Play Therapy Community

Build Love Maps

Knowing each other's world is so vital to the health of a relationship. It's important to make exploration of each other's world an ongoing effort. This can help strengthen the relationship and help each person in the relationship to feel felt and cared about.

Share Fondness and Admiration

Fondness and admiration is noticing what's going right and what's good rather than putting a focus on the negative. If couples are in "Negative Sentiment Override" as Gottman calls them.

Turn Towards

Turning towards your partner, both literally and figuratively is important as it sends a message that "you matter", "I care", "you're important to me". Gottman uses the metaphor of a RELATIONSHIP BANK ACCOUNT to illustrate the need for 5 times as many positives to every one negative in a relationship. Turning towards and accepting "bids for connection", such as holding hands, inviting on an outing, snuggling, etc. is important to build the relationship bank account up so that when there are negatives, it doesn't go into a negative balance.

The Positive Perspective

The positive perspective focuses on friendships. When couples engage in a strong friendship, then they can weather the storms better. They have a stronger tolerance for difficult circumstances.

Manage Conflict

Sixty nine percent of the conflict in a relationship is perpetual, which means it doesn't have a clear resolution. Often couples need to move towards compromising on issues. It's important that couples learn how to use soft startup and avoid the 4 patterns of communications that can eat away at a relationship: Criticism, Defensiveness, Contempt, Stonewalling. Gottman refers to these as the 4 Horsemen.

Make Life Dreams Come True

Having fun, adventures and dreams together, as well as honoring each other's dreams is so vital towards the health of a relationship. Couples that laugh and have fun together often have a much healthier relationship.

Create Shared Meaning

Together, couples build a shared culture that incorporates what each of them knew to be true in their formative years, as well as new things that they do together in their own relationship and their own family. Also, what legacy they want to leave in the world together is explored.

Trust and Commitment

Trust & Commitment are the walls of the sound relationship house. If these walls are weakened in any way, the entire house could be at risk from falling. Through repair work, couples can repair ruptures and move towards healed trust and commitment that can weather the storms of a relationship.

https://playtherapycommunity.simplero.com/page/73863-free-download-tips-for-supporting-grieving-children

https://www.facebook.com/PLAYTHERAPYCOMMUNITY/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

Double Mirror Doodle

• Using a large piece of paper and 2 crayons, have the student doodle a mirror image design. This helps with grounding, focus, and clarity through bilateral integration of both hemispheres of the brain.
• • Materials
  • • Large Paper
    • 2 crayons

What Happened Next

• Using a large piece of paper and something to write with, have the student sequentially tell the story of what happened from beginning to the end. This narrative supports "top-down" processing of the event.
• • Materials
  • • Large Paper
    • Pen, Pencil, or Crayons

Tumbling Blocks Conversation Prompts

• Using a Jenga (or generic version) game, the child and the counselor will pull a block and respond to the prompt on the block. This can be used for a variety of topics to include coping skills, social situations, icebreaker, friendship skills, etc.

Pick-Up Straws

• Using straws, students will pick up a straw and respond to a prompt coordinated with the color-coded prompts on a list of prompts in variety of areas.
• • Materials
  • • Package of Straws with a Variety of Colors

Career Charades

• In this activity, the child(re) will act out a carreer while the others guess. It can be an ice breaker or connecting activity as well for groups.
• • Slips of paper with careers or modified prompts to direct the child on what to act out in charades style.

Career Creation

Through clay creations, the child or teen will mold the dough or clay to form a symbolic representation of the career. For example, they may create a toothbrush for a dentist. This can be modified to fit the topic of the area in need of supporting, such as emotional literacy and expression, family system support, and much more.

Social / Emotional/Friendship Thumballs

• In this activity, the ball is tossed to each player. The person catching the ball will respond to the word, statement, response closest to the player's right thumb. Write words, statements, responses on the ball with a permanent marker. Themes could be "Ice Breaker", "Social Situations", "Emotional Literacy", etc…
• • Materials
  • • Large Air Filled Ball
    • Black Permanent Marker

Fishing for Solutions

• In this activity, each child "fishes" for a statement or a question. Once the child "catches' a fish, he/she responds to the group.
• • Materials
  • • Foam Sheets (variety of colors)
    • Permanent Black Marker
    • Small Round Magnets
    • ½ " x 2' Dowel Rod
    • 1' of Twine
    • Large Metal Bucket
    • Large Blue Cloth
    • (Cut foam pieces in the shape of a fish. Glue a round magnet on the fish shape for the eye. Create a fishing pole by tying and gluing the twine to the end of the string. At the end of the string, glue a round magnet.)

