             was able to calm down. With this declaration, Tom pops his head outside the hammock and looks directly at me, arms open wide, smile on his face, ready to receive and catch the ball, ready to come into full connection and engagement. He is no longer ashamed and disempowered but present and regulated, connected to himself in a new way.


This session was a turning point in Tom’s therapy. After this session,             utilizing the support of the sensory tools as needed. His capacity  in the hammock, puts me in the hammock and spins me. He talks more easily about feelings and cries openly without shame. In every session, we move as we talk. Gradually, his play shifts toward playing  


Conclusion The fabric hammock, and other sensory tools helped Tom move toward,


confront, and integrate his big feelings. Promoting


physiological regulation led to successful verbal processing, and then physical and emotional regulation.


Tom can return to being a kid, with right-size feelings and a freedom to trust and express himself. Through his innate brilliance and wisdom, engagement with the somatic tools, and the attuned play  new state of physical and emotional well-being.


Somatic interventions play a vital role in learning and development in children. To successfully integrate the equipment cited in this article, the play therapist must have training in a somatic approach and have skills for tracking and working with the body. The addition of equipment that encourages more physical movement must be undertaken with caution. Particular attention must be paid to the physical safety of the child as physical risk increases. As in other modalities (sand, art, music) the therapist should have direct, personal experience with any piece of equipment that enters the playroom. The play therapist must be comfortable with touch, hands-on spotting, and obtain written,


informed consent from


the caregivers for this form of intervention. In addition, somatic tools will invite more movement into the play and the therapist is often asked to participate in movement games. Therapists should consider their level of comfort with big movements, as well as any physical limitations. A therapy room with space to move and free of obstacles and breakables is required and may not be readily available. Somatic interventions in general, and somatic tools in particular, target the inherent abilities of the sensory and motor systems of the brain offering a powerful ally as children navigate 


ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Jayne Dean, LMFT, LADC, RPT-S™, is in private  Synergetic Play Therapist/Supervisor and   her approach to healing and transformation through somatic psychology, spirituality, and various movement practices. Jayne is the owner of Connecticut Aerial Yoga. jayne@jaynedean.com


References Association for Play Therapy (n.d.). Play Therapy Makes A Difference. Retrieved from http://www.a4pt.org/page/PTMakesADifference. (2018). Aggression in play therapy: A neurobiological approach for integrating intensity. WW Norton & Company.


Dion, L.


Finn, H., Warner, E., Price, M., & Spinazzola, J. (2017, June 29). The Boy Who Was Hit in the Face: Somatic Regulation and Processing of Preverbal Complex Trauma. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. Retrieved


from https://smartmovespartners.com/wp-content/


uploads/2021/06/the-boy-who-was-hit-in-the-face-somatic- regulation-and-processing-of-preverbal-complex-trauma-article. pdf


Gaskill, R. (2019). Neuroscience helps play therapists go low so children can aim high. Play Therapy. 14(3), 8-10.


Gaskill, R., & Brown, J. M. (2022). Back to the future: The intersection between play therapy and science. Play Therapy. 17(2), 4-8. Landreth, G. L. Routledge.


(2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship.


Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.


Levine, P. A. (2015). Trauma and memory: Brain and body in a search for the living past: a practical guide for understanding and working with traumatic memory. North Atlantic Books.


Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. WW Norton & Company.


Ratey, J. J. (2001). A user’s guide to the brain: Perception, attention, and the four theaters of the brain. Pantheon Books.


Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2011). The whole-brain child: 12 Revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind. Delacorte Press.


van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.


Warner, E., Finn, H., Westcott, A., & Cook, A. (2020).Transforming trauma in children and adolescents: An embodied approach to somatic regulation, trauma processing, and attachment-building. North Atlantic Books.


Warner, E., Spinazzola, J., Westcott, A., Gunn, C., & Hodgdon, H. (2014). The body can change the score: Empirical support for somatic regulation in the treatment of traumatized adolescents. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 7(4), 2237-246.


www.a4pt.org | March 2025 | PLAYTHERAPY | 23


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