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Play therapy

1. General characteristics of the play therapy method

Game therapy is a method of psychotherapeutic influence on children and adults using games. There are several classifications of the main types and forms of play therapy, depending on the criteria underlying them:

Depending on the theoretical approach, there are:

play therapy in psychoanalysis;

client-centered play therapy;

response play therapy;

relationship play therapy;

primitive play therapy;

play therapy in domestic psychological practice.

Depending on the functions of an adult in the game, there are:

non-directive play therapy;

directive play therapy.

According to the form of organization of activity:

individual play therapy;

group play therapy.

According to the structure of the material used:

play therapy with unstructured material;

play therapy with structured material.

All of the listed types and forms of play therapy are used in correctional and developmental work with children. In psychological work with adults, the game is used in group psychotherapy and socio-psychological training in the form of special exercises, tasks aimed at developing communication skills, acting out problem situations, etc. [see: Osipova, p. 125].

The development of the theory and practice of play for therapeutic and correctional purposes for a long time took place mainly within the framework of two approaches - first psychoanalytic (Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Helmina Hug-Helmut) from the 20s. XX century, and starting from the 50s. - humanistically oriented. Each of these approaches has implemented its own idea of play therapy. psychological essence games, the mechanisms of its correctional and developmental effects, the role of games for the development of a child’s personality [see: Age-related psychological approach...].

The most developed areas of play therapy are: child psychoanalysis, play psychotherapy of response, play therapy for relationship building and non-directive play therapy. All of these psychotherapeutic schools largely structure the process of play therapy with a child in the same way: the child plays in a specially equipped play room, and the psychotherapist is present in this room and reacts in a certain way to his actions. The therapist's level of activity varies, as does the interpretation of the child's play [see: Landreth].

A. Freud was one of the first to use play therapy. Psychoanalysts have discovered that the main methods of psychoanalysis do not work on children. Children cannot describe their anxieties in words, they are not interested in exploring their own past, the method of word associations does not work due to small vocabulary, tendencies to perseveration, etc. Therefore, instead of these methods, psychoanalysts began to use observation of the child’s play and study of children’s drawings.

In the 1930s the direction of response psychotherapy arose - structured play therapy for working with children who experienced a traumatic event. Its founder was David Levy. His approach was based on the fact that play gives children the opportunity to respond to mental trauma.

The course of such play therapy is built in three stages:

th stage - establishing contact - free play of the child, his acquaintance with the room and the psychotherapist;

The th stage is the introduction into the child’s play of any situation reminiscent of a traumatic event, using specially selected toys. In this situation, the child himself controls the game and thereby moves from the passive role of the victim to an active role.

The th stage is the continuation of the child’s free play.

In such play therapy, the directive principle is used, i.e. the initiative in play situations belongs to the psychotherapist. Careful technical and methodological preparation of such play therapy sessions is important. A role-playing game plan is drawn up in advance, taking into account the age, characteristics of the client’s psycho-emotional state, and the ultimate goal of psychotherapy [see: Landreth].

A humanistically oriented approach in psychological practice in relation to children is represented by child-centered therapy (non-directive) and relationship therapy.

Relationship play therapy stems from the research of Jessie Taft and Frederic Allen in the 1930s. XX century It focuses on the therapeutic power of the emotional relationship between the therapist and the patient (full acceptance of the child, faith in his abilities), the attitude towards the child as an individual who, relying on his inner strength, is able to constructively change her behavior. The goal of such therapy is not to change the child, but to help him affirm his Self, a sense of self-worth, self-confidence, because each child is a unique personality and has internal sources of self-development [see: Landreth; Osipova].

Based on humanistic principles, Virginia Ex-Line has developed a system of non-directive play psychotherapy for children - client-centered play therapy, the goals of which are self-knowledge and self-government of the child, and the creation of conditions for his growth, development, and self-realization. She viewed play as a means of maximum self-expression for a child, where he can fully reveal his feelings and experiences. The psychotherapist does not interfere with the child’s play activity, does not control him, but observes, studies his emotional and behavioral reactions in various play situations and tries to understand personal characteristics[see: Exline].

A significant figure in non-directive play therapy is Harry Landreth. In his book Play Therapy: The Art of Relationships, he presents the theoretical aspects of this type of therapy. He defines play therapy as “a dynamic system of interpersonal relationships between a child and a therapist trained in play therapy procedures who provides the child with play materials and facilitates the building of a safe relationship so that the child can fully express and explore his own self (feelings, thoughts, experiences and actions) through play, a natural means of communication for a child” [see: Landreth, p. 23]. G. Landreth describes a different view of a psychotherapist on a child - the view of someone sitting next to him, and not someone sitting opposite him with the “objective” look of a researcher, an adult who knows something a priori. His book is a reference book for many play therapists.

According to I. Yu. Mlodik, the only organization of the process in non-directive psychotherapy is the organization of support for the child in the process of being in his inner world, when the child shows his feelings, desires, lives and fulfills them in the process of play. Then the child becomes stronger, smarter, happier, he grows up. This is more difficult than it seems, because adults very quickly get used to guiding people, evaluating them, influencing them, and making their choices. These desires are transmitted to children through thoughts, feelings, speech, life attitudes, so a psychotherapist working in non-directive psychotherapy has to specially learn new skills in his behavior and speech [see: Mlodik].

Non-directive play therapy allows you to successfully solve the following correctional problems:

Identification and updating of the child’s internal resources.

Expanding his repertoire of self-expression. The game provides the child with symbols that replace words. To a large extent, a child's play is his language, and his toys are his words.

Achieving emotional stability and self-regulation. Deprived of external control, the child begins to better and more effectively manage his internal processes independently.

Correction of relationships in the “child - adult” system [see: Age-related psychological approach...; Osipova].

In the 60s XX century in the USA in connection with the emergence of psychological assistance programs for children in primary school Another direction of play therapy has emerged - primitive play therapy, which is an addition to the learning environment and helps any children to effectively use their learning abilities, and not just those who have disabilities mental development[see: Osipova].

Today, most psychotherapists use a combined approach, combining the principles of psychodynamic, non-directive play therapy and response therapy in the process of play therapy.

In recent decades, there has been great interest in the use of play therapy in Russia. At the same time, there is a creative rethinking and enrichment of the theory and practice of play therapy based on the theory of mental development of the child and the theory of children's play, developed in the works of L. S. Vygotsky, D. B. Elkonin, A. V. Zaporozhets and others.

According to D. B. Elkonin, behavioral difficulties in children in most cases are caused by conflicting relationships between adults and children. The optimal form of modeling and researching these relationships is a role-playing game. In this case, the plot of the game becomes the area of reality that is reproduced in it. The structure of such a game includes:

the role that the child takes on and in which, in a generalized, symbolic form, he reproduces the activities of adults or peers;

gaming actions - symbolic actions of a figurative nature, free from the operational and technical side, which allows us to model a system of relations between people;

rules of the game [see: Obukhova; Elkonin].

D. B. Elkonin notes that play is “an activity that overcomes egocentrism”; the mechanism of decentration is the child’s acceptance and performance of a role, which implies a different point of view from his own, a different position [see: Elkonin]. To implement role-playing games in play therapy, a group form of work is considered preferable. The function of an adult is to organize the game and guide children in problem and conflict situations. For each lesson, the psychologist must select special stories that would reflect situations specific to an individual child or a specific group. The psychotherapeutic effect is achieved due to the child’s ability to become like a role image. It is useful to change roles during the game so that everyone can be in several images, try out various models of behavior (for example, one child plays the role of a teacher, the rest - students, then the children change roles). At the same time, the child can transfer his own, including negative, emotions and qualities onto the game image and at the same time see them as if from the outside, which helps to overcome negative emotional states and rebuild the emotional personal sphere.

For children with disabilities for those with insufficient social experience, dramatization games based on the plots of familiar fairy tales are suitable. In this form of work, the psychologist must first discuss the content of the fairy tale with the child and help recreate the images of its characters.