Mandalas

• In this activity, each person creates a design in the circle. This art therapy directive can differ based on goals for the activity (team building, expression, calming, etc…). After completion, a group discussion can be initiated to explore the process and any feelings that surface…
• • Materials
  • • Large Sheet of Paper
    • Round Object for Circle Shape to Trace on the Paper
    • Crayons, Markers, and/or Paint

Bibliotherapy

Therapeutic Books with Activities to Address Various Issues

• "Have You Filled Your Bucket Today" (Relationships) In this activity, the child(ren) will write down positive, helpful statements to others on the slips of paper, then place in others' "bucket" to symbolize kind acts.
• • Bucket(s)
  • Small Slips of Paper
  • Writing Instruments
• "Invisible String" (Grief and Loss) In this activity, the child will illustrate pictorially the people that they feel connected as in the metaphor of the invisible string that is represented with clear glue.
• • Paper
  • Glue
  • Crayons
• "Personal Space Camp" (Social Appropriateness) In this activity, the child learns about the appropriate amount of space to allow for peers and others in their familiarity with the visual aid of a hula hoop. The child is to be directed to notice the distance as it is an appropriate for personal space.

• Hula Hoop

Positive Belief "I am..." Activity

In this activity, the child "ranks" each statement depending on feelings of accuracy. Statements can be adapted to individual / group. The final rank of statements could then be discussed for self-awareness and a starting point for self-image concerns

• Materials
• • Printed sheet with the following statements, cut into strips.
  • • I am CONFIDENT
    • I am INTELLIGENT
    • I am CREATIVE
    • I am HUMOROUS
    • I am KIND
    • I am CONFIDENT
    • I am GOOD
    • I am CAPABLE

Self-Talk Thought Bubble

• This activity is most effective when it is frontloaded with psychoeducation to teach the child about self-talk and how it impacts various situations such as test anxiety, social situations, etc.... To create the dialogue bubble, cut the poster board in the desired shape with a head shaped hole in the middle. Instruct the child to write some positive and negative self-talk statements on the board. Each statement can be used as a participatory discussion starter to strengthen the child's understanding of the importance of using positive self-talk to better situations.
• • Materials
  • • Large Posterboard
    • Sharpie Marker
    • Scissors

Dr. Taylor is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida.

She's also the Center for Play Therapy Training and Research Director, as well as the Play Therapy Certificate coordinator.

She earned her graduate degrees from the University of North Texas.

She learned from many of the leaders in the Play Therapy world.

Dr. Taylor is trained in Adlerian Play Therapy developed in the early 1990's by Terry Kottman, Ph.D., Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, NCC, LMHC

Adlerian's belief is that people's behavior is purposeful and goal-directed. Their early childhood experiences influence their behavior, as well as how they view themselves, others and their world.

4 Phases of Adlerian Play Therapy

(1) Relationship Building – This phase of the therapy is non-directive and supports safety in the play room. By creating a shared power, the client can really feel like a significant person in their world. This phase supports building trust within the child.

(2) Investigating the Lifestyle – In this phase, the therapist becomes more directive in their work. A focus is placed on how they view themselves, others, and the world. There are a lot of things to take into consideration for the client, especially information on their personality, how do they feel like they matter in the world.

(3) Gaining Insight – At this point in the therapeutic process, the therapist has a really good idea how the child is viewing themselves, others and world. The treatment plan is developed after phase 2, once the therapist has a good idea of who the child is and how they view the world.

(4) Reorientation –In this phase, the therapist teaches the children skillsets through role play, family work, and more. One of the goals is to directly support their ability to generalize the skills in different settings to support their self-efficacy.

The therapist looks for signs that the child is ready to move into each phase.

It's important to truly understand the child's lifestyle.

