Play Therapy: A walk to the inner world of Ching Ching

Birds fly, fish swim, and children play (Landreth, 1991). Adults rely on words for communication while children consider play as the most natural medium to express themselves. Play Therapy encourages children to express their repressed emotions (such as fear, worries, loneliness, guilty etc.) through play to benefit children’s development by improving their emotional and behavioral problems, and helping them to overcome difficulties in social interaction and learning.

The therapy focuses on assisting the children to learn about and cope with their negative emotions or other problems rooted deep in heart. This whole process is child-centered. In the playroom, children are not bounded with any constraint, could freely select toys and set up rules of games.

Toys and materials in the playroom are all under careful selection, and are divided into 3 categories: Real Life toys, Aggressive-release toys and Creative Expression toys. These toys, in the course of Play Therapy, are considered as the communication medium of the children.

Real life toys
Top: Creative expression toys
Bottom: Aggressive-release toy

A walk to the inner world of Ching Ching

The saying “You are under pressure, I am under pressure” has once gone viral in society, and it still holds true to all of us today. Every individual is possible to have emotional problems and children are no exception. The following case of Ching Ching is an example:

Ching Ching was a primary 3 student while she was undertaking Play Therapy. Ching Ching consistently felt depressed because of different sorts of problems, for example: fear of crossing road and taking lift alone, difficulties in getting along with other peers and frequent emotion explode. These problems, affected Ching Ching day after day, eventually planted a suicide thought in her mind whereas her mum was so worried for fear that Ching Ching would really attempt suicide. Being recommended by a friend, Ching Ching’s mum got to know that Children and Family Services Centre (Kowloon City) under HKSPC did provide Play Therapy. With an aim to sweeping away her daughter’s fear and having a better understanding of her thoughts and needs, Ching Ching’s mum decided to give the service a go.

Express Feelings Eliminate Fear

Indeed, children are usually less expressive, and may be unable to articulate themselves clearly. In such circumstance, play, as if by magic, could lead the children to open their heart. In the playroom, Ching Ching could choose her favorite toys in games. Social worker would adopt “Tracking” skill, reflecting to Ching Ching what she was doing so as to make her feel the company and her play behavior was under attention.

Ching Ching once pushed a roly-poly tumbler very hard, Social Worker Ms Tai responded immediately, “You are pushing the tumbler to show your power, making it irresistible. You are using much effort to beat up a powerful enemy.” Throughout the play session of pushing the tumbler, Ching Ching had vented her feelings, and swept away her fear. Besides, gradual improvements in her emotional and behavioral problems could also been seen.

Playroom offers a safe environment for children to explore and express themselves freely

Build Confidence and Independence on a Playful Journey

In the process of Play Therapy, social workers allow children to make their own decisions, and “Acknowledge” their behaviors. “We put ourselves in children’s position. If their ideas are acknowledged by adults, they will start to build self-confidence and independence, and will even express their inner thoughts on their own initiatives.” Social Worker Ms. Tai added.

Social Worker makes good use of various toys to open children’s heart

A Little Twist in Discipline Patterns A Drastic Change in Child’s Life

Over the past year, Ching Ching received 32 sessions of Play Therapy in total. Ching Ching’s mum was grateful to witness the significant change. “Now, she does not lose her temper easily and able to maintain a harmonious relationship with other children. Most importantly, she does not mention “wanting to die” again. She is becoming more cheerful and brave that she suggested joining camping and even helping me to buy food ingredients in the supermarket all by herself.” She said.

Ching Ching also told her mum, “I love to go to the playroom. It makes me feel happy and relaxed.” When she grows up, she wants to be a social worker to help other children in need.

Apart from the above changes, Play Therapy enables Ching Ching’s mum to redefine the discipline patterns that suit her daughter the best. She pointed out that “Play Therapy let me know that parents’ emotion and behaviors do influence children, so I made a change on my discipline patterns, giving my daughter more autonomy. I am glad to see her being more independent than before. I thought only children needed to receive counselling but now I realize the importance of parents taking proactive approach to involve in the process. It allows me to understand their development needs.”

Besides, Ching Ching’s mum mentioned her husband also experienced a positive change after receiving Play Therapy. In the past, Ching Ching’s dad only had little time for his daughter that he wouldn’t back home right after work. Ching Ching’s mum always reminds him the appropriate attitude and communication skills when being with daughter, sharing him the importance of spending time with child. Now, their relationship is way closer than before, as Ching Ching’s dad will make his best effort to go home early, play with Ching Ching more often, and pick her up after tutorial class as well.

Make a Difference

Through the case of Ching Ching, we firmly believe that Child-centered Play Therapy can help to solve children’s emotional and behavioral problems, and even improve parent-child relationship. At Children and Family Services Centre (Kowloon City) under HKSPC, each year there are 50 children need Play Therapy. However, they often fail to receive comprehensive service because of unfavorable family financial situation or other reasons behind. In general, children suffering from emotional problems need at least 12 sessions of Play Therapy to see an improvement. To help these children in a timely manner, we really hinges on the support from different sectors of society. Just HKD$300 per month can provide 1 session of Play Therapy to the needy children, helping them get out of the woods. Now, let us strive together to provide a healthy and happy future for our children!