The main psychological mechanisms of the corrective effects of the game are the following mechanisms:

system modeling social relations in play conditions, exploration and orientation of the child in them;

changing the child’s position in the direction of overcoming egocentrism and consistent decentration, which contributes to the awareness of one’s own self in the game and an increase in social competence;

the formation, along with play relationships, of real equal partnerships of cooperation between the child and peers;

organization of step-by-step development in the game of new adequate ways of orienting a child in problematic situations and their assimilation;

formation of the child’s ability to voluntarily regulate activity based on the subordination of behavior to a system of rules governing the fulfillment of a role and behavior in the playroom [see: Age-related psychological approach..., p. 188; Osipova, s. 128].

2.Organization of the play therapy process

Game room, game material and set of games. The size and furnishings of the playroom are very important in pediatric therapy. If the room is small, then the children are too close to each other and to the therapist, which can frustrate them, strengthen their defenses, provoke aggression in children prone to it, and further promote more care a withdrawn child into himself. Too much a large room, on the contrary, allows withdrawn children to avoid contact with the therapist and group members and creates a desire to indulge and play violent games in aggressive children.

One of the most important criteria for equipping a playroom is safety and minimal risk of injury to children. To do this, the room must be well lit, there should be no glass doors And large windows. The floor should be non-slip and easy to clean, the furniture should be durable. It is better to place toys on shelves firmly attached to the wall. Since children are allowed to do almost whatever they want in the playroom, it is desirable that the walls of the room can be easily repainted, the table for drawing and modeling should be covered with oilcloth, and it is also desirable to have a washbasin. Children are characterized by a desire for constant movement, so conditions for climbing should be created in the room (vertical pole, wall bars or rope-ladder) [see: Age-related psychological approach...; Osipova; Ginott].

Toys and materials used in play therapy should provide:

modeling and playing out areas of communication that are significant for the child, typical conflict situations (in the family, kindergarten, school, hospital, on the street, etc.);

the ability to express negative emotional states;

development of personal qualities (confidence, positive self-image, reduction of anxiety, etc.);

opportunity for mental development.

All toys can be grouped into three large classes:

toys from real life: a spacious toy house, a doll family, a variety of tableware and kitchen utensils, plastic food, furniture, bathroom accessories, vehicles, medical kit, cash register and toy money, blackboard, puppets, wigs and hats, telephones that can ring, etc.;

toys that help respond to aggression and fear: toy soldiers, military equipment, bladed weapons and firearms, handcuffs, noise musical instruments, masks of a wolf, monster, etc.;

means for creative self-expression: plasticine, clay, paints, crayons, sand, water, pencils, construction sets, building blocks, etc.

Toys should be quite simple, since their function in play therapy is to help the child play one or another role, and entertaining, complex toys provoke the child’s desire to just sit and play with them [see: Developmental psychological approach...; Newson; Osipova].

The range of games used in play therapy includes games with structured play material and plot and unstructured games.

The first type includes family games (people and animals), aggressive games, games with puppets (puppet theater), construction games that express constructive and destructive intentions, etc.

Unstructured games include motor games exercise games(jumping, climbing), playing with water, sand, clay, drawing with fingers, brushes, pastels, colored pencils.

Playing with unstructured material is especially important in the early stages of play therapy, when the child’s feelings have not yet been expressed or recognized by him. Playing with water, sand, paints, and clay provides an opportunity to express your feelings in a non-directional form. Later in the process of therapy, the emphasis, as a rule, shifts to structured games that open ways for the expression of the child’s feelings and experiences, including aggressive ones, in socially acceptable ways [see: Osipova].

Limitations in play therapy. There is no unity of opinion on the issue of limiting the child and introducing rules into play therapy. However, most experts believe that restrictions in play therapy are one of the important elements. It is the combination of the game and the set of rules that provides the child with maximum freedom and gives an amazing liberating effect. Reasons for such restrictions may include safety, ethical and financial considerations. There should not be many such rules, for example:

a certain lesson time (45 minutes - 1 hour), and the child must be warned about the end of the lesson in advance: “We only have 5 minutes left”;

you cannot harm the psychologist and yourself;

You cannot take toys out of the room;

Do not intentionally break toys.

E. Newson believes that such rules should be formulated impersonally or using the pronoun “we”: you can only fight for fun; breaking can only be done for fun; when it's time to go home, we go home and don't take anything with us [see: Newson, p. 174; Ginott].

Indications for play therapy. Game activities are recommended for children aged 3 to 10 years; individual tasks and exercises can also be used when working with teenagers (11-14 years old).

General indications for play therapy are behavioral, characterological and affective disorders, which include: social infantilism, inadequate level of aspirations, unstable self-esteem, uncertainty, egocentrism, shyness, difficulties in communication, fears and phobias, anxious and suspicious character traits, bad habits, aggressiveness. Play therapy is effective in correcting mutism, speech retardation, learning difficulties at school, the consequences of various psychological traumas (parental divorce, loss of loved one etc.), intellectual and emotional development of mentally retarded children, treatment of stuttering, alleviation of psychosomatic diseases [see: Zakharov; Osipova].

There are two forms of play therapy: individual and group. V. Exline notes that in cases where a child’s problems are related to social adaptation, group therapy may be more useful than individual therapy. In cases where the problems are centered around emotional difficulties, individual therapy is more beneficial for the child [see: Exline]. Most often, the play therapy process includes both forms of work. First, the child undergoes individual therapy, and the duration of this stage depends on the initial mental status of the child. At favorable conditions it may simply be an acquaintance and the establishment of a primary trusting relationship between the psychologist and the child. Next comes the stage of group therapy, which, according to most experts, has a number of advantages.

Group therapy helps establish a therapeutic relationship. The presence of other children reduces tension, and the child becomes more willing to communicate with and trust the therapist than in individual therapy. In addition, he has the opportunity to establish multilateral interpersonal relationships, identify himself not only with the therapist, but also with other members of the group, and re-evaluate his behavior in the light of their reactions. For example, an overprotected child may become less dependent by identifying with more independent group members; hyperactive children may become less active and more thoughtful under the neutralizing influence of calm children.

In individual therapy, the child often engages in only one activity in each session, for example, only paints with a brush and does not try to draw with his hands. Looking at the children in the group, he can learn to use all the variety of materials and ways of using them, which increases the supply of his sublimator channels.

It is important to understand that, unlike communication training, play therapy does not involve solving any group problems, and its goal is not group interaction. The focus of both individual and group play therapy is on the individual child, and not on the group as a whole, so groups can be either open (their composition can change during the work) or closed (their composition is formed before the start of classes). However, the relationship between band members is important elements therapy, so its effectiveness largely depends on the composition of the group. This is especially true for non-directive play therapy, in which children are given maximum freedom of action, and the facilitator takes the lead. passive position. H. J. Ginott formulated the criteria for selecting children for group non-directive therapy, while describing in some detail and even figuratively the characteristic personal and behavioral characteristics of the categories of children he designated.

Indications for group non-directive therapy:

Withdrawn children (depressed, schizoid, submissive, fearful, shy, uncommunicative, silent, uptight and meek). Many of these children have no friends and avoid social contacts. Their main problem is social isolation, so what they need most is free and safe interpersonal communication. For such children, an active but gentle group is optimal. Friendly adults and peers, interesting toys do not allow them to withdraw into their holes.

Immature (infantile) children are children whom their parents love as babies, and not as adults with their own needs. Such children are usually overprotected, spoiled and completely unprepared for the realities of life outside the family. These children usually really want to communicate with their peers, but cannot adequately accept the needs and feelings of others and always insist on their own. Therefore, they constantly come into conflict with other children, thereby creating confusion at school and in the yard. The group offers these children a safe space to test new behaviors, where they try to adapt to the values of their peers and learn critical social skills: sharing, interacting, competing and cooperating, arguing and settling quarrels, not giving in and compromising. All this helps them accept their peers as equals.

Children with phobic reactions are children whose anxiety is expressed in specific repressed fears, for example, dirt, darkness, loud noises. They maintain their anxieties by refusing activities that seem dangerous to them. In a group, it is difficult for a phobic child to avoid his problems; he is forced to face his anxiety.

