school settings. Measures can be collected at the beginning of therapy and after termination. Formal assessments CBCL, TRF. Informal assessments can include a short questionnaire of 5-10 items related to presenting problems. (Sweeney, Baggerly, Ray, 2014) 10

11 Informal Assessment Did You See Improvements In.. Academics Classroom disruptions Getting along with peers Office referrals Informal Assessment Did You See Improvements In.. Child s attitude and demeanor in general Child s interactions with adults Child s expression of feelings Child s ability to control anger Results of CCGPT Growth with anger management. Still gets frustrated but now knows how to handle it more appropriately. Fewer outbursts. Grades have improved. Fewer instance of shutting down in class. Seems happier and asks to speak to an adult when upset. 11

12 Multicultural Concerns Collect toys and materials that give children of various cultures the chance to explore, talk, solve problems and project their inner world. Take into account each child s culture, degree of acculturation to the new culture, adjustment to social demands and expectations and divisions within the family. Make learning about different cultures a continuing process and adjust approaches accordingly. (Gil and Drewes, 2005) CCGPT in Schools Implementation is different than in private practice or an agency. Be aware of the unique culture of the school. Sell the program. Work collaboratively with staff and parents. CCGPT in Schools Present the basics of play therapy and how it will benefit teachers and classrooms. Present referral procedures and walk teachers through how you will handle individual students. Present toys used in the playroom. Provide administrators and teachers with data to support play therapy. (Ray, 2011) 12

13 Questions and Answers Summary and Closing Remarks Pam Dyson, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S Practical Solutions to Child Behavior Problems 3900 Pebble Creek Ct., Suite 102 Plano, TX

14 Providing Affordable Continuing Education Opportunities for Play Therapy Credentialing 3900 Pebble Creek Ct., Suite 102 Plano, TX Phone: APT Approved Provider TX LPC Approved Provider 2312, TX LCSW Approved Provider 6779 TX LMFT Approved Provider 831 References and Suggested Readings Drewes, A., & Schaefer, C. (2010) School-Based Play Therapy (Ed.) (2 nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Gil, E., & Drewes, A. A. (2005) Cultural Issues in Play Therapy. (Ed.). New York, NY: Guildford Press. Landreth, G. L. (2012) Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (3rd ed.) New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis. References and Suggested Readings Ray, D.C. (2011) Advanced Play Therapy: Essential Conditions, Knowledge, and Skills for Child Practice. New York: Routledge. Sweeney, D., Homeyer, L. (1999) Group Play Therapy California: Jossey-Bass. Sweeney, D., & Baggerly, J., & Ray, D. (2014). Group Play Therapy: A Dynamic Approach. New York, NY: Routledge. 14