These 3 things are across each of the categories in the lifestyle:

• Goals for Change
• Strategies
• Progress

Parent consultation is an important component of Adlerian Play therapy. Half of the session is spent with the child and ½ of the session is spent with the parent or every other session with parent then with child is scheduled.

During the therapy, the parent is also following the 4 phases. During the parent consultation, how the parent is viewing the world is explored since it greatly influences their parenting approach.

During the parent consultation, the parent learns many of the same skills as the child, so that they can respond to the child in a different way that is supportive of the treatment plan for the child.

Dr. Taylor highly recommends reading Partners in Play by Terry Kottman 3rd Edtion.

Crucial C's of Adlerian Play Therapy

• Courage
• Connect
• Capable
• Count

It's important for each therapist to choose a theory that aligns with how you also view the world to foster authenticity of delivery of services.

The relationship is the most critical element of the therapy.

http://education.ucf.edu/playtherapy/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ucf-center-for-play-therapy-research-and-training-first-annual-play-therapy-conference-partners-in-registration-26582158953

https://playtherapycommunity.simplero.com/page/73863-free-download-tips-for-supporting-grieving-children

https://www.facebook.com/PLAYTHERAPYCOMMUNITY/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

Dr. Stacy Van Horn is currently a full-time faculty member and School Counseling Coordinator at the University of Central Florida in the Counselor Education and School Psychology Program within the Department of Child, Family and Community Sciences. She teaches graduate students at both the masters and doctoral level primarily in the areas of career development, counseling with children and adolescents, ethical and legal issues in professional school counseling, and coordination of comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs. She also supervises practicum students in the Community Counseling and Research Clinic (CCRC) on campus and school counseling interns throughout Central Florida schools. Prior to her position as a Counselor Educator, Dr. Van Horn worked as a professional school counselor for over nine years in Orange County Public Schools working with diverse students, teachers, and families in Central Florida. Dr. Van Horn has experience in creating and coordinating comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs at both the elementary and middle school level. In addition, she has experience collaborating with exceptional education school personnel on developing strategies and counseling approaches for exceptional education students. Her current research interests include training and supervision of professional school counselors, counseling interventions with diverse children and adolescents, and the role of professional school counselors in providing effective career development in schools. Dr. Van Horn has presented at national, regional, state, and local counseling conferences, including American Counseling Association, Association for Specialists

Prior to her position as a Counselor Educator, Dr. Van Horn worked as a professional school counselor for over nine years in Orange County Public Schools working with diverse students, teachers, and families in Central Florida. Dr. Van Horn has experience in creating and coordinating comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs at both the elementary and middle school level. In addition, she has experience collaborating with exceptional education school personnel on developing strategies and counseling approaches for exceptional education students. Her current research interests include training and supervision of professional school counselors, counseling interventions with diverse children and adolescents, and the role of professional school counselors in providing effective career development in schools. Dr. Van Horn has presented at national, regional, state, and local counseling conferences, including American Counseling Association, Association for Specialists for Group Work, American School Counseling Association, the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Florida Counseling Association, the Florida School Counselor Association, and invited presenter at the Florida Association for Gifted Children.

School Counselors have a unique role within the school setting. A school counselor works as a vital part of a team and stakeholders.