Good kids are too good, obedient, neat, well-behaved and overly generous. They're worried

about mom's health, are concerned about dad's finances and strive to take care of the younger ones. Their whole life is focused on appeasing their parents, and they have little energy left to satisfy their own desires or to build relationships with peers. They are afraid of their aggressive impulses and the aggressive responses of adults. Such children bring gifts, draw pictures, clean the playroom, tell the therapist how good he is, but this should not be mistaken for a real relationship. Group therapy encourages people to give up obedience to adults and to acquire normal aggressiveness.

Children with “bad habits” such as thumb sucking, nail biting, eating problems, tantrums. Unless there is a more serious pathology, these disorders are transient and can be regarded as an expression of repressed desires for independence. In most cases, these difficulties do not begin in early childhood, but appear later as a result of the parents' inability to come to terms with the child's growing independence. In the process of group play therapy, the desire of such children for independence is encouraged due to the absence of prohibitions on the part of an adult and through identification with more independent peers.

Children with behavioral disorders, manifested in fights, cruelty, truancy, and general destructiveness. This behavior can occur at home, at school, or in the yard. When a child misbehaves only at home or, conversely, only outside the home, this may indicate that the main reason for such behavior is an unconscious protest against real or imagined mistreatment by parents. In this case, the optimal treatment method is group therapy.

The most difficult thing in the therapeutic process is to establish a trusting relationship with such children, since they are suspicious of all adults, therefore they are afraid of the therapist, do not trust his kindness and cannot stand the fact that he allows everything. The group for such children acts as an isolator, diluting the tension that close contact with the therapist creates [see: Ginott, p. 30-37].

Contraindications to play therapy. Individual play therapy is ineffective in the case of those diseases and developmental disorders in which the child is not capable of either communication or play activities, for example, severe mental retardation, complete autism, non-contact schizophrenia.

Group therapy is contraindicated for children with undeveloped social needs; those in an acute post-traumatic state; with significant mental impairment; with borderline conditions or with a psychiatric status that does not require special treatment; with obvious antisocial behavior. Such children need individual therapy.

The effectiveness of group play therapy, as noted above, depends on the composition of the group. If it is chosen haphazardly, this method of therapy is not only ineffective, but can be harmful. Taking into account the features of group non-directive therapy, H. J. Ginott formulated criteria for refusing it to certain categories of children.

Contraindications to non-directive play therapy:

Acute enmity between siblings. Children with intense hostility toward their siblings perceive all group members as substitutes for their siblings and treat them in the same way. They torture their bandmates with the most different ways. Individual therapy is first recommended for such children.

Children with overdeveloped sexual desires are children who have been subjected to sexual overstimulation (parents may have unknowingly seduced them with erotic caresses, they may have slept in their parents' bedroom and witnessed what was happening in it). Such children demonstrate prematurely matured sexual interests and actions and require in-depth treatment and individual therapy before they can be included in a group.

Children with perverted sexual experience (involved in homosexual relationships). They may activate latent homosexual tendencies in other children or involve them in unwanted experiments.

Children who steal (have a long history of stealing). Chronic theft is a serious symptom, often reflecting intense hostility towards society. Such children may steal from the therapist, group members, or in the playroom and encourage other children to steal. Such theft cannot be overcome quickly. If children steal, for example, only at home, this may be revenge for mistreatment. Such children can be placed in a group.

A deeply stressful situation. Children who have experienced severe psychological trauma or sudden disaster may exhibit severe behavioral symptoms without associated personality disorders. The child may react to fire, traffic accidents, death of a loved one, etc. by developing symptoms similar to neurotic or psychotic symptoms. These children need immediate individual therapy.

Overly aggressive children. The degree of aggression of the child must be assessed before psychotherapy begins. If this aggression is rooted in deep hostility, homicidal tendencies, psychopathy, or a masochistic need to increase punishment, then group psychotherapy is contraindicated. Such children should not be allowed freedom of action; this only leads to further disorganization of the individual. Strong prohibitions must be placed on their actions to force them to “think before they act.” This policy cannot be implemented in a free group atmosphere due to the negative effect it may have on other children.

Sociopathic children. Children are not usually diagnosed as a sociopath. But in clinical practice, it is quite common to encounter children 7-8 years old who act as if they are completely devoid of conscience. These children are superficial, proud, overactive, capable of extreme cruelty without visible guilt or anxiety. They seem to be completely devoid of empathy and completely indifferent to the well-being of others. They may seem charming and attentive, but in reality they are cold and distant.

Such children love to come to the group, but they make the lives of other children terrible, bully their playmates, try to manipulate the therapist, take sole ownership of all the materials, steal toys and generally create an atmosphere of hatred in the group and frustration in the therapist. They effectively block the process in therapy, preventing other children from acting and playing autonomously. Therapeutic prohibitions do not apply to them. These children quickly change the topic when the meaning of their behavior is discussed. They also interrupt discussions of other children's problems, as if they are afraid of any insight. Even direct criticism has little effect on them, because they are completely indifferent to what others think about them.

However, in a child under the age of 8, even if his personality carries sociopathic tendencies, his character is still not fully formed, so he can be placed in a group on an experimental basis. It is important that there is only one such child in the group. Individual therapy is not suitable for such children. They reject any authority, including the therapist [see: Ginott, p. 37-41].

Composition of the group. H. J. Ginott believes that the number of children in a non-directive play therapy group should not exceed five. Groups bigger size difficult to monitor and do not allow the therapist to monitor each child's activities. A group with an odd number of participants is optimal, as this stimulates children’s activity, promotes dynamic relationships, flexibility of role positions, and creates greater opportunities for children to try out different roles. Even number children are provoked by the creation of stable-rigid dyads, in which inadequate models of relations of dominance - submission, leadership, and inadequate roles are consolidated [see: Ginott].

Some authors believe that the difference in the age of children in a group should not exceed 12 months. Others, on the contrary, find different age groups useful. But everyone notes that the presence of even one unsuitable person in a group can cause enough disagreement to block therapy.

In the case of combined play therapy, one can also rely on the clinical and psychological criteria for group formation identified by A.I. Zakharov [see: Zakharov, p. 207], according to which the age boundaries of groups should be determined by the same level of socialization of children and allow the use of age-related examples for pedagogical purposes. Accordingly, the optimal groups of children will be: 4-5 years old (4 people); 5-7 years (6); 7-9 years (6); 9-11 years (6); 11-14 years old (8 people).

The experience of many specialists shows that therapy is more effective when the group is led by two play therapists (preferably a man and a woman); in this case, the number of children in the group can be increased, but not more than 1.5 times. Working in pairs, facilitators can take a more objective look at the group, discuss the features of what is happening during the process, and indirectly influence the formation of the correct gender-role identity in children [see: Zakharov; Osipova].

The composition of the group depends on the problems with which the participants come to class and on the goals correctional work. There are two approaches to the question of whether children with similar or different developmental problems and difficulties should be included in a group. Some psychologists believe that the group must be formed in such a way that children have a corrective influence on each other. Withdrawn children should have the opportunity to mold themselves according to the model of their more sociable peers, fearful ones should be placed in the company of more courageous ones, aggressive ones should be placed in groups with strong but not bellicose children, etc. Other experts believe that a “problem-specialized” group makes it possible to carry out targeted correction with the help of specially selected games [see: Age-related psychological approach...].

A. I. Zakharov, based on his experience of working with children with characterological and affective disorders, considers diverse groups to be the most effective, which allow them to reproduce a variety of intra-group connections, similar to the communication of participants in life. The main criterion is clinical and psychological compatibility, which is achieved by selecting participants, their dyads and triads in the process of individual psychotherapy [see: Zakharov].

It is not advisable to place brothers and sisters in the same group. During therapy, the child should not take care of the younger sister or listen to the instructions of the older brother. It is better not to place in one group those children who are in contact with each other outside the therapeutic situation, since one of the tasks of psychotherapy is to replace old relationships with new ones. The presence of an acquaintance sometimes provokes a return to old behavior patterns.

It is recommended to have one well-adjusted child in the group who does not have too many problems and has high self-control. Such a child has a soft positive influence on overly active children with their fair comments [see: Age-related psychological approach...; Ginott].

