Intervention

The most interesting conceptual framework that I think I would like to use in my clinical work would be play therapy. Play therapy is widely used as an intervention for children's emotional and behavioral problems. (Ray, 2007) Since I am placed in an elementary school for my internship and plan on pursuing a career in the schools, my work would be done with children. Other theories may not be as easily applied to children as play therapy would be. Sometimes just sitting down with children and trying to get them to talk doesn’t work. Adults have the verbal ability to express their thoughts and emotions, whereas young children have not yet developed adequate skills to do so. (Wittenborn et al., 2006) In play therapy, toys are viewed as the child's words and play as the child's language. (Landreth, 2002)

Under the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model (2005), Child Centered Play Therapy is categorized as a direct counseling intervention provided to children and falls under responsive services, one component of the delivery system recognized by ASCA necessary for fully functioning school counseling programs. With hopes for getting a permanent placement in a school after graduation, I feel that this type of therapy would be a perfect fit.

While most therapists ascribe meaning to play, most children see it as �just fun’. For some children having fun, in the context of a thoughtful and sustaining relationship, was the most significant aspect of the therapeutic process. (Carroll, 2001) Sometimes children just open up about their feelings during play and they may not even realize it. Children have much to teach us, if we can find ways to listen.

Right now I still feel like I am at the beginning stages of my life cycle. At only twenty-three years old, I don’t feel like I have done much or experienced much that would affect my work. For example, I haven’t been married or had any children. But the few things that I have experienced, I do believe has left a mark on me both negatively and positively. Most of my own situations and family themes would most be reflected in my clinical work with children since I do not feel that I have ventured far enough into my adult life.

At this present time I am a graduate level student in my final year of school. My family of origin consists of my mother, father and my adopted younger brother and sister, with whom I all live with. I also lived with my maternal grandmother up until a year ago when she passed away. I have been in a serious relationship with my boyfriend for the past two and a half years. I have several part time jobs that include a catering waitress, a physical fitness instructor for children and a substitute teacher that I work in between going to school and going to my internship.

In my opinion, I find it easy usually to relate to small children. I think this could be attributed to the fact that since I was thirteen years old I have been living with very young children. I think that I have found my kid voice and myself and the child would be able to form a working alliance. When first meeting a client I am usually able to engage with them immediately. We can talk about all the kid shows on television, the cool toys that are out, play all the new games and talk about all the young stars in the new movies. Although it may be difficult sometimes for them to express how they are feeling at first, I’d hope that I would be able to develop a rapport with them where they felt they could trust me and reveal anything, no matter how they did it.

I think at this moment in time the most challenging client for me would be one that is dealing with a recent death in the family. Because it has not even been a year since I lost my grandmother, I still find myself having moments of difficulty. My grandmother had lived with me since I was three years old and we developed a special bond and a lot of my positive memories involve her. Although I may be able to normalize and empathize with the child, there will definitely be some tugging on the heart strings that may be difficult for me. I also vividly remember losing my maternal grandfather who lived with me, at the age of six. I remember that being a very difficult time for me as well. Loss may be a hard topic for me to touch on, but I certainly am willing to try.

One familial theme that I know could either contribute or impede to my work would be how close my extended family was while I was growing up. Every holiday, birthday party and Sunday dinner was spent with my grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins. I specifically remember the one holiday I liked best was Thanksgiving, because without fail I knew the whole family on both my mother’s side and my father’s side would be together. When I got older there was a rift among the siblings on my father’s side and my family separated. No one spoke for about two years. Just recently have things started to smooth over between the whole family. The family still isn’t talking to my father’s youngest brother. While things have gotten better, it will never be the way it was before the family drifted. This may either contribute or impede on my work because I do have mixed emotions about this situation.

In my own family of origin among my siblings, I am the oldest daughter. Therefore most, if not all of the responsibility is placed on me. When I don’t want to I am asked to babysit or take care of my younger siblings. I am supposed to be setting a positive example for them as well with my actions and be a good role model. I was an only child for thirteen years so I know how hard of a transition it is to go from being the only one to the oldest one. This will definitely contribute to my work so that I can be able to help that older child who may have had the same difficulty that I once was.

Growing up in my home, my mother stayed home to take care of me and then my younger siblings while my father went to work. I don’t know how easily I would understand what it was like for a child who had both parents go off to work, or whose parents were divorced or came from a single parent home. I am very well aware that there could be a lot of different home-life situations for children these days and every child has a unique experience growing up. Because of that, I try not to be narrow-minded when it comes to those types of client situations or presenting problems I do