them to touch me” (Brody, 1997, p. xiii). Phyllis further recalled how crucial Ernestine Thomas was in this early work as a secretary on the unit:


People were in awe of Ernestine’s ability to connect with the children. In a staff meeting someone said, “That child doesn’t talk.” A more observant person responded, “He talks to Ernestine!” Ernestine’s magical powers with children were very important to our ideas of how to work with them in the Head Start program. She was the first mental health practitioner to work with Head Start children and was the “star” of the first film that Ann made documenting the Theraplay® “Theraplay®


approach: Here I Am. The name ” was suggested by the filmmaker to differentiate this new approach from other play therapies.


…we developed new activities that we could use to engage and delight the children, as well as to calm and comfort them. AND IT WORKED!


We asked the mental health workers to interact with each child in the same way parents interact with their young children: sensitively, spontaneously, face-to-face, with no need for toys, simply inviting the child to join them in joyful, interactive play.


In weekly


supervisory sessions, we helped these young workers reflect on their own and the child’s experience to be more attuned to each child’s needs. Together we developed new activities that we could use to engage and delight the children, as well as to calm and comfort them. AND IT WORKED! Sad, withdrawn children become livelier and more outgoing. Angry, aggressive acting-out children calmed down and engaged with others in a friendly, cooperative way.


,


Phyllis described that they were advocating an approach based on natural patterns of parenting and interactive play. “We felt that young people with a natural gift for connecting with children would be able to carry it out if we gave them good training and good supervision. So, we recruited lively young people, college students, high school students,” even her daughter as a high school senior, and her husband, a professor at the University of Chicago, who worked with three little boys at a public school near the university. These early recruits took individual children 2-3 times a week out of the classroom to any quiet space available: under the stairs, between the school’s inner and outer doors, or in empty classrooms.


BECOMING A SUPERHERO: A BOOK FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA


By Miri Bar-Halpern, PsyD, and illustrated by Magali Laitem, PsyD


• Provides young children with specific coping skills for dealing with trauma.


THE COPING SKILLS GAME, REVISED


• Participants enjoy learning how to cope with daily challenges.


• This game teaches 9 different coping strategies.


• Children will learn


how to deal with feelings, adjust attitudes, discover choices, accept imperfections, and more.


• Includes strategies to reduce PTSD symptoms.


• Helpful for prevention and intervention.


• Based on proven, research based techniques.


• Includes bibliotherapy techniques.


TRAUMA REACTION CARDS • Therapeutic tool to assist understanding & identifying reactions to trauma & stressful events.


• Identify behavioral, cognitive, physical, & emotional reactions to trauma.


• Useful for children and adolescents.


10% OFF USE COUPON CODE: A4PT 12 | PLAYTHERAPY | March 2018 | www.a4pt.org CHILDSWORK.COM


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