Non Directive Play Therapy Essay
“Without this playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.” C.G Jung.
Non – directive play therapy is an effective and non – intrusive approach to working therapeutically with troubled children and young people. It is intended for all those who, through their professional role, may be asked to work directly with emotionally damaged children, whether in statutory child care agencies, or in other mental health or voluntary and not for profit settings (Wilson and Ryan 2005). Non – directive play therapy makes no effort to control or change the child and is based on the theory that the child’s behaviour is at all times caused by the drive for complete self realization. …show more content…
The objectives of non – directive play therapy are self – awareness and self – direction by the child. The therapist has a well stocked playroom, and the child has the freedom to play as he/she chooses or to remain silent. The therapist actively reflects the child’s thoughts and feelings, believing that when a child’s feelings are expressed, identified, and accepted, the child can accept them and then is free to deal with these feelings (Landreth, 2012).
Carl Ransom Rodgers (1902 – 1987) was the most influential psychotherapist in American history.
He pioneered a major new approach to psychotherapy, known successively as the “non – directive,” “child centred,” and “person – centred approach”. Carl Roger’s enabled countless of people throughout the world to be themselves with confidence. His impact has been enormous through his voluminous writings, through the indirect influence of his work on many areas of professional activity where the quality of human relationships is central (Throne and Sanders). Rodgers developed what is probably the most commonly used method of counselling and active listening in the health, social care and education fields. It adopts the humanistic pre-concepts of adaptive developments as encapsulated in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1970), which holds that human development always strives towards becoming all that one can be. Rodger’s client centred therapy is based on the principle that the therapy is non – directive – that the relationship is one of equals, that the client is able to grow and develop given suitable conditions, and that the practitioner’s role needs to be empowering of the clients abilities to reach their human potential (Webb, 2011). These three core conditions that he developed …show more content…
are:
1) Empathy
2) Congruence
3) Unconditional Positive Regard
Empathy is the ability to recognise and relate to other people’s emotions and thoughts. Empathic thinking is often characterised as the willingness and ability to place oneself in another’s shoes, to feel another person’s feelings, or to recognise that another person feels feelings in the same way as you do. Empathy from the therapist for the client is an important characteristic of therapeutic relationships (Good Therapy, 2014).
Congruence means that a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours match.
Based on person – centred theory and therapy, congruence is less a skill and more an experience. Congruence therapists are described as genuine, authentic, and comfortable with themselves. Congruence includes spontaneity and honesty; its usually associated with the clinical skill of immediacy and involves some degree of self – disclosure (Sommers – Flanagan, 2010). Rodgers also emphasized that congruent expression is important even if it consists of attitudes, thoughts, or feelings that don’t, on the surface, appear conductive to a good relationship. He is suggesting that it is acceptable – and even good – to speak about things that are difficult to talk about (Sommers – Flanagan, 2010). The closer our self image and ideal – self are to each other, the more consistent and or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self – worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them or is denied or distorted in the self – image (Simply Psychology,
2007).
Unconditional positive regard is a term used by humanist psychologist Carl Rogers. According to Rogers, unconditional positive regard involves showing complete support, and acceptance of a person no matter what that person says or does. This means that the therapist accepts and supports their client, whether they are expressing “good” behaviours and emotions or “bad” ones (Cherry, 2006). “It means caring for the client, but not in a possessive way or in such a way as simply to satisfy the therapist’s own needs,” explained Rogers in a 1957 article published in the Journal of Consulting Psychology. Rogers believed that it was essential for therapists to show unconditional positive regard to their clients. He also suggested that individuals who don’t have this type of acceptance from people in their life can eventually come to hold negative beliefs about themselves (Cherry, 2006). Rogers (1977) states that the feeling of having been given unconditional positive regard facilities the development of feelings, reason, emotions, and intellect (Locke and Ciechalski, 1955).
Virginia Mae Axline (1911 – 1988) was a psychologist and one of the pioneers in the use of Play Therapy. She wrote the book Dibs In Search Of Self and was also the author of Play Therapy (Play Therapy Ireland, 2010). Virginia was very much influenced by Rogers theory. Utilising the tenets of Rodger’s person centred approach she devised a play therapy method known as non – directive play therapy later to become known as child centred therapy (Drama in ECCE, 2012). She states that play therapy is based on the fact “that play is the child’s natural medium of self expression, it is an opportunity which is given to the child to play out his feelings and problems, just as in certain adults therapy an individual talks out his difficulties” (Axline 2002:8). From her work and research Axline developed eight principles of play therapy, which help to inform the practice of many play therapists today (Drama in ECCE, 2012).
Bibliography
Books:
L . Landreth, Garry. (2012) Play Therapy; The Art of the Relationship. New York: Routledge.
Rogers, C. (2012) The Carl Rogers Reader. USA: Mufflin.
Webb, L. (2011) Nursing; Communication Skills in Practice. New York; MacMillian.
Fox, S. (2009) Relating to Clients – The Therapeutic Relationship for Complementary Therapist. Kingsley.
Godfrey, T and Lennard, B. (1998) Carl Roger’s Helping System: Journey & Substance. UK, Sage.
O’Connor, K and Mages, L. (1995) Play Therapy Theory and Practice. New York: Morgan.
