Creative Counselling 101 : Play Therapy 101 Technique, Case Study, & Testimony : Part 1

by Latia Nell
(New Zealand)

Creative Counselling 101 : Play Therapy 101 Case Study, Testimony, Technique Assessment : Part 1
Case Description
T is a 5 year old boy. He has three siblings : C (3), E (7) and B (10). B does not have the same biological father as the three boys. T’s father is currently in prison for sexually assaulting B. The father also has a record of domestic violence against his wife. As far as C, E and T know, their father is in jail for his violence against their mother. T, E and B have been removed from their mother for a five week period and put in a resilience building facility to give her a respite period.
Presenting issues
T is a friendly child, who happily engages in counselling. He displays extreme anxiety around the idea that his father will be neglected and abused while in prison.
Counselling goal;

The goal has been to educate T around the situation in New Zealand prisons, and to alleviate his anxiety around his father’s care.

Session progression:

T was happy to play with the toys, and took an immediate liking to the pirate set. While playing pirates, he took the captain (representing his father), and scolded him for being a bully (domestic violence).

He then placed him in a cage (prison), and told him he couldn’t be near the other pirates (removal from the family). After a while, he opened the cage and placed miniature items from the doll house in the cage, until the cage was full. These items included :

1) Beverages and food
2) Blankets and pillows
3) Playing cards, books, a skateboard, a ukulele
4) A big knife


He explained these items as :
1) Food and beverages to meet the prisoner’s basic needs
2) Blankets and a pillow so he will be warm and comfortable
3) Entertainment items so he will not be bored – all are things his father enjoys doing.
4) A knife to protect himself against the dangerous prisoners.

T’s mother and social worker were tasked with addressing particular aspects of his issues around his father’s imprisonment. This play was repeated through the next four sessions. During this time, T’s mother spoke (in the guise of normal conversation) about a nice meal the father had eaten, a movie he had seen and the friend he had made. T’s social worker showed him pictures about how prisons function, and in particular how the guards protect the prisoners from “bad” prisoners.

In the last two sessions, T placed the pirate captain in the cage, and told him to just behave until his punishment was over. He then played a game of pirates with no other indication of earlier anxiety.

This was a wonderful play therapy activity to use with my client.

For more free ideas on creative therapy visit the link below:

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