NCGE NEWS Autumn 2013
Primary
School-based Play Therapy in Ireland continued
Sample Sandplay scene: Exploring anxiety and containment
Advantages of School-based Play Therapy • Teachers are adept at recognizing which children are struggling with their emotions, behaviours, and their learning • With careful screening, the service can be provided to those whose needs are best met by school-based services • Early intervention is facilitated • Referral systems can work smoothly as the school staff become very familiar with the service • Therapists and school staff can build positive working in partnership relationships • Children can access immediate therapeutic support should a crisis occur
Possible Challenges include • The therapist sometimes has limited access to parents • Finding an appropriate, private, dedicated space can be difficult. It is not appropriate for another person to interrupt a therapy session • Play therapy can be noisy and messy – some schools find it difficult to cope with this • It can be difficult for staff to understand why the play therapist can accept some referrals but not others • When play therapy is first provided, there is a temptation to refer only those children with entrenched problems and those without appropriate support systems, rather than those who are most likely to benefit most from school-based services
• The therapist is available to explain the specific needs of children under stress
• Children with trauma histories may be better served by accessing therapy outside school hours so that their immediate needs for emotional support can be provided by their primary carers
• The therapist can provide support and advice and can provide training to promote understanding of how play therapy works and the rules that govern its provision in schools
• Therapists who are part of the statutory services, and associated multi-disciplinary teams, may be better placed to meet the broader needs of children whose safety and welfare are seriously compromised
• The school can utilize the therapist to provide services for parents to better enable them to meet the needs of their children.
• If a child/young person has an emotional session they may find it difficult to engage in academic learning immediately following their session • Sometimes there can be difficulties with providing sessions of appropriate duration as some schools try to fit sessions into shorter slots rather than the traditional hour.
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