Connecting to Kids through TechPlay: T
Learning as a Mom and a Play Therapist | REBECA CHOW, MA, LCPC, RPT-S
oys, art supplies, bubbles, books, and modeling clay are some of the play therapist’s traditional tools. As
e
play therapists, we learned to utilize different mediums in creative ways to reach ou clients and families, but most of us seem t to pass on opportunities to reach digital nativesves in a language that makes sense to them. IIm. I. n many cases we are tech-resistant becausause we are fearful of losing the human touch that has been the foundation of our profession. I can relate to many of these fears, becaus I se I still
nt urr o
h that siion. I
remember the way I felt when I had to give up my flip phone for a cellular phone that had only one button and no keypad.
I decided to embrace technology in my professional life because I realized many of my graduate students were curious about utilizing technology in the playroom, and I wanted to make sure they did not lose sight of the most important part of play therapy – the therapeutic relationship. Asking other professionals about some of the apps they love helped me feel comfortable knowing how to use them; this is similar to thinking about bringing a new toy into the playroom.
When I am thinking about introducing technology in my interaction with clients, I always ask myself the following questions: What is the therapeutic reason behind this “activity” (technology platform)? How will this enrich my therapeutic relationship with client? How am I going to keep my client safe? Also, what are the ethical issues related to the use of technology (e.g., professional associations codes of ethics)? Searching online to determine if the technology is HIPPA compliant or has a Business Associate Agreement is important for keeping
In my personal life I started to use technology to connect with my children in a language other than play. In what felt like one of my biggest failures as a mom, I realized how technology could be a great medium for children to use to work through their pain. I travelled with my family to New York to present at a conference, which was one of the biggest accomplishments in my professional life, but I lost my daughter’s special Hello Kitty™ doll. I still remember her face when we realized Kitty was lost in New York and the chances of recovering the doll were very limited. After a few days of grieving her loss, my then 6-year-old daughter shared a movie she created about losing Kitty and introducing “Lucy” (her new special friend) to the house and to her family. As I watched this movie, inspired by grief, I realized the importance of connecting with my daughter in a way that was familiar to her.
In m
MEMBER STORYTELLING CLINICAL EDITOR’S COMMENTS:
Rebeca Chow reflects on how she integrates technology into practice and why she believes in doing so.
n my personal experience, most of the meaningful conversations I ha
have been posted on her social media feed by her friends. Familiarizing myself with the technology my children are utiililizing allows me to understand what they are being exposed to, and how to use that as a tool to open conversations about an opportunity for the children to be the “experts” and to guide me through the process of understanding how the technology is utilized. I still have a hard time understanding
have with my now 12-year-old daughter come from topics that have Fam
an g
As play therapists, I believe we need to consider learning about methods and means of social connection like Twitter™, Snapchat™, Pinterest™, and other applications as an opportunity to
stay current with children’s
interests and development. We might not need to know how to write code or to design a website to stay abreast of the latest trends, but we need to know how to relate to younger generations
in relevant in a
language that makes sense to them to stay
their world.
ABOUT THE MEMBER
Rebeca Chow Play Therapist-Supervisor in Kansas. Rebeca is completing her doctoral work at Kansas State University and is passionate about integrating technology in her clinical work with graduate students and clients.
rebeca@lineuplearning.com
www.a4pt.org | September 2018 | PLAYTHERAPY | 3
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