• Primarily, School Counselors work within 3 primary domains: Academic Development, Career Development, and Social/Emotional Development.
• • Elementary counselors may teach more classroom guidance lessons, identify students in need of more support in regards to specialized programs, connecting with parents through parent conferences, and more…
  • Middle school counselors may facilitate more small groups, put greater focus on peer interaction, help students with communication skills, and engage in more career exploration with students.
  • High school counselors tend to provide more 1 on 1 counseling, coordinate bigger school events and assemblies, conduct credit checks, advise students on credit requirements and class selection, prepare students for college with college readiness activities, coordinate / conduct testing, and focus on students' transition into college. School counselors are so vital at every level!
• It's really important for others to know the role of a School Counselor to maximize the benefits of this important role. This is sometimes a big challenge in the field as this is predefined. Students from University of Central Florida (UCF) are prepared to articulate the role to others.
• School counselors can interact with students in several ways to include, but not limited to one on one, small group, classroom guidance, assemblies, etc...
• Counseling provided by a school counselor is much different than therapy in a clinical setting. School counselors often experientially provide students with coping skills to help with managing anger, healthy friendships, solid study skills, mindfulness techniques, and much more.
• School Counselors often conduct career days, Red Ribbon Week activities, award assemblies, extra-curricular activities, etc…
• It's helpful for School Counselors to observe students in different environments.
• It's so important to be visible as a School Counselor to the parents, administrators… and most importantly the students.
• School counselors can also provide trainings to teachers. Dr. Van Horn polled teachers to see what areas they would like to learn more about. She remembers a training that she offered while she was in the role of a School Counselor on "How to Have a Strength-Based Meeting". In this training, her team role played to take the learning to a deeper learning to an experiential level.
• School counselors often conduct several meetings throughout the years, IEP, 504s, behavior support, etc.
• It can be really helpful for school counselors to connect with child therapists in their area.
• Advantages of Being a School Counselor - School counselors have so much impact on students over weeks, over the school year, and over the course of several years. School counseling is a unique profession, as rarely are 2 days the same. It's so helpful to work together as a team with all of the stakeholders such as parents, teachers, administrators, etc. Unlike therapists, a school counselor has the advantage of seeing the child throughout the day in a variety of settings. Often School Counselors are the first line of support to students. School Counselors may have request slips that the students can submit to request support that doesn't require consent from parents, session fees, or many of the other limitations that may prevent a student from obtaining help when needed. Dr. Van Horn speaks of "Cluster Groups" within the school to discuss creative ideas, opportunities and such.
• Disadvantages of Being a School Counselor - Often school counselors are faced with limited time, limited resources, limited student connection time, lunch duty, etc. School counselors often wear many different hats: testing coordinator, scheduling, lunch duty personnel, car loop support, credit checks, child study meetings, and so much more. All of these roles can create confusion on the role of a school counselor and can take them away from services that utilizing their specialized skills to help students in the best way.
• Sometimes School Counselors face a lack of support.
• School Counselors benefit from placing a focus on how they can take care of their own personal emotional and physical wellness as they can be pulled in so many directions that ca be emotionally draining. It's important to establish boundaries to keep emotionally healthy.
• School counselors benefit from knowing great therapists in the community so that they have good referrals to provide to their students in need. Sometimes School Counselors co-present with therapists in their community to their parents and their staff, as well as to create trainings and workshops.
• Relationships between school counselors and child and family therapists in the community are so beneficial.
• When crises happen in schools, relationships within helpers in the communities can make such a huge difference.
• Dr. Van Horn talks about when she realized that she couldn't have her "to do" list checked at the end of the day. She normalized the feeling of overwhelm with so many tasks in a limited amount of time.
• Play therapy techniques can be used by school counselors in a low-cost way that can be implemented in efficient ways.
• What does a "typical" day in the life of school counselor look like? School counselors really don't have a "typical" day. Each day can look so different.

Learn More about Dr. Van Horn at UCF http://education.ucf.edu/faculty_detail.cfm?id=591

Association for School Counselors, ASCA https://www.schoolcounselor.org

Jackie's Play Therapy Community www.playtherapycommunity.com

Jackie's Private Practice www.counselinginbrevard.com

Jackie's Consulting Support www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

Pam Dyson, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S, is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, child development expert and parenting coach. In addition to her private practice www.pamdyson.com in Plano, Texas she provides consultation and supervision services and facilitates play therapy workshops at conferences throughout the US. She is the recipient of the Association for Play Therapy 2013 Key Award for Professional Education and Training and is currently serving a three-year term on the APT Board of Directors. Pam is the founder and director of the DFW Center for Play Therapy Training. www.dfwplaytherapy.com

In this episode, Pam shares with us how she put together her office space.

After a few times of moving her office, she has tweaked her set up until she created it just like she wants it.

Pam selected her toys and materials strategically, based on influence from Garry Landreth's work. She referenced his book, Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship .

She has toys from each category: Expressive, Aggressive, & Nurturing. This helps her to determine what toys she has it in her play room.

Each toy that she has was selected based on its therapeutic value. How it can help the child express and release their emotions should be considered.

