time, Ralph and his parents appeared to display a sense of optimism and hope regarding his future.
me. When I greeted Ralph at the second session, he ran out of the waiting room. Ralph’s mother and I followed him into the hallway, I suggested that they have a few minutes together. When neither one came to my office, I went to the waiting room and found Ralph’s mother pleading with him to see me. With nothing to lose, I asked Ralph if he would agree to meet with me for at least five minutes. Surprisingly, he agreed to do so if his mother joined him. We entered my office and after a few moments of silence, I said to Ralph that I understood how difficult this was for him, but I promised him that this was a safe place and that we only do things that boys and girls like to do. After looking at me for a few seconds, he asked his mother to join him in two short board games while I watched. At the end of the session, I told him that the next time we meet, we can continue to do things he enjoys, and he replied that he would come back. From that point on, he willingly attended all future sessions. My acknowledging his fear and providing reassurance that we would move at a safe pace was a turning point in establishing an alliance with him.
As therapy progressed, Ralph became more comfortable in sessions.
However, his anxiety was still evident in school and at home. I asked Ralph what things he felt he was good at or at least interested in. Without hesitation, he replied that he enjoys reading about animals and that he had been yearning for a pet but his parents were not supportive. I could sense the extent of his passion about animals and it led to my formulating an intervention. As his school attendance had not significantly improved, I contacted school officials and told them of Ralph’s interest in animals. I added that the school might not have been providing Ralph enough experiences that fostered his sense of competency. Perhaps if he had an experience at school that resonated with him, he may be more motivated to attend. I suggested using his interest in animals as a springboard to achieve that goal. With some trepidation, the school allowed Ralph to become a pet monitor by taking care of the animals that the school housed in various classrooms. Helping with the animals required Ralph to get to school and feed them prior to the start of the school day. The resulting effect helped motivate Ralph to get to school on time. Ralph became a very diligent caregiver for the animals housed in the school. Given his interest in this subject, I suggested to the school staff that they allow Ralph to speak to some of the younger classes about how to take care of pets. Ralph immediately embraced this idea, and with encouragement from school staff, wrote a short booklet about this topic, which was housed in the school library. School staff and parents noticed a marked shift in Ralph’s affect as he now attended school on a regular basis as well as his enhanced motivation to succeed.
I observed this change in Ralph’s demeanor in sessions. Ralph was visibly relaxed in his sessions, spontaneously sharing details with me about his school position as well as other aspects of his life. One day Ralph asked me if I would like to play chess with him. This request was indeed a marked departure from his previous behavior in sessions. I discovered that Ralph was a very proficient player and he provided me with a detailed critique of my skills as he soundly defeated me. I was genuinely impressed with his ability and shared this with him. Ralph replied that he likes to play chess with family members. I wondered aloud if he had ever thought of joining a chess club and he immediately responded that he would like that very much and would ask his parents to sign him up. The change in how Ralph presented over the course of his treatment was striking. For the first
This vignette illustrates how a strength-based perspective had ramifications not only for Ralph, but also helped to galvanize school staff, as their mindset changed and they felt more able to work collaboratively with this family. Further, Ralph’s parents also implemented strength-based suggestions at home improving their relationship with him. While this example was not strictly a play therapy case, it does illustrate how a strength-based orientation can be applied in a therapeutic context with children. In this instance, and in many others, I have found that this perspective led to a change in the attitude of an initially “resistant” child as well as the major adults in their life. As pointed out by Brooks & Goldstein (2001) discovering and utilizing a child’s island of competence, or signature strength, can be a powerful experience that pays huge dividends.
References Achor, S. (2010). The happiness advantage: The seven principles of positive psychology that fuel success and performance at work. New York, NY: Crown Business.
Brooks, R., & Goldstein, S. (2001). Raising resilient children: Fostering strength, hope, and optimism in your child. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Crenshaw, D. A., Brooks, R., & Goldstein, S. (Eds.). (2015). Play therapy interventions to enhance resilience. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Lopez, S. J., Pedrotti, J. T., & Snyder, C. R. (2015). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Seligman, M. E. P. (with Reivich, K., Jaycox, L., & Gillham, J.). (1995). The optimistic child: A proven program to safeguard children against depression and build lifelong resilience. New York, NY: Mariner Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steven Baron, Psy.D. is a school psychologist and a 28-year private practitioner who primarily treats children, adolescents, and their families. He has completed Post-Doctoral training in child and adolescent psychotherapy.
drstevebaron@gmail.com
18 PLAYTHERAPY | September 2016 |
www.a4pt.org
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