Reference no: EM132432432

Interventions With Children

• When working with children, it is essential to be aware of their developmental stage. Their language capability may be limited, so the use of alternative forms of therapy is sometimes needed. Play therapy, including art, dolls, and sandtray work, is regularly utilized with young children to help them begin to tell their stories. Children often use these tools to reenact their experiences and express their emotions. Many times these therapeutic play times are ritualistic in nature, a process that helps the child achieve a sense of mastery and control over the situation (Gil, 1991).

1. Analyze play therapy strategies with children
2. Analyze the effects of transference and countertransference on working with children

Play Therapy

• Children who have been abused or traumatized in some way may benefit from working with a therapist. Children often reenact trauma through repetitious play in order to establish mastery over their emotions and integrate experiences into their history on their own terms. Through the use of toys and props, children may naturally share their emotions and past experiences without feeling the pressure they might encounter with traditional talk therapy.

For this Discussion, review the course-specific case study for Claudia and the Chiesa (2012) and Taylor (2009) articles.

1. Post an explanation of ways play therapy might be beneficial for Claudia. Using the insights gained from the articles, describe ways you might have worked with Claudia to address her fears and anxiety related to the mugging she witnessed.

• Support your posts with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

1. Respond to at least two colleagues by expanding on evidence in support of play therapy.

Transference and Countertransference

• Specific skills and knowledge are essential for a social worker working with children. Understanding transference and countertransference is crucial to a healthy therapeutic relationship. Both transference and countertransference can be evident in any client-therapist relationship, but are especially important in working with children because of a common instinct among adults to protect and nurture the young. The projection or relocation of one's feelings about one person onto another, otherwise known as transference, is a common response by children (Gil, 1991). Countertransference, a practitioner's own emotional response to a child, is also common.

1. Post your explanation why transference and countertransference are so common when working with children. Then, identify some strategies you might use to address both transference and countertransference in your work with children.
2. Respond to at least two colleagues who identified strategies different from your own by proposing alternative strategies.