The main stages of the implementation of a correctional and developmental group play therapy program. It was previously noted that today most domestic play therapists use a combined approach, combining the principles of non-directive and directive therapy. In general, the sequence of stages of the process of group game therapy and their content, described by different authors, do not have any fundamental differences. A fairly detailed and structured correctional and developmental program of play therapy is presented in the work of G.V. Burmenskaya and E.I. Zakharova [see: Age-related psychological approach...]. This program includes four main stages, which differ in tasks, methods and means of work, tactics of behavior of the psychologist and duration of the stage:

Approximate;

Actualization and objectification of typical difficulties in the development of children and conflict situations they experience;

Constructive and formative;

Generalizing and consolidating.

Approximate stage - duration 1-2 lessons.

Tasks:

establishing emotionally positive contact with the child;

orienting the child in the environment of the playroom and the rules of behavior in it;

getting to know group members and establishing first interpersonal relationships.

The behavior of a psychologist is non-directive in nature, the child is given freedom and independence within the limits of the rules of behavior, initiative is encouraged, empathic listening is used, and play and non-play techniques are used to introduce rules.

Methods and means: spontaneous improvisational plot- role-playing games, aimed at getting to know each other and establishing relationships with peers (“Pass the ball in a circle”, “Trickle”, etc.); To create a sense of belonging to a group and identification with the group, special techniques are used (initiations into the group, badges, ritual greetings, etc.).

The stage of objectifying developmental difficulties, problem situations and conflicts - duration 2-3 lessons - has a pronounced diagnostic character.

Tasks:

updating and reconstruction of conflict situations;

identifying negative trends in a child’s personal development in play and in communication with adults and peers (disobedience, jealousy of siblings, aggressiveness, anxiety, fear, etc.);

diagnostics of child behavior characteristics in conflict situations;

ensuring the child’s emotional response to feelings and experiences associated with negative past interaction experiences.

Psychologist's tactics: non-directiveness is replaced by a balanced combination of directiveness (setting tasks, participating in the game, systematic development of the game scenario, etc.) and non-directiveness (giving the child freedom to choose the form of response and behavior).

Methods: directed role-playing games of projective diagnostic type; outdoor games with rules; art therapy; empathic listening.

Constructive-formative stage - 10-12 lessons.

Tasks:

formation of adequate ways of behavior in conflict situations;

development of social and communicative competence child;

developing the ability to understand oneself and one’s capabilities;

increasing the level of self-acceptance and self-regard;

expanding the scope of awareness of the feelings and experiences of both one’s own and other people, developing the ability to empathize, overcoming emotional and personal egocentrism;

formation of the ability to voluntarily regulate one’s behavior and activities.

Psychologist's tactics: the level of directiveness increases and extends to the selection of games, exercises, themes of drawings, distribution of roles and game objects; providing children feedback about the effectiveness of their behavior and communication, support and encouragement of the most minor achievements.

Methods: empathic listening; techniques of confrontation; directed role-playing games; dramatization games, art therapeutic methods; outdoor games with rules; game exercises to develop empathy, better awareness of feelings and emotions; relaxation; token method; desensitization method; behavioral skills training.

Generalizing and consolidating stage.

Objectives: generalization of the methods of activity formed at the previous stage and transfer of new experience into the practice of the child’s real life.

Techniques: replaying real conditional situations; joint play and productive activities (drawing, modeling, design), activities of children with parents; use of homework.

It is desirable to widely involve the child’s immediate social environment in joint work [see: Age-related psychological approach..., p. 203-205].

3.Diagnostic aspect of play therapy

For a child, play is a serious, meaningful activity that contributes to his physical, mental and social development. If the psychologist is just an accompanying interested adult in a child’s game, then very quickly all the children’s worries, worries, fears, and desires will emerge on their own. If you go to them directly along the path of clarification and pressure, instead of solving pressing problems and concerns, you may end up with increased psychological defenses, loss of contact and mistrust. The child is very sensitive to any pressure on him, so sensitive that he even wants it. It’s easier for him to rely on the boundaries of an adult; he rejoices at the choice made for him. In the end, someone else's intervention is proof that he is not alone in the world. But there is already enough such influence in a child’s life. But the opportunity to rely on one’s own strengths, to define one’s boundaries, to realize one’s will and desires - as a rule, he has few such opportunities [see: Mlodik, p. 147-148]. The game allows for any improvisation that reflects certain everyday dramas. It allows you to understand how a child adapts to the world, how he learns about the world. The child experiences play sensations as safe; he takes his problems outside and interacts with them outside his boundaries.

Therefore, the main psychodiagnostic method in play therapy is observation. During therapy, the psychologist:

Observes the process of the child’s play: how he plays; how it approaches the game material; what he chooses; what is avoided? what is the main style of his behavior; well or poorly organized behavior; is it difficult for him to switch; what is the main plot of the game; what is the child’s posture, facial expressions, and gestures during play; hints, remarks, intonations. The way a child plays can tell a lot about his real life.

Considers the content of the game: are the themes of loneliness, aggression, education played out, how many “accidents” and accidents occur with toys - airplanes and cars, etc.;

Evaluates the child’s communication skills: whether contact is felt with the child while he is busy playing; whether he is involved in the game to such an extent that he feels comfortable in it, or whether he is unable to get involved in anything; does the child allow the possibility of contact between objects that participate in the game; do people, animals, machines communicate with each other, do they see each other, do they talk to each other [see: Aucklander].

Communication between a psychologist and a child during a play session can also provide diagnostic information. Sometimes it is useful to draw the child’s attention to the process of play itself and establish contact with him during a natural pause: “It seems to me that you don’t really like using animals: have you noticed that you never touch them?”; “This airplane is always alone”; "I think you're tired of playing so fast."

Options for communicating with your child during play therapy:

You can draw the child’s attention to the emotions that possess him during play or are expressed in the content: “It seems to me that this daddy doll is unhappy with his son?”; “You seem angry?”

You can return situations in the game to the child and the events of his life: “Have you ever fought like these two soldiers?”; “Have you ever been in such a crowd of people?”

If the same situations are repeated in the game, you can ask questions related to the child’s real life: “Is anyone making a mess in your room?”; “Does anyone break your toys?”

You can ask the child to identify himself with one of the people, animals or objects: “Which one are you?”, “Will you fire truck. Tell me what will happen if you are her.” If the child resists, you should not insist, since young children do not need to verbalize their knowledge; they do not like to recognize as their own what is expressed during play.

You can invite your child to come up with a dialogue between people or things.

You can structure the situation, choose the toys that are associated with the child’s life and with which he should play. Propose mythical dilemmas that require resolution. For example, choose several dolls and ask them to act out a scene with them.

Parents can be involved in working with young children. Observing their interactions with the child provides information about their relationship.

Differential diagnosis of young children preschool age presents a certain problem, because many of them do not yet know how to speak and are not amenable to psychological testing. An approximate differential diagnosis is possible based on observation of play in 3-4 diagnostic group sessions with young children. The criteria are play patterns that correlate with personality traits.

Normal children in the game can easily install interpersonal relationships, experience joy from using game materials. They avoid extremes in expressing feelings.

Neurotic children exhibit extreme behavior, stiffness, or aggression.

The behavior of children with brain dysfunction is characterized by hyperactivity, perseveration, poor motor control, social inability, overreaction to small things and various speech disorders.

Mentally retarded children have difficulty understanding the functions of toys. They lack ingenuity and the ability to use them in a variety of ways. The behavior of psychotic children in the playroom is characterized by strangeness, extreme self-isolation, speech disorders, inadequate response to physical pain, stereotypical manner of play

Literature

Kopytin A.I. Fundamentals of art therapy. St. Petersburg : Lan, 1999.

Kopytin A.I. Guide to group art therapy. St. Petersburg : Speech, 2003.

Kopytin A.I. Systemic art therapy. St. Petersburg : Speech, 2001.

Kopytin A.I. Theory and practice of art therapy. St. Petersburg : Speech, 2002.

Kopytin A.I. Communication training. Art therapy. M.: Publishing House of the Institute of Psychotherapy, 2006.

Kort B., Kopytin A.I. Techniques of analytical art therapy. Healing journeys. M.:IPiKP, 2007.

Lebedeva L. D. Practice of art therapy: approaches, diagnostics, system of classes. St. Petersburg : Speech, 2008.

Leontyev A. A. Active mind. M.: Smysl, 2001.

