Child & Adolescent Counseling

Playing games is the way children express themselves and their inner world. Children, who is in the concrete operational stage, have trouble expressing their feelings and thoughts with words. Therefore, they export their feelings and thoughts with games and toys, which are part of the developmental process. This conveyance brings along regulation and improvement in the inner process of the child. This healing role of play is used in therapy with many methods. Demirer works with these methods; Child Centered Play Therapy, Experiential Play Therapy, Theraplay and Sand Play Therapy.

Child-centered play therapy is one of the non-directive play therapy approaches. This approach was developed by Virginia Axline and its theoretical framework was created by Garry Landreth. This method is applied to children between the ages of 2 and 12. In the field of child mental health, it is used as an effective method in many problems, except autism and developmental problems. One of the fundamental principles of this approach is to attach importance to the therapeutic process focused on empathy, acceptance, sincerity, respect, trust and relationship in the relationship established between the child and the therapist, and to provide a therapy process in which the child is at the center.

Experiential play therapy is a play therapy method developed by Byron E Norton and Carol C Norton. In this method developed by the Norton couple, there are some approaches of relational play therapy and child-centered play therapy. For this reason, as well as experiential play therapy is a combination of both methods, it expresses the perception of children’s emotions and lifes through experience. Expressing that children do not perceive life through cognitive ways, they experience it through senses, Norton attributes the basis of experiential play therapy on this opinion. This method is applied in children between the ages of 2 – 12, and it is used in many problems in the field of child mental health, especially trauma.

In addition to being one of the guided play therapy approaches, Theraplay is among the seven effective therapy methods recommended by the “Game Therapy Association” for children. Embarking on a family and child dual therapy approach, theraplay emphasized the importance of attachment, which forms the basis of healthy mental development in children’s lives. In this attachment-based approach, the child’s perception of life, trust in the environment, and ability to cope with difficult experiences is achieved through secure attachment. There is no need for a play therapy room while working with this method. Session processes carried out by theraplay therapists are carried out with the child and the nourice. Theraplay is a method used in childhood, adolescence and group therapy, including infancy.

Sand play therapy has taken place in the literature by Dora Kalff with the combination of Jung’s approach and Lowenfeld’s method. Sandplay therapy includes both directive and non-directive approaches. This method is an approach administered to children as of 8 years of age, adolescents and adults. In this method, numerous miniatures, trays painted in blue and natural sand materials are used. With this method, which is used in both children and adults, the unconscious processes of the individual are reflected through miniatures and sand. With this method, the client connects with his internal and external psychological processes and thus realizes the healing process with the integrity formed in his psyche. This method is used in many problems in the field of child, adolescent and adult mental health.

Aaron T Beck, psychiatrist who led the formation of the cognitive behavioral therapy echole, suggested that the psychological problems experienced were caused by dysfunctional thoughts and the lack of appropriate behavioral coping skills. For this reason, with the cognitive and behavioral therapy approach applied to children, adolescents and adults, for the clients’ awareness of their own thoughts, monitoring their behaviors and problem solving skills are studied. This approach is used in many psychological problems in children and adolescents.