CHAPTER 6: Intervention counselling for children

Type of therapy
Play therapy

Definition
Function
Technique
Helps children to
Helping to shape
creative visualisation
therapeutic storytelling
express
key social,
sculpturing
themselves,
creative,
role play
explore their
language,
dance and movement
thoughts and
emotional,
drawing.
feelings, and make
cognitive and
sense of their life
physical
experiences.
processes.
Play is a natural
For children who
activity of learning,
may struggle to
exploration and
express
communication for
themselves
children, and so
verbally,
the medium is
although
considered highly
generally it can
effective for
help children of
helping children to
all abilities,
'play out' what
cultures and
they may find
genders.
Offers a safe and
difficult to put into
comfortable
words.
Work with children
space in to have

FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

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Duration and process

30 to 45
minutes
1st session
-involve an
assessment
parent or carer
talks to the
therapist about
their concerns.
The therapist
will analyse
the child's
strengths and
difficulties, and
history r to
identify what
stresses the
child has been
through so
they can help
may also be
required from

FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

of all ages in a
safe and trusting
environment to
help shift
perspectives of
difficult
experiences and
increase selfesteem and
confidence..
The main aim of a
play therapist is to
equip children with
adaptive
behaviours and
better coping
mechanisms for
everyday life. This
is to help them
develop a more
positive view of
their place in the
world

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the emotional
support to
express their
feelings freely.
Reduced anxiety
about traumatic
events.
Improved
confidence and a
sense of
competence.
Better able to
form healthy
bonds in
relationships.
Improved ability
to trust
themselves and
others.
Enhanced
creativity and
playfulness
Children who
have Attention
Deficit Disorder
(ADD/ADHD
dealing with
parental

the child's
school and
other
significant
adults in their
lives.
Future
sessions - held
weekly at the
same place
and time either at the
child's home,
school or at a
clinic. This
consistency
helps to build a
trusting
relationship
between the
therapist and
child.

separation,
divorce or
conflict.
HAVEwitnessed
domestic
violence.
Music therapy

FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

Creative therapy
that involves
listening to and/or
playing music
Depending on the
needs of the
participant.
Foster selfawareness,
communication
skills and selfesteem.
Utilises the social
and
communicative
nature of music.
Using a range of
instruments and/or
their voice to
provoke
interaction and
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To help children
to explore and
express thoughts
and feelings.
Developing
communication
and linguistic
skills.
increase selfawareness and
develop selfesteem.
To support
coordination
while
encouraging
creative play.
Help those with
learning
difficulties
Help those with a

Singing Singing can help

to develop articulation and
breath control, and within
a group setting it can help
to improve social skills.
Playing instruments
Help to refine motor skills
and coordination. Playing
along with others also
enhances cooperation and
team working abilities.
Rhythmic based activitiesImitating a rhythm, or
making up own, can help
to develop coordination
and range of movement.
In some cases it can also
help to ease anxiety and
aid relaxation.
Improvisation Giving
opportunity to express self

A music
therapist may
work with one
person
individually, or
with a group of
people
together.
The therapy
itself can take
place in a
variety of
settings,
including
hospitals,
schools,
prisons, care
homes and
private
workspaces
depending on

Art therapy

FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

response from the

participants.
This kind of
relaxed and safe
environment helps
to encourage
learning and
emotional release
from those taking
part.

Psychotherapy
that utilises art and
artistic mediums to
help people
explore their
thoughts and
emotions in a
unique way.
To use art as a
primary means of
communication.
Helps people to
feel more
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neuro disabilitymusic is
processed within
many parts of
the brain

Works as a
three-way
process between
the client, the
therapist and the
art itself.
Helps to
communicate
emotions that
may otherwise
be difficult to
verbalise.
Work on either a

in a creative way, musical

improvisation can help
when words fail you.
Composing/songwriting
help to foster a greater
sense of self-awareness,
help to understand
feelings better.
Listening Just listening
to music can have
therapeutic properties. It
can help to develop
cognitive skills and
encourages memory and
attention.
Painting
Crayons/chalk
Sculpting
Drawing/Illustrating
Photography
Found objects
Collaging

the
requirements
of those taking
part.
Every therapist
will have a
different way of
working and
the session
structure will
largely depend
on the nature
of the issues
being
explored.
The therapy
can be carried
out in a variety
of settings,
community
centres,
prisons,
schools and
hospitals.
Sessions will
typically last
around 1-1.5

connected to the
world around
them.

Storytelling
therapy

FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

To transform the
effects of the
problem.
Help clients view
their problems
within the context
of social, political,
and cultural
storylines that
influence the way
we view ourselves
and our personal
stories.
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one-to-one basis
or within a group
depending on
the needs of
those taking part.
Those with
learning
difficulties Art
as therapy can
be helpful to
those who may
not be able to
verbalise what
they feel clearly.
Help to objectify
problems, frame
them within a
larger
sociocultural
context, and
make room for
other stories.
Helps people to
see what is
absent but
implicit in the
presentation of a

Improvisation
Mime
Speech
Movement
Acting out

Use of props and masks

hours and
should take
place on a
regular basis,
Can be as
involved (or
uninvolved) as
you like - if sit
back and
observe for the
first session or
two.

Bibliotherapy
FIEFIEY SUZIEYLLA H.
IPG GAYA

Defined as the use

of literature to
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problem.
Help a person
identify a
common thread
to connect his or
her actions and
choices
throughout life.
Help a person
better
understand his
or her
experience of
life.
to solve a
problem
to achieve
catharsis
to understand
yourself better
to explore and
overcome
unhealthy
behaviour
to improve social
skills.
Helping those
who face new

bring about a
therapeutic
interaction
between a
participant and
facilitator
Involves the use of
books to help
children deal with
the psychological,
emotional and
other personal
issues that arise in
their lives.

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IPG GAYA

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and often
traumatizing life
experiences.
Bring them face
to face with their
fears and worries
is to present who
face situations
analogous to
those in the
childs own life.
See how the
character deals
with such
situations
hopefully apply
the same
methods of
resolution to his
or her own
personal
problems
Important step in
the emotional
growth of a child,
and becomes
even more
significant in

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IPG GAYA

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efforts to help a
child adapt to a
new set of
circumstances
used alongside
Way to spark a
conversation
about the
problems that
the child might
have.
Can be used to
strengthen the
bonds between
reader and child.