Websites:
Kendra Cherry (2014) About Psychology. Available at: http://psychology.about.com/ [Accessed 07/03/2015]
Julie Meighan (2012). Drama in ECCE. Available at: http://drama-in-ecce.com/about/ [Accessed 07/03/2015]
Journals:
Rogers, C (1957) ‘Journal of Consulting Psychology’
[Accessed 07/03/2015]
Non – directive play therapy is an effective and non – intrusive approach to working therapeutically with troubled children and young people. It is intended for all those who, through their professional role, may be asked to work directly with emotionally damaged children, whether in statutory child care agencies, or in other mental health or voluntary and not for profit settings (Wilson and Ryan 2005). Non – directive play therapy makes no effort to control or change the child and is based on the theory that the child’s behaviour is at all times caused by the drive for complete self realization. …show more content…
The objectives of non – directive play therapy are self – awareness and self – direction by the child. The therapist has a well stocked playroom, and the child has the freedom to play as he/she chooses or to remain silent. The therapist actively reflects the child’s thoughts and feelings, believing that when a child’s feelings are expressed, identified, and accepted, the child can accept them and then is free to deal with these feelings (Landreth, 2012).
Carl Ransom Rodgers (1902 – 1987) was the most influential psychotherapist in American history.
He pioneered a major new approach to psychotherapy, known successively as the “non – directive,” “child centred,” and “person – centred approach”. Carl Roger’s enabled countless of people throughout the world to be themselves with confidence. His impact has been enormous through his voluminous writings, through the indirect influence of his work on many areas of professional activity where the quality of human relationships is central (Throne and Sanders). Rodgers developed what is probably the most commonly used method of counselling and active listening in the health, social care and education fields. It adopts the humanistic pre-concepts of adaptive developments as encapsulated in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1970), which holds that human development always strives towards becoming all that one can be. Rodger’s client centred therapy is based on the principle that the therapy is non – directive – that the relationship is one of equals, that the client is able to grow and develop given suitable conditions, and that the practitioner’s role needs to be empowering of the clients abilities to reach their human potential (Webb, 2011). These three core conditions that he developed …show more content…
are:
1) Empathy
2) Congruence
3) Unconditional Positive Regard
Empathy is the ability to recognise and relate to other people’s emotions and thoughts. Empathic thinking is often characterised as the willingness and ability to place oneself in another’s shoes, to feel another person’s feelings, or to recognise that another person feels feelings in the same way as you do. Empathy from the therapist for the client is an important characteristic of therapeutic relationships (Good Therapy, 2014).
Congruence means that a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours match.
Based on person – centred theory and therapy, congruence is less a skill and more an experience. Congruence therapists are described as genuine, authentic, and comfortable with themselves. Congruence includes spontaneity and honesty; its usually associated with the clinical skill of immediacy and involves some degree of self – disclosure (Sommers – Flanagan, 2010). Rodgers also emphasized that congruent expression is important even if it consists of attitudes, thoughts, or feelings that don’t, on the surface, appear conductive to a good relationship. He is suggesting that it is acceptable – and even good – to speak about things that are difficult to talk about (Sommers – Flanagan, 2010). The closer our self image and ideal – self are to each other, the more consistent and or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self – worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them or is denied or distorted in the self – image (Simply Psychology,
2007).
Unconditional positive regard is a term used by humanist psychologist Carl Rogers. According to Rogers, unconditional positive regard involves showing complete support, and acceptance of a person no matter what that person says or does. This means that the therapist accepts and supports their client, whether they are expressing “good” behaviours and emotions or “bad” ones (Cherry, 2006). “It means caring for the client, but not in a possessive way or in such a way as simply to satisfy the therapist’s own needs,” explained Rogers in a 1957 article published in the Journal of Consulting Psychology. Rogers believed that it was essential for therapists to show unconditional positive regard to their clients. He also suggested that individuals who don’t have this type of acceptance from people in their life can eventually come to hold negative beliefs about themselves (Cherry, 2006). Rogers (1977) states that the feeling of having been given unconditional positive regard facilities the development of feelings, reason, emotions, and intellect (Locke and Ciechalski, 1955).
Virginia Mae Axline (1911 – 1988) was a psychologist and one of the pioneers in the use of Play Therapy. She wrote the book Dibs In Search Of Self and was also the author of Play Therapy (Play Therapy Ireland, 2010). Virginia was very much influenced by Rogers theory. Utilising the tenets of Rodger’s person centred approach she devised a play therapy method known as non – directive play therapy later to become known as child centred therapy (Drama in ECCE, 2012). She states that play therapy is based on the fact “that play is the child’s natural medium of self expression, it is an opportunity which is given to the child to play out his feelings and problems, just as in certain adults therapy an individual talks out his difficulties” (Axline 2002:8). From her work and research Axline developed eight principles of play therapy, which help to inform the practice of many play therapists today (Drama in ECCE, 2012).
Bibliography
Books:
L . Landreth, Garry. (2012) Play Therapy; The Art of the Relationship. New York: Routledge.
Rogers, C. (2012) The Carl Rogers Reader. USA: Mufflin.
Webb, L. (2011) Nursing; Communication Skills in Practice. New York; MacMillian.
Fox, S. (2009) Relating to Clients – The Therapeutic Relationship for Complementary Therapist. Kingsley.
Godfrey, T and Lennard, B. (1998) Carl Roger’s Helping System: Journey & Substance. UK, Sage.
O’Connor, K and Mages, L. (1995) Play Therapy Theory and Practice. New York: Morgan.
Websites:
Kendra Cherry (2014) About Psychology. Available at: http://psychology.about.com/ [Accessed 07/03/2015]
Julie Meighan (2012). Drama in ECCE. Available at: http://drama-in-ecce.com/about/ [Accessed 07/03/2015]
Journals:
Rogers, C (1957) ‘Journal of Consulting Psychology’
[Accessed 07/03/2015]