Play Therapy Mandala for School Counseling Technique: Personal Growth / Goal Setting / Peer Pressure: Upper Elementary School / Middle School / High School

(Play Therapy Student)

This play therapy mandala represents my personal growth and goal setting in regards to my peers. This would be a perfect play therapy mandala technique for a school counselor to use. It is divided into four stages; the first stage is birth through eighth grade. Those years were spent with me having little inhibitions. I spoke my mind freely and I never compared myself with my peers. The growing star represents me and the height of the growing star represents the amount of self confidence that I had. The black dots represent my friends and classmates during the different stages. The yellow background in this stage represents the feeling of freedom. During those years I had little worries, and every day was an adventure. I expressed that freedom through the color yellow because I associate that color with feeling free and detached.


The second stage of the play therapy mandala in school counseling represents eighth grade. Eighth grade is its own stage because that was the first time that I was away from my mother. Growing up I was extremely attached to my mother; some called me a cry baby. Whenever she left me or we were separated I was extremely sad. Coincidently I attend the elementary school where she taught so I did not have to experience the anxiety of being away from her during the early years of school. In eighth grade I went to a local private school, and not only was it the first time away from my mother but it was the first time that I had to make new friends.

During this year I was exposed to peer pressures, and feelings of insecurity for the first time. Also during this time I began to develop low self-esteem. I compared myself to the girls that wore make up and had boyfriends, and was not happy with my physical appearance. The background during that stage is grey because that is the first time that I dealt with insecurity and low self-esteem.

The third stage of the school counseling play therapy represents my high school and college years. During the first two years of high school I still had low self- esteem, but I did not show it to others. Although I did not think that I was beautiful, I had a great personality so by the time I reached the eleventh grade I had a great group of friends and a wonderful social life. The summer after eleventh grade I was able to get braces and I remember beginning to see myself as attractive. That new found confidence allowed me to go into my senior year more confident than ever and that allowed my last year of high school
to be the most memorable of the four years.

During college my only focus was to graduate in four years, so that time was spent dwelling on the future and not living in the moment. The background of that stage is green because green is my favorite color, and it is dark; so it provides me with a feeling of bittersweet. During that stage I was unhappy, but I also had great experiences during those years.

The fourth stage represents time from my college graduation until the present. During that stage of my life I have been looking for a fulfilling career, and trying to figure out what I am supposed to do with my life. These years have been a roller coaster, but I am developing more self-confidence daily.

This stage has two colors; the majority of it is navy blue. That color represents most of the past, I have had some interesting jobs, most of which I plan on forgetting about, and I have had some sad moments. The pink represents my future, pink is a happy color and I confident that I will be able to handle whatever lies ahead.

More Ideas for Play Therapy Link:

More Ideas on Play Therapy

How to Use The Sand Tray for Sand Tray Therapy Link:

More Ideas on Sand Tray Therapy

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

Creative Counseling 101.com Home