Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy. Working with children requires different strategies than you use with other clients. Using their language, the language of play, can go a long way in increasing a child’s comfort level as well as increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome. Play therapy is used primarily with children under 12 years of age, but in some circumstances it can be used with adolescents and even adults.

This week, you explore the basic techniques and approaches in play therapy. You also differentiate between the two most common play therapy strategies and explore their application in family therapy.

Students will:

• Apply play therapy techniques in a family setting
• Differentiate between indirect and direct strategies of play therapy
• Evaluate the applicability of direct and indirect strategies of play therapy

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Webb, N. B. (2019). Social work practice with children (4th ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

• Chapter 7, “Individual Play Therapy”

Document: Working With Children and Families: The Case of Elle (PDF)

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Discussion: Being Familiar With Play Therapy Techniques

Play therapy is a specialized post-master’s training or certificate. However, it is highly unlikely that a certified play therapist will be present in each of your employment settings, although most of the agencies will have children as clients.

In this Discussion, you explain why it may be important for a family therapist to be familiar with play therapy techniques and suggest how you might bring play therapy into a family counseling session.

By Day 3

Post:

• At least two reasons it is important for a family therapist to be familiar with play therapy techniques.
• Give an example of a case in which it might be appropriate to use play therapy in a family session.

By Day 5

Respond at least two colleagues’ posts.

• Suggest techniques a family therapist could use to introduce play therapy in the example they provided.

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 6 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

To participate in this Discussion:

Week 6 Discussion

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Assignment: Paper Play Therapy in Action

Social workers are trained to “start where the client is.” You have a responsibility to use language and interventions that are respectful of your client’s developmental and emotional level. But what if your client is a child? How can you start from the child’s point of reference?

In this Assignment, you identify the play therapy strategies evident in the case of Elle (found in your Learning Resources). You also engage in self-reflection and discuss your level of comfort with providing play therapy.

Review the “Case of Elle” from this week’s Learning Resources.

By Day 7

Submit a 2- to 3-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.

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 6 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 6 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 6 Assignment Rubric

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

Submit your Week 6 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

To submit your Assignment:

Week 6 Assignment

Week in Review

This week you applied play therapy techniques in a family setting and evaluated the applicability of direct and indirect strategies of this therapy.

Next week you will explore ways in which children are no different in terms of certain needs and examine how group counseling can build social connections and help children find mutual support.

Week 6:Methods of Practice – Principles and Techniques of Play Therapy

Loooking Ahead

Review the requirements for your Week 10 Final Project—and if you have not already, consider beginning it this week.

To go to the next week:

Week 7