It's important to have real-life toys, expressive materials, blocks, playdough, and more. Here's a link to a recommended toy list: http://cpt.unt.edu/about-play-therapy/recommended-toy-list

Pam's space is an organized and calming space.

Pam has 2 plain looking dollhouses in her space. Having 2 doll houses can help children play out what it is like transitioning between 2 homes.

"We can't always change what's going on around them, in their world, in their environment. But, we can help them improve the way they feel about themselves." Pam Dyson

Naming the child's emotion is helpful for the child to process situations in their life.

Playing activates the right hemisphere of the brain while naming the emotion activates the left. This supports integration of the 2 hemispheres, which allows the child to fully process.

Pam couldn't imagine doing the work that she does without play because integrating both sides of the brain is so important.

In Pam's space, there's a little table that she uses with her clients for many different purposes.

Pam intentionally puts everything in the same place, so that her clients know where things are located. Since they use the toys like we use words, it's important for them to be able to find their words easily.

It's important that there's a sense of order in the playroom, so it feels like a safe, predictable experience for them.

Pam makes the distinction between Sandtray and Sandplay therapy. She uses Sandtray therapy in a separate room to use with older clients either individually with their parents.

Having 2 separate rooms, Play Therapy Room for younger clients and a Sandtray Room for older clients, Pam can best help both ages. And it helps lesson clean-up time as well.

Pam allots 15 minutes for clean-up time before the next client. She doesn't feel too rushed in between clients. She starts each session on top of the hour.

She has an observation window in the play room to facilitate Child Parent Relationship Therapy. She also uses it to train other therapists how to work with the child. It has recording capacity for training purposes and self-evaluation as well. She always obtains written permission before recording. She records for clinical trainings mostly.

Pam is the director the DFW Center for Play Therapy. She offers 2 workshops a month for people interested in learning how to do Play Therapy. She's an approved provider for the Association for Play Therapy. Her trainings offer continuing education credits. She really enjoys it.

Play Therapy can be used across the lifespan. It looks a bit different but can be used with any age.

Merchandise is available at Pam's trainings. Her trainees can buy toys and miniatures and begin to implement what they learned right away.

Her workshops are experiential in nature to support that integration of the brain for the therapists as well.

To tour Pam's space, visit www.pamdyson.com

Pam meets with the parents before she meets with the child. Based on the information from that session, she makes a recommendation on how to best work with the child. She has a parent consultation room that is comfortable and cozy, which she also uses for family therapy sometimes.

Pam keeps a bowl of fidget toys in the room to help ground and relax her clients and their parents.

Pam is a doodler! It helps keeps her focused while on the phone, at conferences, etc.

Pam models playing with the child for the parent. She stresses the importance of leaving the phone and other electronics in the other room while playing with their child so they can be more present. Weekly playtimes can be so valuable.

It's really important to involve the parent in the therapeutic process as much as possible.

Pam shares lots of free videos on her social media sites.

Play Therapy Community www.playtherapycommunity.com

Tour Pam's Office www.pamdyson.com

Trainings - www.dfwplaytherapy.com

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/pamdyson/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/PamDysonPlayTherapy

In this episode Billie Jo covers the following:

• Description of what Infant Mental Health is and what professional support in this area involves.
• A discussion on the impact that ages 0-3 has on a child's development – emotional, physical, cognitive, etc.
• Clarification of who could benefit from Infant Toddler Mental Health Support
• Tips for therapists working with children and families.

https://www.zerotothree.org/early-learning/infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health

https://www.facebook.com/PLAYTHERAPYCOMMUNITY/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

Ellis Edmunds is a licensed psychologist in Oakland, CA. He has a private practice working with teens and adults struggling with anxiety. He is passionate about Mindfulness practices and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He also loves to play games of all kind and has created a therapeutic board game called The Mindful Bus that can be used with groups or in a one on one setting. He believes games can provide a fun, safe, and interactive experience for therapeutic work to take place.

