CHILD CENTERED ART/PLAY THERAPY

The tenets in which Child Centered Art/Play Therapy is grounded are as follows:

1. Children are not miniature adults, and the therapist does not respond to them as if they were.
2. Children are people. They are capable of experiencing deep emotional pain and joy.
3. Children are unique and worthy of respect. The therapist prizes the uniqueness of each child and respects the person the child is.
4. Children are resilient. Children possess a tremendous capacity to overcome obstacles and circumstances in their lives.
5. Children have an inherent tendency toward growth and maturity. They possess an inner intuitive wisdom.
6. Children are capable of positive self-direction. They are capable of dealing with their world in creative ways.
7. Children’s natural language is play, and this is the medium of self-expression with which they are most comfortable.
8. Children have the right to remain silent. The therapist respects a child’s decision not to talk.
9. Children will take the therapeutic experience to where they need to be. The therapist does not attempt to determine when or how a child should play.
10. Children’s growth cannot be sped up. The therapist recognizes this and is patient with the child’s developmental process.

The aforementioned principles comprise the “Tenets for Relating to Children,” which are outlined in Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationships These tenets were born out of the work of Virginia Axline, a prolific therapist who adapted Carl Rogers’ client-centered theory to clinical practice with children. She established the foundation of child-centered play therapy by formulating the following principles:

1. The therapist must develop a warm, friendly relationship with the child, in which good rapport is established as soon as possible.
2. The therapist accepts the child exactly as he/she is.
3. The therapist establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship so the child feels free to express his/her feelings completely.
4. The therapist is alert to recognize the feelings the child is expressing and reflects those feelings back to him/her in such a manner that he/she gains insight into his /her behaviour.
5. The therapist maintains a deep respect for the child’s ability to solve his/her own problems if given an opportunity to do so. The responsibility to make choices and to institute change is the child’s.
6. The therapist does not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversation in any manner. The child leads the way.
7. The therapist does not attempt to hurry the therapy along. It is a gradual process and is recognized as such by the therapist.
8. The therapist establishes only those limitations that are necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of his/her responsibility in the relationship