Neuroscience posits that self-regulation is the culmination of a remarkable process of organizing and integrating profoundly complex neural networks. The attunement process creates a synchronous relationship between child and play therapist largely accomplished through face-to-face gaze, eye-to-eye contact, and suspension of one’s own thoughts and feelings so as to “enter the world of the child” through his/her eyes, feelings, and thoughts (Landreth, 2012). All play therapy theories and modalities emphasize the importance of this relationship between the child and the therapist (O’Connor, 2000). Teaching these skills is a fundamental part of play therapist training (Landreth, 2012).
Rewarding All children and all people need to experience reward. Dopamine, a neural chemical, is responsible for the pleasant feeling we experience in relationships with primary caregivers and the desire to repeat the dopamine in our system, we become depressed and seek dopamine producing events in our lives. Human beings seek dopamine release in healthy ways (e.g., warm human relationships, spirituality, moral behavior, music, rhythm, dance, etc.) or in other ways (e.g., through drugs, alcohol, destructive sexual behavior, salt, sugar, fat, cutting, burning, etc.). Neuroscience informs us that as arousal goes up there is less activation of the reward network. Seriously traumatized children may perceive even subtle power differentials (threat), can experience greater autonomic arousal and a diminished sense of reward; they can feel paralyzed or defensive and explore the world less and withdraw (Gaskill & Perry, 2017). Play therapists have always understood that children come to the playroom and interact with us because it is fun, pleasurable, and safe (Landreth, 2012).
Respectful Finally, a major component of
creating a sense of safety, warm
relationships, and a sense of relational pleasure is respect for the child’s racial, cultural, ethnic, religious, spiritual, and socioeconomic background (e.g., Gil & Drewes, 2005; Gil & Pfeifer, 2016). This has always been of utmost importance to play therapists and fundamental to their training.
Conclusion Undoubtedly, play therapy theory and practice will be required to evolve research and practice likely will enhance understanding of cognitive versus somatic treatment modalities, the number of positive repetitions required, and the adequate adult-to-child social ratios necessary to promote neurogenesis. Still, it is clear that play therapy approaches from all theoretical perspectives are compatible with much of the current neurological research.
References Blaustein, M. E., & Kinniburgh, K. M. (2010). Trauma experience integration. in treating traumatic stress in children and adolescence. In M. Blaustein & K. Kinniburgh (Eds.), Treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents: How to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation, and competency (2nd ed., pp. 55-64). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
10 | PLAYTHERAPY September 2019 |
www.a4pt.org
Gaskill, R. L., & Perry, B. D. (2017). The neurobiological power of play: Using the neurosequential model of therapeutics to guide play in the healing process. In C. A. Malchiodi & D. A. Crenshaw (Eds.), Creative arts and play therapy for attachment problems (pp. 178-196). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Gil, E., & Drewes, A. A. (Eds.). (2005). Cultural issues in play therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Gil, E., & Pfeifer, L. (2016). Issues of culture and diversity in play therapy. In K. J. O’Connor, C. E. Schaefer, & L. D. Braverman (Eds.), Handbook of play therapy (2nd ed., pp. 599-612). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Goldstein, M. (1994). Decade of the brain: An agenda for the nineties. Western Journal of Medicine, 63, 239-241.
Kinniburgh, K. J., Blaustein, M. E., Spinazzola, J., & van der Kolk, B. A. (2005). Attachment, self-regulation, and competency: A comprehensive intervention framework for children with complex trauma. Psychiatric Annals, 35, 424-430.
Landreth, G. L. (2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.
Landreth, G. L., & Bratton, S. C. (2006). Parent child relationship therapy New York, NY: Routledge.
LeDoux, J. (2015). Anxious: Using the brain to understand and treat fear and anxiety. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Ludy-Dobson & Perry, B. D. (2010). The role of healthy relational interactions in buffering the impact of childhood trauma. In E. Gil (Ed.), Working with children to heal interpersonal trauma: The power of play (pp. 26-43). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
O’Connor, K. J. (2000). The play therapy primer (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Perry, B. D. (2001). The neuroarcheology of childhood treatment: The neurodevelopmental costs of adverse childhood events. In K. Franey, R. Geffner, & R. Falconer (Eds.), The cost of maltreatment: Who pays? We all do. San Diego, CA: Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute. Perry, B. D.
(2008). Child maltreatment: A neurodevelopmental
perspective on the role of trauma and neglect in psychopathology. In P. Beauchaine & S. P. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (pp. 93-129). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Szalavitz, M., & Perry, B. D. (2010). Born for love: Why empathy is essential – and endangered. New York, NY: Harper-Collins.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rick Gaskill, EdD, LCPC, RPT-S, has worked in mental health and taught at Wichita State University for many years. He is a Child Trauma Academy Fellow and Phyllis Rae McGinely recipient. Rick has published and lectured on the neurobiology of trauma and play therapy in the USA, Canada, and Australia.
rgaskill@sumnermentalhealth.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