In this episode Dr. Edmunds covers the following:

-How he got the idea for the board game by working with teens and adults. -The process of getting the game created: prototypes, testing it, art work. -How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy inspired the idea for the game. -How to get started on your own product or game.

http://www.boardgamesmaker.com

http://drellisedmunds.com

http://www.themindfulbus.com/

http://facebook.com/drellisedmunds

https://www.facebook.com/PLAYTHERAPYCOMMUNITY/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

In this episode Dr. Kat covers the following:

• Understanding what Maternal Mental Health is and where to find trained professionals to help.
• Where to get training for professionals working with mothers in the mental health field.
• Understanding postpartum depression, anxiety, and much more.
• Reducing the shame of maternal mental health struggles through support, education, and sharing stories.
• Her podcast, Mom & Mind is a wonderful free resource for parents, professionals, and anyone that could use information and knowledge in this area.

Dr. Kat's Amazing Podcast http://www.momandmind.com

Mom and Mind Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/PLAYTHERAPYCOMMUNITY/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

Expert Guest: Mercedes Samudio, LCSW Mercedes Samudio, LCSW is a parent coach, speaker, and author who helps parents and children communicate with each other, manage emotional trauma, navigate social media and technology together, and develop healthy parent-child relationships. Over the course of her career, she has worked with adoptive families, foster families, teen parents, parents navigating the child protective services system, and children living with mental illness. Mercedes started the #EndParentShaming movement as well as coined the term Shame-Proof Parenting – using both to bring awareness to ending parent shame. Mercedes is a leading parenting expert and has an amazing following on social media that allows her to reach the hearts of thousands of parents who feel heard and seen on their parenting journey. She has been featured on The Huffington Post, US News and Report, Woman's Day, LA Parent Magazine, CBS LA, and Kids In The House. Mercedes seeks to empower parents to believe that they are already great guides for raising healthy and happy children. You can read more about her parenting expertise at http://shameproofparenting.com.

In this episode, Mercedes covers the following:

• How family meetings can help strengthen relationships.
• Important things to consider when having family meetings.
• How to respond to sibling rivalry and the benefits.
• The importance of listening to children and allowing them to participate in family discussions and problem-solving.

Mercedes' Book – Shame Proof Parenting

Mercedes' Website

https://www.facebook.com/ShameProofParenting/

www.playtherapycommunity.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolcounselors/

https://www.facebook.com/counselinginbrevard/

www.counselinginbrevard.com

www.playtherapycommunity.com

www.parentingintherain.com

www.jackieflynnconsulting.com

https://twitter.com/jackieflynnrpt

My guest today is Dr. Jonathan Singer, Ph. D., LCSW, who is an expert in the area of suicide. He is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Loyola University in Chicago and the founder and host of The Social Work podcast. He co-authored the book, Suicide in Schools. This episode focuses on suicide assessments and interventions and is the first of a two-part series.

• Therapists can do much at various levels to assess risk. The most important action is to screen for suicide risk at each intake assessment, whether it's suspected or not. Often, aggression and other behavioral disturbances can be evidence of suicide risk, so ASK the questions!
• What can parents do? Dr. Singer says that parents of any child at risk should talk to the school counselor about a referral. "Don't start looking for someone when the need arises." Therapists should also connect with school counselors and let them know who you are and what you do.
• Dr. Singer explains Attachment-Based Family Therapy, which is emotion-focused and addresses the fundamental issue of why kids don't see their parents as a resource for help. "Why does the child feel like it's a better choice to die rather than talk to and open up to their parents?" Repairing the "attachment rupture" makes it easier than to talk about everything. Kids need their parents to be a safe place!
• Within ABFT, parents must understand the difference between condoning and validating by giving care and acceptance with words and actions. Use the phrase, "tell me more" to encourage kids to share. With this, they gain confidence to start problem-solving on their own---and this is what we want them to do!
• Another important aspect of ABFT is the service coordination between therapist and counselor. The amazing work in your office is not going to be beneficial if the adults in the kid's life are not on the same page!

Resources:

www.playtherapycommunity.com

Find Jackie and the Play Therapy Community on Facebook: Look for Play Therapy Community or Jackie Flynn Play Therapy Community.

Find Jackie on Twitter @jackieflynnrpt

Suicide in Schools by Dr. Jonathan Singer

Social Work Podcast

Join the Play Therapy Community Mastermind group - www.playtherapycommunity.com/mastermind