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Thứ Tư, 31 tháng 1, 2018

Explore Emotions And Feelings With Sand Tray Therapy

By Donna Graham


Young children and teenagers often have a very difficult time verbalizing the things they are struggling with inside. There are a lot of pressures that kids today have to deal with so finding an effective outlet for them to express their needs and concerns is especially important. Many therapists have found sand tray therapy to be an innovative and useful way for their clients to find their voice.

The name of this therapeutic approach is pretty self descriptive. It employs the use of a sandbox, miniature figurines, and in some circumstances, water might also be included. The individual uses these items in order to create settings and scenes from the world inside their mind as a means to reflect and express their thoughts, feelings, struggles, and concerns.

The concept is based on the very simplified idea that play is something which comes naturally to children, and that by allowing them to do this freely without direction or interruption, a lot can be learned. It gives them a free space in which they can safely display symbols of the world that is inside their mind. This is a low pressure setting which helps them feel safe and comfortable.

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.

The approach has been found to work well with very young children who have not yet developed appropriate verbal skills or the mental maturation to effectively describe their feelings. As play is a concept they understand without explanation, observing a child in action helps the therapist understand more about their feelings. Kids will often choose playtime to act out some scenarios that they have experienced in real life.

Regardless of age, many autistic individuals find this approach to be quite helpful. It is a way of using sensory input that is both comfortable for these individuals and a means of showing their thoughts to others. Therapist find the sandbox an effective way of communicating with those who can not verbalize, and to better determine the best ways to address their issues further.

In most cases, the therapist does not suggest any scenarios, because the point of this practice is to permit the child to process their thoughts on their own in order to seek a solution. The client may require only a single session, or they may need multiple weeks, months, or years, based upon their own unique situation. Patience and observation are the key are essential to success.

Although playing in the sandbox may not seem like a traditional approach to helping a child cope with something that is bothering them, it has shown great promise and effectiveness, especially for those who are verbally challenged. It is a simple concept with a passive nature that promotes safety and comfort. Each therapist may make adjustments as dictated by the individual situation.




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