Leontiev A. N. Image of the world // Leontiev A. N. Izbr. psychol. prod. : in 2 volumes. T. 2. M.: Pedagogy, 1983. P. 241-261.

Leontyev A. N. Lectures on general psychology. St. Petersburg : Peter, 2000.

Lomakina G. R. Fairy tale therapy. We educate, develop, and free the child from psychological problems. M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2010.

Landreth G. Play therapy: the art of relationships M.: Mezhdunar. ped. acad., 1994.

Malchiodi K. Palette of the soul. The transformative power of art: the path to health and well-being. M.: Sofia, 2004.

Mlodik I. Yu. Miracle in a child’s palm, or Non-Guide to Child Psychotherapy. St. Petersburg : Peter, 2004.

Nikolaenko N. N. Psychology of creativity: textbook / ed. L. M. Shipitsyna. St. Petersburg : Speech, 2007.

Newson E. Play therapy: a “camping option” // Child and adolescent therapy / ed. D. Lane, E. Miller. St. Petersburg : Peter, 2001.

Obukhova L. F. Age-related psychology: textbook. M.: Higher. education; MG1II1U. 2007.

Oaklander V. Windows into the child’s world: a guide to child psychotherapy. M.: Independent company"Class". 2005.

Osipova A. A. General psychocorrection: textbook. M.: Sfera.2002.

Osorina M.V. The secret world of children in the space of the world of adults. St. Petersburg : Peter. 2008.

Pezeshkian N. Trader and parrot. M.: Academician. project. 2013.

Petrovsky A.V.. Yaroshevsky M.G. Fundamentals of theoretical psychology. M.: Infra-M. 1999.

Workshop on art therapy / ed. A. I. Kopytina. St. Petersburg : Publishing house "Peter". 2000.

Permyakova M. E.. Korepina N. A.. Ershova I. A. Using the method of fairy tale therapy in correctional work with children with high level anxiety // Izv. Ural federation un-ta. 2015. No. 2 (138). pp. 139-147. (Series 1. Problems of education, science and culture).

Propp V. Ya. Morphology of a “magic” fairy tale. M.: Labyrinth. 2008.

Purnis N. E. Art therapy. Aspects of transpersonal psychology. St. Petersburg : Speech. 2008a.

Purnis N. E. Art therapy in personnel development. St. Petersburg : Speech. 2008b.

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The role of play in a child's life

To understand children and find the right approach, you need to see the world through their eyes, because adults so often perceive children as their own smaller copy! But older people are able to express thoughts in words, but for preschoolers, especially the youngest, this skill is not available. While their language is a game. And it is on it that they talk about worries, joys and thoughts.

There is no need to force or teach children to play. Everything happens spontaneously, with pleasure, without any purpose - this is an absolutely natural process. But this is not only entertainment, but also a way in which children begin to get acquainted with the world around them and learn to live in it.

What is play therapy

For preschoolers this is one of the effective methods work. It is games and toys that turn out to be tools for resolving conflicts and expressing feelings. They are associated with moments in life when the baby feels safe and can control his own life. By manipulating them, children more accurately express their attitude towards peers, adults or events.

The baby begins to better understand his feelings, learns to make decisions, increases self-esteem and practices communication skills. Play therapy for preschoolers also includes physical activity. Through play, they expend energy and learn to interact with others.

Results and opportunities

Game therapy successfully corrects:

aggressiveness and anxiety;
fears and low self-esteem;
problems with learning and communication;
super-emotional stress and personal experiences (accidents, parental divorce, etc.).

Thanks to this, you can ensure that the child:

learn to cope with psychological trauma and current problems;
will have the opportunity to express and overcome accumulated emotional experiences and difficulties;
will become more confident, calm and friendly;
will be able to express emotions in the right way.

How are consultations carried out?

Play therapy for preschoolers is carried out in the presence of a psychologist or teacher. He guides the child, emphasizing the problem, or helps to solve it independently. Sometimes during a session problems are revealed that adults have not noticed until now.

Parents are often present at consultations - this moment is especially important for anxious or shy children.

Where to start the game

There are several special points and in order to get maximum benefit, they must be observed.

The most important thing is to respect the baby's personality. Take into account his wishes, do not force him to play what he does not want. Therefore, the game should be natural and take place in a pleasant atmosphere of respect and trust in each other. During the process, be sure to monitor the child and his emotional stress. You must not allow yourself to become overtired!

Adult participation in play therapy

Active. The organizer is a play therapist. For example, he suggests choosing toys that evoke anxiety or fear. Afterwards, a problematic situation is played out in which the preschooler expresses himself. The game proceeds according to a pre-drawn plan with a clear distribution of roles. As a result, conflicts are created, and the child successfully resolves them.
Passive. The therapist does not direct or participate in the play. The leading role is given to the child who plays out the situation. Of course, as a result, he independently comes to a solution to the problem, because when the problem can be seen from the outside, the solution is easier. The purpose of adult participation in play therapy exercises for preschoolers is to allow children to remain themselves, which makes it possible for them to express themselves and free themselves from fears and emotional stress.

Group and individual play therapy

Each option is designed to solve its own problems.

The group form helps each child to remain himself, while simultaneously building relationships with adults and other participants. The most effective work is in a group of 5-8 people of approximately the same age.

The peculiarity of the approach is that it is not the group as a whole that is assessed, but each individual separately. Children watch each other, strive to participate in the game, trying on different roles. They gain freedom and independently evaluate their behavior and capabilities.

This option of play therapy for preschoolers is the most preferable, since it does not contain general tasks, but the relationships of the participants with each other are important.

An individual form is used if the child has no need to communicate with peers or is under stress. It is effective to conduct it in the presence of parents to help them establish relationships with the child, improve them, as well as understand and accept him.

When working individually, the play therapist interacts with the preschooler. Refusal of dominance, restrictions, evaluation, any kind of aggression or interference will help to establish friendly relations with the child, and he, feeling freer, will be able to more clearly express his feelings and emotions.

Parents, having understood the principle, will be able to connect later or at home.

Examples of group and individual classes

Exercises and games for play therapy for preschoolers can be aimed at correcting various problems.

For example, the task “Let’s build a house” is perfect for gaining cooperation experience. Use carton boxes, paints, scissors, glue. A joint activity in a group involves distributing roles, and there is something for everyone to do.

To build a friendly relationship, you can play “Compliment”. Children walk around the hall, and when they bump into each other, they say pleasant words to each other, looking into each other’s eyes. Handshakes or hugs are added later.

To create group cohesion, the “Web” task is suitable. Participants sit in a circle. The adult, having communicated some interesting detail about himself, grasps the edge of the thread in his hands and passes the ball to the child opposite. He must name his name and/or tell about himself.

So, as a result of throwing a thread from hand to hand, a tangled web is obtained. Unraveling, everyone passes the ball in reverse order, naming the next participant. When finishing, you can discuss whose story you liked more or made an impression on.

Individual games for play therapy for preschoolers are no less effective. For example, a child is asked to circle his hand and write on each finger a quality that he likes about himself. In place of the palm, add what you don’t like. The exercise provides an opportunity to better understand oneself, and the therapist - a problem with which he will continue to work.

Parents often wonder whether it is possible to use play therapy for preschoolers at home. Exercises and games are absolutely possible to choose in this case. In a familiar environment, the child feels as relaxed as possible, and the session will be more effective.

You can ask your child to portray family members. The colors used, the location of people, the appearance of strangers or absent loved ones are important. Discussing the drawing will help you understand the experience.

Psychologists give many examples where, thanks to this method, it was possible to prevent many problems and smooth out conflicts in the family. For example, a girl drew one of her parents as small and away from the others. It turned out that she did not feel the love and support of this loved one.

Or the boy portrayed a girl without arms. When it turned out that his older sister was constantly offending him, his parents were able to react immediately. Many problems “grow up” in the family, and it’s never too late to solve them.

Role-playing games are also available at home. It is easy to determine what the child likes and what scares or worries him. For example, if dolls or other characters are friends, are in in a great mood As a rule, nothing bothers him. If during the game the toys often have conflicts with each other, most likely you will have to look for the problem in real life. You can ask your child leading questions to find out more about him. For example, what does this doll like to do? What is the most delicious thing for her? What is she afraid of?

