integrated Solution Focused Therapy interventions into play sessions by recognizing and highlighting exceptions to the identified negative beliefs. We identified times Briana felt loved, included, and valued, and created positive affirmations which countered the negative beliefs. We also continued using body scans and body maps to anchor the positive affirmations into her body. This phase was extremely important, providing a positive lived experience for Briana. The paired association allowed Briana to utilize skills learned in session and to maintain a state of self-regulation outside of the play therapy room. The fifth phase of SomaPlay Therapy involves creating a new relationship with the body by increasing self-empathy and compassion. As Briana learned to listen to her body’s emotional and hunger cues, she was better able to discern her needs. Rather than suppressing and engaging in maladaptive eating, Brianna worked to access her body’s wisdom and express her needs and emotions as they arose. At the time of termination (eight sessions), Briana displayed a significant reduction in her maladaptive eating patterns and was ready to begin family therapy.
Summary Briana’s outcome is consistent with recent research indicating that mindfulness and embodiment improves the treatment results for children and adolescents with eating disorders and body image issues (Atkinson & Wade, 2015; Linders & Lancaster, 2013; Sands, 2016). When the whole body is engaged in therapy, new perspectives are discovered by the client through an embodied experience (Gaete & Fuchs, 2016; Herbert & Pollatos, 2012; Linders & Lancaster, 2013; Stanghellini et al., 2012). The use of mindfulness and embodiment practices with children and adolescents to increase self-regulation and emotional awareness (Atkinson & Wade, 2015; Kestly, 2016) is growing. SomaPlay Therapy, designed to integrate body-centered practices and embodiment into play therapy for children and adolescents with clinical eating disorders, may prove promising in addressing this growing need.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Turner, Ph.D., LPC-S, RPT-S has practiced with children and families for almost 15 years and specializes in using body-centered interventions to heal trauma, grief and loss, and attachment issues. She is involved in leadership at the local, state, and national level and is the 2017 APT Emerging Leader Award recipient. She currently teaches at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and plays daily with her two-year-old son.
rturner@umhb.edu
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