The toolkit

Art: Art is a way of communicating feelings - humankind has always had a fundamental drive towards self-expression and communication and an urge to play, decorate and symbolise. Art is referred to as the most ancient form of healing. It is a nonverbal language that broadens insight and help individuals to understand who they are and find solutions to emotional difficulties. It is a precious tool when individuals cannot resort to words to express inner feelings and conflicts.

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Metaphors and stories:  Storytelling is a universal way to teach children adaptive behaviours. Play therapists tell stories to suggest solutions to challenges, in a safe way that makes them more receptive and less defensive. Therapeutic stories provides a safe distance from painful and personal themes allow children to process them symbolically. Metaphors reach the unconscious in a subtle and powerful way. 

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Sensory / Messy play. Sensory play stimulates the senses and strengthens neural pathways, which enhances the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development: Through messy play, children learn to tolerate sensory experiences, they overcome challenges which is empowering and develops their confidence and promotes a sense of mastery. Messy play is fun and engaging, but also relaxing and helps children regulate their inner states and agitation. 

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Clay: Children can self-soothe by playing with sensory material like clay. Clay is an expressive medium which allows emotional release. It is a very tactile experience involving touch which is naturally cathartic and soothing. Children enjoy experimenting with clay through touching, stroking, poking, punching, squashing etc. It can help a child tell a story, explore feelings or develop their confidence through satisfactory completion of a task.

 

Role play: Dramatic play helps making sense of experiences through taking on various roles. Its projective dimension allows children to explore feelings in a safe way. Through role play, they also develop empathy, and can gain insight and perspective. ​

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Sand: Sandplay enables the expression of experiences that cannot be verbalised; it reaches the preverbal level of the mind and can heal preverbal wounds. It  forms a bridge between conscious and unconscious. The tactile sensations facilitate further the healing process, along with the symbolic figures and the boundaries of the tray. The creative process itself is cathartic as the power is within the client.

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Music & Movement: Movement and music are naturally therapeutic through the release of energy and tensions and the ability to express oneself. Observing how a child moves can also give an indication about their inner feelings as patterns of movement reflects how one might be feeling or thinking. Through movement in therapy, children can creatively express themselves. Music encourages exploration and is strongly linked with bilateral stimulation (when both parts of the brain are activated to promotes healing and calm). 

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Creative visualisation / Mindfulness: Body and mind are linked and affect each other - this intricate link is often used to overcome emotional difficulties and improve overall health. This powerful connection directly influences our wellbeing. Mindfulness guides children to grow and offers a physical and mental relaxation, which has many benefits like emotion regulation or improved memory. Relaxation is about letting go noticing how letting go of physical tensions can help letting go of tensions in the mind.