Available joint activities help create emotional closeness, calm the baby and dispel his worries.

Can a game teach you how to communicate?

Many parents and teachers note that it is becoming increasingly difficult for modern children to find mutual language together. As a result, they cannot build relationships, quarrel more often and withdraw into themselves.

Common interests, tasks, and joint activities contribute to the emergence of harmonious relationships between peers. To do this, it is important to be able to express your own state in words, facial expressions, gestures, as well as recognize the emotions of others.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible for a child to easily master the skills of communicative competence. Insufficient development of such skills can become a barrier to free communication and cognitive activity, which will slow down the development of the child as an individual.

The problem can be corrected through play therapy. The development of communicative competence in preschoolers occurs through joint activities. Children easily begin to communicate, developing speech and acquiring new skills.

Basic techniques include bringing children together and creating a welcoming environment around them. All proposed games are built not on rivalry, but on partnership relations: round dances, fun games. For example, an interesting game is “Secret”, when the host gives each person from a magic chest a small secret (a small toy, a bead, a beautiful pebble), which cannot be shown to others. Children walk around and persuade each other to show their “preciousness”. An adult helps, but in the game the participants’ imagination awakens and they try to find a common language and suitable words and arguments.

In the game “Mittens,” the leader lays out several pairs of black and white paper mittens, and the children must find “their pair,” and then color them the same way together. The players who complete it first win. Participants will have to find a similar part and agree on which colors to choose.

In play therapy for preschoolers, such tasks help to find new ways to establish contacts and partnerships, as well as enjoy communication. In the future, such skills will be useful in order to live comfortably in the company of people, to easily understand others and to be understood yourself.

For children of any age and with any problem, including those who need special conditions for education and upbringing, you can choose suitable classes.

Game therapy methods

To successfully achieve goals, puppet theaters, outdoor games, and sand tables are used. One of the newest methods of play therapy for preschoolers is a board game. All stages are important, starting from preparation. For example, it will be useful for aggressive children to participate in its creation - they come up with rules, draw individual elements, and reserved preschoolers are included in the game already at the preparation stage.

To develop communication among preschoolers with disabilities, play therapy also involves the use of board games. They attract children with their colorfulness, contribute to the formation of voluntary attention, and teach them to follow the rules. You can make the game a little more difficult to train counting, reading, pattern or color recognition skills.

The field is a walking game with multi-colored circles, each of which presupposes a task of a certain type (compliment the participants, continue a phrase or finish a short story, make a wish and depict an action using facial expressions).

Seemingly simple entertainment has turned into an effective therapeutic method. Children's sand creations are associated with their inner world and experiences.

Sand play therapy, as a form of health protection for preschoolers, is useful for relieving muscle and emotional tension, developing tactile sensitivity and hand-eye coordination. Sand activities are a fascinating process that awakens creativity, relaxes and inspires.

With the help of various small figures, the child dramatizes situations that worry him and frees himself from internal tension or irritation. The main task of a psychologist is to build trusting contact in order to become part of the game and create a dialogue. At the next stage, together, try to help cope with the problem.

Figurines, natural materials, favorite toys are not only a reflection of the child’s world, but also a bridge that will help penetrate his inner “I”.

For sand activities, a wide selection of figurines is offered - heroes of fairy tales, people of various professions, animals and birds, transport, furniture and much more. In other words, this is the world of a baby in miniature, who lives according to his laws.

The possibilities of sand play therapy with preschoolers allow you to create endless stories, since sand is a wonderful material through which psychological help has a noticeable effect. Children enjoy such activities as they have a healing effect on their body.

Game room, game material and set of games. The size and furnishings of the playroom are very important in pediatric therapy. If the room is small, then the children are too close to each other and to the therapist, which can frustrate them, strengthen their defenses, provoke aggression in children prone to it, and contribute to even greater withdrawal of the withdrawn child. A room that is too large, on the other hand, allows withdrawn children to avoid contact with the therapist and group members and causes aggressive children to want to indulge and play wild games.

One of the most important criteria for equipping a playroom is safety and minimal risk of injury to children. To do this, the room should be well lit and should not have glass doors or large windows. The floor should be non-slip and easy to clean, the furniture should be durable. It is better to place toys on shelves firmly attached to the wall. Since children are allowed to do almost whatever they want in the playroom, it is desirable that the walls of the room can be easily repainted, the table for drawing and modeling should be covered with oilcloth, and it is also desirable to have a washbasin. Children are characterized by a desire for constant movement, therefore conditions for climbing should be created in the room (vertical pole, wall bars or rope ladder) [see: Age-related psychological approach...; Osipova; Ginott].

Toys and materials used in play therapy should provide:

modeling and playing out areas of communication that are significant for the child, typical conflict situations (in the family, kindergarten, school, hospital, on the street, etc.);

the ability to express negative emotional states;

development of personal qualities (confidence, positive self-image, reduction of anxiety, etc.);

opportunity for mental development.

All toys can be grouped into three large classes:

toys from real life: a spacious toy house, a doll family, a variety of tableware and kitchen utensils, plastic food, furniture, bathroom accessories, vehicles, a medical kit, a cash register and toy money, a school board, puppets, wigs and hats, telephones devices that can ring, etc.;

toys that help respond to aggression and fear: toy soldiers, military equipment, bladed weapons and firearms, handcuffs, noise musical instruments, wolf masks, monsters, etc.;

means for creative self-expression: plasticine, clay, paints, crayons, sand, water, pencils, construction sets, building blocks, etc.

The range of games used in play therapy includes games with structured play material and plot and unstructured games.

The first type includes family games (people and animals), aggressive games, games with puppets (puppet theater), construction games that express constructive and destructive intentions, etc.

Unstructured games include motor games - exercises (jumping, climbing), games with water, sand, clay, drawing with fingers, brushes, pastels, colored pencils.

a certain lesson time (45 minutes - 1 hour), and the child must be warned about the end of the lesson in advance: “We only have 5 minutes left”;

you cannot harm the psychologist and yourself;

You cannot take toys out of the room;

Do not intentionally break toys.

Indications for play therapy. Game activities are recommended for children aged 3 to 10 years; individual tasks and exercises can also be used when working with teenagers (11-14 years old).

General indications for play therapy are behavioral, characterological and affective disorders, which include: social infantilism, inadequate level of aspirations, unstable self-esteem, uncertainty, egocentrism, shyness, difficulties in communication, fears and phobias, anxious and suspicious character traits, bad habits, aggressiveness. Play therapy is effective in correcting mutism, delays in speech development, learning difficulties at school, the consequences of various psychotraumas (divorce of parents, loss of a loved one, etc.), intellectual and emotional development of mentally retarded children, treatment of stuttering, alleviation of psychosomatic diseases [see: Zakharov; Osipova].

There are two forms of play therapy: individual and group. V. Exline notes that in cases where a child’s problems are related to social adaptation, group therapy may be more useful than individual therapy. In cases where the problems are centered around emotional difficulties, individual therapy is more beneficial for the child [see: Exline]. Most often, the play therapy process includes both forms of work. First, the child undergoes individual therapy, and the duration of this stage depends on the initial mental status of the child. Under favorable conditions, this may simply be an acquaintance and the establishment of a primary trusting relationship between the psychologist and the child. Next comes the stage of group therapy, which, according to most experts, has a number of advantages.

It is important to understand that, unlike communication training, play therapy does not involve solving any group problems, and its goal is not group interaction. The focus of both individual and group play therapy is on the individual child, and not on the group as a whole, so groups can be either open (their composition can change during the work) or closed (their composition is formed before the start of classes). However, the relationship between group members is an important element of therapy, so its effectiveness depends largely on the composition of the group. This is especially true for non-directive play therapy, in which children are given maximum freedom of action, and the leader takes a passive position. H. J. Ginott formulated the criteria for selecting children for group non-directive therapy, while describing in some detail and even figuratively the characteristic personal and behavioral characteristics of the categories of children he designated.

Indications for group non-directive therapy:

Good kids are too good, obedient, neat, well-behaved and overly generous. They're worried

Contraindications to non-directive play therapy:

Acute enmity between siblings. Children with intense hostility toward their siblings perceive all group members as substitutes for their siblings and treat them in the same way. They torment their bandmates in a variety of ways. Individual therapy is first recommended for such children.

