Resources

Play Therapy

Children encounter their world at an experiential rather than a cognitive level. They copy us and try to be like us, this is how they learn. Play is their medium for expressing their experiences and their feelings about themselves. Play for the child is like a rehearsal for adult life, it has structure for the child and is not just a waste of time, it makes sense to them.   Play is where children encounter their natural difficulties and develop skills.

When a child experiences trauma/fright/change, this natural process is disrupted and it is put on hold so that the child can cope, their playtime is used up in protecting themselves and their holistic development is slowed down.

Play Therapy is a way of helping troubled children cope with their distress, and make sense of their lives, and the world they live in, using play as a medium of communication between child and therapist.  The child who comes to play therapy chooses to play in their own way with the toys.  They are in a space where they are in charge, they lead the play.

The play room offers the child a safe environment to explore and move from being a passive recipient of events to being an active director of a non literal event: their learning about themselves and their world is enhanced by the dramatic difference that play affords in a confidential space. When we play ‘as if’ games we can miniaturize fears, and resolve problems, ‘mistakes’ do not have serious consequences, and we can try out new and more satisfying ways of being. This is true in relation to both developmental tasks and in gaining empowerment over overwhelming experiences and emotions. Non directive play http://accesscorkcounselling.ie/wp-admin/post.php?post=55&action=edit&message=1therapy recognises that children are people and not miniature adults. Each child is unique and worthy of respect and dignity. It allows the child to lead and not be directed by the therapist. Within the child/therapist relationship the child can communicate and process their emotional experiences, and in this way begin to play out the traumatic event through associations, symbols, and metaphors.  By repeating the pattern of playing, seeking reassurance, and then playing again, the child gains a sense of control, dignity and empowerment over that part of her play and from this can begin to heal.

Mindfulness, a way of coping in a stressful world

Many of you will have heard of Mindfulness Meditation, but most of you will not have experienced the practice before now.

It is normal to feel sad, anxious, or upset sometimes, and our natural reaction to such feelings is to try to think our way out of the problem. In this struggle we often make things worse by dredging up past regrets and using them to predict negative future outcomes. This can leave us feeling trapped in a downward spiral of negative thinking and feeling, adding to our existing sadness, and leaving us feeling worse off than before.

Mindfulness meditation, based on the Buddhist philosophy of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’  teaches us to become aware of what is happening in the moment and  accept rather than struggle with what is.

Many psychological studies have shown that people who mediate regularly are more contented, have decreased anxiety, depression and irritability, as well as improved memory, better tolerance of the effects of chronic pain & cancer symptoms, and a more robust immune system (Penman D., & Williams M., Mindfulness, a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world).

Mindfulness Mediation is not complicated nor does it take a lot of time. You can meditate anywhere. It’s not about success or failure or an unrealistic striving for some Zen like state. In fact all you need to begin is a commitment to your own self care, and a willingness to practice using your breath as a personal and readily available resource.

Meditation is not about religion, but rather a method of mental training that helps us to cope better with the stress of modern life.

It’s not magic and it won’t solve all your problems, but with patience and practise,  Jon Kabat-Zinn, whose inspirational work became the foundation of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (MCBT), says:

’It gives us the ability to show up fully in our lives and live them as if they really mattered’.

Below are some useful links to free YouTube guided Mindfulness Mediations for those of who would like to explore the practice further.

Capacitar Practices

Patricia Mathes Cane is founder and Director of Capacitor, an international project of empowerment and solidarity which focuses on personal and societal healing and transformation.

Pat has taught workshops in California, where she lives, as well as internationally in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Capacitor is internationally recognised as a way of working with women and families who are survivors of abuse and trauma and this is evidenced by the fact that Pat was the co-ordinator of the Healing tents for the NGO World Forum on Women in China in 1995, and for the Feminist Congress of Latin America. (From: Mathes Cane, P., Trauma Healing and Transformation, 2000)

It takes a holistic approach through the use of mind, body and spirit practices allowing healing to come from within in order to bring balance and harmony to the whole person. Capacitar practices can be used daily to alleviate stress, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, fear and much more. They are particularly effective when addressing addictive behaviours and trauma. The following are some of the practices.

• Finger holds – used to balance emotions
• Mindfulness – used to enable the mind to stay in the present moment
• EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique which is especially useful when addressing addictive behaviours, trauma and much more.
• Visualisation – This can bring about healing through guided imagery and a positive thought process.

Capacitar practices are very useful in this fast moving world to enable us to come back to our good selves and to remember who we are.

For more information contact about Capacitor Ireland contact:

Kathleen Day, Capacitor Ireland, 211 Clontarf  Road, Dublin 3, Tel: 01 8339234 or email cap.ireland@eircom.net