Playtherapy and Sherborne Samenspel and Elements of Theraplay at Speelruimte Speltherapie Arnhem – Nijmegen

We experience improvements in classic Childcentered Playtherapy and Relationship Playtherapy as well. Sherborne Parent-child Playtherapy is physical and sheltered which seems a good approach too for us to get in touch with feelings and needs that are not yet met. 

A child maybe dealing with changes, losses or threats in the past, but also in the Now there are challenges going on. This can feel scary, and avoidance and other coping style may rise.  

Sheltered parent-child therapy help children and parents to feel safe growing together. We just keep calm and love, by playing together. Parents learn or improve how to name children feelings and needs, specially those that they try to hide by an unconscious defense style. (coping)

At Speelruimte Speltherapie we apply also elements of Theraplay, for further information about this specifically issue please call us. 

Therapeutical Processes

80% or more of our mental processes are unconscious. Playtherapy is based on the psychodynamic idea of triade, where the ego, our fragile center also is moved by its unconscious aspects:

“Our drives, needs, controle styles and, at certain point, our achieved moral.” 

In Play Therapy we look at needs and defense mechanisms of the Ego (concealed in symbolic play) to help children develop a healthier and when possible more conscious psychodynamic to leave behind their stagned behaviours. So somehow a Child is conscious about that her/his fragility is due to some mental processes in her/his but we are not sure if she/he knows where they come from.

In the most of the cases we don’t directly tell children where we think their behavior problem is coming from, but we play out symbolic situations where these dynamics have a strong roll. When children are ready in their growth we take other healthier rolls as example or inspiration to give them the chance to experience new attitudes in therapy and life as well. 

We do tell them, instead, why they are in therapy and what we can do to help. We also use therefore transitional objects like dolls or pluches telling the child that “they too were being through the same problems and that they found support by playing it out therapy. “

Children are in therapy to break through unconscious processes. So they talk about some needs, when conscious of them, otherwise we will see them concealed in symbolic play situations. We question ourselves through the whole therapeutical process:

“Which needs of this Child are not being met in a way that she/he is showing this behavior to us?”

• To have feel loved, protected and have fun together, with parents, siblings and friends. 
• To learn new things and learn from mistakes. 
• To feel safe and enjoying life together. 
• To trust others and feel that everything is all right. 
• To feel self assured and free to explore the world. 
• To be creative and achieve mastery. 

Processes that are still unconscious are more to be ego defense mechanismes, coping styles to protect Ego for the pain of unmet needs.

• Low self esteem, low self-assurance,
• feelings of abandonment of rejection or even betrayal, 
• tantrums, sleeping problems 
• lying, stealing
• depression, aggression, 
• Pleasing behaviors
• Pain without a physical cause, 
• over- or undereating,
• so along…

In therapy we give the chance to children to develop by giving them the right of choices and decisions and so giving their needs a voice, and stimulating them by staying in touch with her feelings.

Children develop happy and safe: 

• When adults help them to cope with their feelings
• When adults respect their choices and achievements to learn by trial and error
• At school when school stimulates and supports their needs to learn, develop, and become autonomous
• On vacations when not triggered by stress, 
• In therapy, meeting their needs to trust and feel safe and where they may show and be themselves and “talk about” ( many times symbolic into play) their fragilities, 
• In Sherborne Samenspel and (using elements of-)Theraplay, when they feel sheltered, comforted and stimulated by parents.

Rosicler Taffari

Speltherapeut_Playtherapist_Ludoterapeuta

Speelruimte Speltherapie

Arnhem – Nijmegen