Children with perverted sexual experience (involved in homosexual relationships). They may activate latent homosexual tendencies in other children or involve them in unwanted experiments.

Composition of the group. H. J. Ginott believes that the number of children in a non-directive play therapy group should not exceed five. Larger groups are difficult to control and do not allow the therapist to monitor each child's activities. A group with an odd number of participants is optimal, as this stimulates children’s activity, promotes dynamic relationships, flexibility of role positions, and creates greater opportunities for children to try out different roles. An even number of children provokes the creation of stable-rigid dyads, in which inadequate models of relations of dominance are consolidated - submission, leadership, inadequate roles [see: Ginott].

The composition of the group depends on the problems with which the participants come to classes and on the goals of correctional work. There are two approaches to the question of whether children with similar or different developmental problems and difficulties should be included in a group. Some psychologists believe that the group must be formed in such a way that children have a corrective influence on each other. Withdrawn children should have the opportunity to mold themselves according to the model of their more sociable peers, fearful ones should be placed in the company of more courageous ones, aggressive ones should be placed in groups with strong but not bellicose children, etc. Other experts believe that a “problem-specialized” group makes it possible to carry out targeted correction with the help of specially selected games [see: Age-related psychological approach...].

It is recommended to have one well-adjusted child in the group who does not have too many problems and has high self-control. Such a child has a gentle positive influence on overly active children with his fair comments [see: Developmental psychological approach...; Ginott].

Approximate;

Actualization and objectification of typical difficulties in the development of children and conflict situations they experience;

Constructive and formative;

Generalizing and consolidating.

Approximate stage - duration 1-2 lessons.

Tasks:

establishing emotionally positive contact with the child;

orienting the child in the environment of the playroom and the rules of behavior in it;

getting to know group members and establishing first interpersonal relationships.

Methods and means: spontaneous improvisational role-playing games aimed at getting to know each other and establishing relationships with peers (“Pass the ball in a circle”, “Stream”, etc.); To create a sense of belonging to a group and identification with the group, special techniques are used (initiations into the group, badges, ritual greetings, etc.).

The stage of objectifying developmental difficulties, problem situations and conflicts - duration 2-3 lessons - has a pronounced diagnostic character.

Tasks:

updating and reconstruction of conflict situations;

identifying negative trends in a child’s personal development in play and in communication with adults and peers (disobedience, jealousy of siblings, aggressiveness, anxiety, fear, etc.);

diagnostics of child behavior characteristics in conflict situations;

ensuring the child’s emotional response to feelings and experiences associated with negative past interaction experiences.

Methods: directed role-playing games of projective diagnostic type; outdoor games with rules; art therapy; empathic listening.

Constructive-formative stage - 10-12 lessons.

Tasks:

formation of adequate ways of behavior in conflict situations;

development of the child’s social and communicative competence;

developing the ability to understand oneself and one’s capabilities;

increasing the level of self-acceptance and self-regard;

expanding the scope of awareness of the feelings and experiences of both one’s own and other people, developing the ability to empathize, overcoming emotional and personal egocentrism;

formation of the ability to voluntarily regulate one’s behavior and activities.

Psychologist's tactics: the level of directiveness increases and extends to the selection of games, exercises, themes of drawings, distribution of roles and game objects; providing children with feedback on the effectiveness of their behavior and communication, support and encouragement of the most minor achievements.

Generalizing and consolidating stage.

Objectives: generalization of the methods of activity formed at the previous stage and transfer of new experience into the practice of the child’s real life.

Techniques: replaying real conditional situations; joint play and productive activities (drawing, modeling, design), activities of children with parents; use of homework.

It is desirable to widely involve the child’s immediate social environment in joint work [see: Age-related psychological approach..., p. 203-205].

Based on the basic functions of children's play and used primarily in wide-spectrum psychotherapy mental disorders, behavioral disorders and social adaptation in children. The most famous definition of play belongs to E. Erikson (1950): “Play is a function of the Ego, an attempt to synchronize bodily and social processes with your Self."

From the point of view of influence on development, the functions of children's play are divided into:

1. Biological. Beginning in infancy, play promotes hand, body, and eye coordination, provides kinesthetic stimulation and the opportunity to expend energy and relax.
2. Intrapersonal. The game promotes the development of the ability to master situations, explore environment, understanding the structure and capabilities of the body, mind and world. In this sense, the game certainly stimulates and shapes cognitive development. In addition, and this function of the game is perhaps most used in play psychotherapy, the game allows the child, through symbolization and the mechanism of fantasy “wish fulfillment,” to react and resolve intrapersonal conflicts. Traumatic experiences are reproduced in play; however, being the “master” of the game, the child can, as it were, subjugate a situation in which in reality he feels powerless;
3. Interpersonal. First of all, play is one of the main means of achieving separation/individuation from the mother or the person replacing her. Games like "peek-a-boo, where am I?" or hide-and-seek - imitation of temporary separation in a comfortable situation, as if preparing the child for the possibility and reparability of real temporary separations from the mother or another loved one. For children with emotional disorders, the topic of separation is one of the most painful and is constantly reproduced in therapeutic sessions. Moreover, each session has a beginning and an end, and the child has to learn how to first make contact and then separate. Additionally, later in a child's development, play serves as a training ground for learning a huge range of social skills, from how to share toys to how to share ideas. This function of play is especially widely used in group or family play therapy.
4. Sociocultural. In every society, in every historical stage There are both games that give children the opportunity to try on desired adult roles, gradually expanding their repertoire, and games that reduce the fear of death. In this type of play, children learn the ideas, behaviors, and values that are associated in society with these roles. In play psychotherapy, this process continues when the child plays out the roles of different people who evoke different emotions in him. For the first time, play began to be included in psychotherapeutic work with children by Hug-Helmut in 1919. Later, A. Freud and M. Klein described the systematic use of play as a tool for psychotherapy of children; Moreover, the game was a means of adapting the goals and techniques of psychoanalysis to work with children.

In 1928 A. Freud began to use play as a way to involve the child in analytical work. From a psychoanalytic point of view, this was motivated by the need to create a therapeutic alliance with the patient, which is particularly difficult in the case where the patient is a child. Children, as a rule, do not turn to a psychotherapist voluntarily; their parents bring them. Often it is the parents, and not the child himself, who see the problem and want to change something. In this case, a therapeutic alliance is possible with parents who are motivated to change, rather than with the child himself. In addition, the therapeutic techniques of dream analysis and free association are foreign to the child and initially cause bewilderment and rejection.

In order to maximize the child’s ability to form a therapeutic alliance, A. Freud began to use a familiar and pleasant form of establishing relationships for the child - play. Only after achieving a relatively strong positive contact with the child did the main focus of attention in the therapeutic session begin to shift to verbal interaction and gradually - since children usually cannot use the method of free association - to the analysis of dreams and fantasies.

The representative of the British branch of psychoanalysis, M. Klein, unlike Anna Freud, believed that play serves not only as a way to establish contact with the child, but also, even primarily, direct material for interpretation. In 1932, M. Klein proposed the use of children's play in a therapeutic situation as a replacement for verbalizations that children are not yet capable of, while play expresses complex affects and ideas.

Kleinian therapy does not have an introductory phase; the child’s play behavior is interpreted from the first meeting. This approach allowed M. Klein to significantly expand the range of applications of child psychoanalysis: if A. Freud believed that positive results are achieved in the psychoanalysis of mainly neurotic children, then the patients of a Kleinian analyst can be children with very severe mental dysfunctions.

Currently, there are four main approaches to play psychotherapy: psychoanalytic, humanistic, behavioral and developmental.

Within the psychoanalytic model, the psychotherapist serves as a translator. His job is to interpret what the child brings to the therapy session, giving meaning to the child's behavior and communicating the results of his interpretations in a form that the child can understand. The goal is to achieve the child’s awareness of the unconscious motives of his own actions and internal conflicts. In this case, the game is considered both as a way of establishing contact with the child, and as a diagnostic tool, and as material for working through the child’s problems.

