Issue 13 - InJoy Magazine

youth, family, community • • • •
Initiate
What Types Of Issues Do
Children And Families Have?
Young people come to counselling for many
different reasons. They may have been affected
by an emotional or traumatic situation, suffered
early trauma, abuse, or live in an ongoing stressful
environment. Children may exhibit unusual or
challenging behaviours which alert us that something
is not quite right. We all have a deep yearning to be
heard and listened to, and this desire and yearning
to express what is inside is even stronger in young
people.
What Is Expressive Therapy?
Expressive Therapy uses a range of self-discovery
processes to bypass the logical mind and tap
into that world we know exists but cannot seem
to comprehend consciously. This experiential and
holistic way of working involves more than ‘just talking
about the problem,’ and provides the opportunity
for real and lasting change. This method allows a
feeling of release, insight, increased energy and a
sense of well-being and resolution.
Expressive Therapies are a coordinated collection of
personal growth methods, such as play, movement,
journaling and Sandplay therapy developed
specifically for helping children and adolescents in
Australia since 1987. This approach is based on the
research and writings of several of the 20th Century
pioneers in human development and psychology.
15
Helping Kids
Express
Their Inner Selves
injoy injoy
by Monique Rutherford
Case Study
Last week I had my first session with an eight year
old boy. I had seen his mother for an assessment
session the week before and found out the
following information. The parents have a long and
dysfunctional relationship. The boy has witnessed
considerable domestic violence. The parents have
been to mediation and the child is with his mother
for nine days then with his father for five days. The
child is displaying physically aggressive, dominating
and controlling behaviours towards his mother and
sister. The mother now has her new partner living
with them and the child is angry at and rejecting of
this partner.
The child arrived with his mother and his sister. He
looked petrified, unable to give any eye contact
and moved towards his mother for reassurance.
I encouraged him to come into my office and
reassured him that Mum would be back from the
shops earlier than our finish time. In the therapy
room, the boy stood completely still, again rigid
and frozen. I asked several questions to which I
got no response. I encouraged him to look around
the room and asked him about why he thought he
was coming to counselling. He shrugged. I began
explaining to him very basically about some of the
things I knew about his life, he nodded reassuringly
each time I got it right. This was the beginning of
forming a trusting relationship with him.
After a while I asked him to choose two symbols off
the shelves of something scary and two symbols of
something beautiful. He stood for what seemed
like an eternity until I noticed a very faint smile. I
commented on it and he said there wasn’t anything
scary enough on the shelves to which I responded,
“Great, let’s draw something that’s even scarier than
what is on the shelves”. He nodded enthusiastically
and I quickly got the crayons and paper out
and got down on the carpet and he joined me
immediately.
He drew a picture of a ‘slayer’ on top of a petrol
station. There was petrol everywhere and a lit
match. We discussed the picture in detail and I
asked if this picture could be anywhere in his body
where would it be. He indicated it would be in his
heart. I encouraged him to close his eyes and see it
in there. He did so and described it as spreading out
from his heart to his whole body.
Then I asked what would happen next in the picture.
He drew an explosion and bones broken flying
everywhere. With further encouragement, he was
able to choose more symbols from the shelves to go
with the important elements of the pictures and we
talked about these images in much more depth.