The humanistic approach emphasizes the role of the “toxicity” of the environment in blocking a person’s innate ability to self-actualize (K. Rogers). Play sessions therefore aim to create an environment conducive to the child’s self-actualization. This goal is achieved through empathic listening, setting boundaries of acceptable behavior, providing the child with personal information about the therapist, and maintaining ongoing interaction with the child, verbal and playful. The game is used both as a means of building warm, friendly relationships with the therapist, and as a source of information, and as a development tool.

Behavioral theory views psychopathology primarily as the result of positive and negative conditioning of certain types of behavior and emotional responses. The goal of play psychotherapy is therefore, first of all, to discover pathological patterns and the nature of their conditioning. Then, by changing the reinforcement system, you can change the pathological reactions themselves. The game is used as introduction material new system reinforcements, the game itself is not seen as having its own healing properties.

Game psychotherapy within the framework of developmental theory involves the therapist's use of games as the main development tool. In this case, the therapist actually imitates the role of the main figures caring for the child, structuring the child’s activity, forcing him to act in the “zone immediate development", intervening and creating an interaction in which the child receives a feeling of warmth and trust.

The theories, however, emphasize and highlight certain functional aspects of play that are useful from the point of view of the psychotherapist. The game remains a holistic, special and intrinsically valuable activity for the child with its own “secret”. The therapist's respect for this “secret” and awareness of his own abilities, attitudes, preferences, styles, etc. in the game creates the necessary base, without which the therapeutic use of the game degenerates into manipulation.

Actually, play psychotherapy was one of the first to be used by A. Freud for the psychotherapy of children who survived the bombing of London during the Second World War. After the war, play psychotherapy began to develop in different psychotherapeutic schools. Play psychotherapy is used in individual, family and group formats; in outpatient, hospital and school work. It is effective in children and adolescents with almost all disorders, except for severe forms of childhood autism and profound autism in schizophrenia.

Play psychotherapy is non-directive. Introduced by V. Exline (1947): “The gaming experience is therapeutic, since in the game a safe relationship is created between a child and an adult, due to which the child is free to assert himself as he knows how, in full accordance with what he is at the moment, in my own way and at my own pace."

Play psychotherapy of response. Introduced in the 1930s by D. Levi. By recreating a traumatic situation in play, acting it out and enacting it, the child restructures his experience and moves from a passive-passive to an active-creative position. The therapist’s task is to reflect and pronounce the feelings expressed by the child.

Game psychotherapy for building relationships. Introduced by J. Tafta and F. Allen in the early 1930s. and is focused on the child-therapist relationship here and now, rather than on the history of the child's development and his unconscious.

Containing anxiety. Therapeutic technique developed by L. Di Cagno, M. Gandione and P. Massaglia in the 1970-1980s. for working with parents of children with severe organic and life-threatening diseases (severe congenital disorders, different shapes deep mental underdevelopment, tumors, leukemia, etc.). The intervention is based on psychoanalytic premises and is aimed at parents identifying adult personality roles and transitioning to them from regressive childhood roles into which the child’s illness threw them. The reception is aimed at working with parents of young children.

Game therapy is a method of psychotherapeutic influence on children and adults using games. The various techniques described by this concept are based on the recognition that play has a strong influence on personal development. In modern psychocorrection for adults, the game is used in group psychotherapy and socio-psychological training in the form of special exercises, tasks on non-verbal communications, acting out various situations, etc. The game helps to create close relationships between group members, relieves tension, anxiety, fear of others, and increases self-esteem , allows you to test yourself in various communication situations, removing the danger of socially significant consequences.

A characteristic feature of the game is its two-dimensionality, which is also inherent in dramatic art, the elements of which are preserved in any collective game:
1. The player performs a real activity, the implementation of which requires actions related to the solution of very specific, often non-standard tasks,
2. A number of aspects of this activity are conditional in nature, which allows one to escape from the real situation with its responsibility and numerous incidental circumstances.

The two-dimensional nature of the game determines its developmental effect. The psychocorrective effect of play activities in children is achieved through the establishment of positive emotional contact between children and adults. The game corrects suppressed negative emotions, fears, self-doubt, expands children's ability to communicate, increases the range of actions available to the child with objects.

Distinctive signs of the unfolding of the game are rapidly changing situations in which the object finds itself after actions with it, and the equally rapid adaptation of actions to a new situation.
The structure of children's play is made up of the roles taken on by the players; game actions as a means of realizing these roles; game use of objects - replacement of real objects with game (conventional) ones; real relationships between the players.

The unit of the game and at the same time the central point that unites all its aspects is the role.
The plot of the game is the area of reality reproduced in it. The content of the game is what is reproduced by children as the main point of activity and relationships between adults in their adult life. In the game, the child’s voluntary behavior is formed and his socialization takes place.

Play therapy is the interaction of an adult with a child on the latter’s own terms, when he is given the opportunity to freely express himself while simultaneously accepting his feelings from adults. Currently, the scope of play therapy has expanded significantly. There is experience in conducting short-term and long-term play therapy, as well as organizing play therapy in a small group of children in educational institutions.

General indications for play therapy: social infantilism, isolation, unsociability, phobic reactions, over-conformity and over-obedience, behavioral disorders and bad habits, inadequate gender-role identification in boys.

Play therapy has proven effective when working with children of different diagnostic categories, except for complete autism and non-contact schizophrenia.

Play therapy is effective in helping with hair pulling; corrections of selective mutism; aggressive behavior; as a means of improving the emotional state of children after parental divorce: abused and abandoned children; reducing fears; stress and anxiety in hospitalized children; when correcting reading difficulties; academic performance of children with learning difficulties; delays in speech development; intellectual and emotional development of mentally retarded children; treatment of stuttering; alleviation of psychosomatic diseases (bronchial asthma, neurodermatitis, ulcerative colitis, biliary dyskinesia, etc.); improving "I-concept"; reducing anxiety when parting with loved ones,

Basic psychological mechanisms of the corrective effects of games
1. Modeling a system of social relations in a visually effective form in special gaming conditions, the child following them and navigating these relationships.
2. Changing the child’s position in the direction of overcoming cognitive and personal egocentrism and consistent decentration, due to which the awareness of one’s own “I” in the game occurs and the measure of social competence and ability to resolve problem situations increases.
3. Formation (along with gaming) of real relationships as equal partnerships of cooperation and cooperation between a child and a peer, providing the opportunity for positive personal development.
4. Organization of step-by-step development in the game of new, more adequate ways of orienting the child in problem situations, their internalization and assimilation.
Organizing the child’s orientation towards identifying the emotional states he is experiencing and ensuring their awareness through verbalization and, accordingly, awareness of the meaning problematic situation, the formation of its new meanings.
5. Formation of the child’s ability to voluntarily regulate activity based on the subordination of behavior to a system of rules governing the fulfillment of the role and rules, as well as behavior in the playroom.

The main functions of a psychologist leading gaming classes
1. Creating an atmosphere of acceptance of the child.
2. Emotional empathy for the child.
3. Reflection and verbalization of his feelings and experiences in the most accurate and understandable form for the child.
4. Providing conditions during play activities that actualize the child’s feelings of achievement self-esteem and self-esteem.

Principles of play therapy
1. Communication to the child of his unconditional acceptance (friendly, equal relations with the child, acceptance of the child as he is, the child is the master of the situation, he determines the plot, the theme of play activities, he has the initiative of choice and decision-making),
2. Non-directiveness in managing the correctional process: the play therapist’s refusal to try to speed up or slow down the game process; the minimum number of restrictions and restrictions introduced by the game therapist into the game (only those restrictions are introduced that connect the game with real life).
3. Establishing the focus of the correctional process on the child’s feelings and experiences: to achieve an open verbal expression by the child of his feelings; try to understand the child’s feelings as soon as possible and turn his research towards himself; become a kind of mirror for the child in which he can see himself.

The correction process does not occur automatically in the game. It is possible only if the psychologist, sensitive to the child’s feelings, accepts his attitudes and expresses sincere faith in the child’s ability to take responsibility for solving the problem. Dialogical communication between a child and an adult through acceptance, reflection and verbalization of the child’s feelings freely expressed in play becomes the main mechanism of correctional influence in play therapy.

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