SOCW-6111-Discussion Wk 8

  

Discussion 1: Play Therapy

Children who have been abused or traumatized in some way may benefit from working with a therapist. Children often reenact trauma through repetitious play in order to establish mastery over their emotions and integrate experiences into their history on their own terms. Through the use of toys and props, children may naturally share their emotions and past experiences without feeling the pressure they might encounter with traditional talk therapy.

For this Discussion, review the course-specific case study for Claudia and the Chiesa (2012) and Taylor (2009) articles.

· Post an explanation of ways play therapy might be beneficial for Claudia. 

· Using the insights gained from the articles, describe ways you might have worked with Claudia to address her fears and anxiety related to the mugging she witnessed.

Support your posts with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

References (use 3 or more)

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

• Working      with Children and Adolescents: The Case of Claudia (pp. 15–17) 

Ruffolo, M. C., & Allen-Meares, P. (2013). Intervention with children. In M. J. Holosko, C. N. Dulmus, & K. M. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 41–69). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Taylor, E. R. (2009). Sandtray and solution-focused therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 18(1), 56–68. 

van der Kolk, B. A. (2003). The neurobiology of childhood trauma and abuse. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 12, 293–317. Retrieved from http://www.traumacenter.org/products/pdf_files/neurobiology_childhood_trauma_abuse
van der Kolk, B. A. (2005a). Child abuse & victimization. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5),374–378. Retrieved from http://www.traumacenter.org/products/pdf_files/neurobiology_childhood_trauma_abuse

van der Kolk, B. A. (2005b). Developmental trauma disorder. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5), 401–408. 

Gil, E. (1991). The healing power of play: Working with abused children. New York, NY: Guilford Press: 

Chapter 2, “The Child Therapies: Application in Work With Abused Children (pp. 26–36) (PDF)

Chapter 3, “The Treatment of Abused Children” (pp. 37–82) (PDF)

Discussion 2:
Transference and Countertransference

Specific skills and knowledge are essential for a social worker working with children. Understanding transference and countertransference is crucial to a healthy therapeutic relationship. Both transference and countertransference can be evident in any client–therapist relationship, but are especially important in working with children because of a common instinct among adults to protect and nurture the young. The projection or relocation of one’s feelings about one person onto another, otherwise known as transference, is a common response by children (Gil, 1991). Countertransference, a practitioner’s own emotional response to a child, is also common.

For this Discussion, review the Malawista (2004) article.

· Post your explanation why transference and countertransference are so common when working with children. 

· Then, identify some strategies you might use to address both transference and countertransference in your work with children.

Support your posts with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
References (use 3 or more)

Chiesa, C. (2012). Scripts in the sand: Sandplay in transactional analysis psychotherapy with children. Transactional Analysis Journal, 42(4), 285–293. 

Ruffolo, M. C., & Allen-Meares, P. (2013). Intervention with children. In M. J. Holosko, C. N. Dulmus, & K. M. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 41–69). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Taylor, E. R. (2009). Sandtray and solution-focused therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 18(1), 56–68. 

Malawista, K. L. (2004). Rescue fantasies in child therapy: Countertransference/ transference enactments. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(4), 373–386.

PRACTICE

13

Working With Children
and Adolescents:
The Case of Claudia

Claudia is a 6-year-old, Hispanic female residing with her
biological mother and father in an urban area. Claudia was born
in the United States 6 months after her mother and father moved
to the country from Nicaragua. There is currently no extended
family living in the area, but Claudia’s parents have made friends
in the neighborhood. Claudia’s family struggles economically and
has also struggled to obtain legal residency in this country. Her
father inconsistently finds work in manual labor, and her mother
recently began working three nights a week at a nail salon. While
Claudia is bilingual in Spanish and English, Spanish is the sole
language spoken in her household. She is currently enrolled in a
large public school, attending kindergarten.

Claudia’s family lives in an impoverished urban neighborhood
with a rising crime rate. After Claudia witnessed a mugging in her
neighborhood, her mother reported that she became very anxious
and “needy.” She cried frequently and refused to be in a room
alone without a parent. Claudia made her parents lock the doors
after returning home and would ask her parents to check the locks
repeatedly. When walking in the neighborhood, Claudia would
ask her parents if people passing are “bad” or if an approaching
person is going to hurt them. Claudia had difficulty going to bed
on nights when her mother worked, often crying when her mother
left. Although she was frequently nervous, Claudia was comforted
by her parents and has a good relationship with them. Claudia’s
nervousness was exhibited throughout the school day as well. She
asked her teachers to lock doors and spoke with staff and peers
about potential intruders on a daily basis.

Claudia’s mother, Paula, was initially hesitant to seek therapy
services for her daughter due to the family’s undocumented
status in the country. I met with Claudia’s mother and utilized
the initial meeting to explain the nature of services offered at
the agency, as well as the policies of confidentiality. Prior to the

SOCIAL WORK CASE STUDIES: CONCENTRATION YEAR

14

meeting, I translated all relevant forms to Spanish to increase
Paula’s comfort. Within several minutes of talking, Paula notice-
ably relaxed, openly sharing the family’s history and her concerns
regarding Claudia’s “nervousness.” Goals set for Claudia included
increasing Claudia’s ability to cope with anxiety and increasing her
ability to maintain attention throughout her school day.

Using child-centered and directed play therapy approaches,
I began working with Claudia to explore her world. Claudia was
intrigued by the sand tray in my office and selected a variety
of figures, informing me that each figure was either “good” or
“bad.” She would then construct scenes in the sand tray in which
she would create protective barriers around the good figures,
protecting them from the bad. I reflected upon this theme of good
versus bad, and Claudia developed the ability to verbalize her
desire to protect good people.

I continued meeting with Claudia once a week, and Claudia
continued exploring the theme of good versus bad in the sand tray
for 2 months. Utilizing a daily feelings check-in, Claudia developed
the ability to engage in affect identification, verbalizing her feelings
and often sharing relevant stories. Claudia slowly began asking me
questions about people in the building and office, inquiring if they
were bad or good, and I supported Claudia in exploring these
inquiries. Claudia would frequently discuss her fears about school
with me, asking why security guards were present at schools. We
would discuss the purpose of security guards in detail, allowing
her to ask questions repeatedly, as needed. Claudia and I also
practiced a calming song to sing when she experienced fear or
anxiety during the school day.

During this time, I regularly met with Paula to track Claudia’s
progress through parent reporting. I also utilized psychoeduca-
tional techniques during these meetings to review appropriate
methods Paula could use to discuss personal safety with Claudia
without creating additional anxiety.

By the third month of treatment, Claudia began determining
that more and more people in the environment were good. This
was reflected in her sand tray scenes as well: the protection of
good figures decreased, and Claudia began placing good and bad

PRACTICE

15

figures next to one another, stating, “They’re okay now.” Paula
reported that Claudia no longer questioned her about each indi-
vidual that passed them on the street. Claudia began telling her
friends in school about good security guards and stopped asking
teachers to lock doors during the day. At home, Claudia became
more comfortable staying in her bedroom alone, and she signifi-
cantly decreased the frequency of asking for doors to be locked.

APPENDIX

99

7. What local, state, or federal policies could (or did) affect
this case?

Chase had an international adoption but it was filed within
a specific state, which allowed him and his family to receive
services so he could remain with his adopted family. In addi-
tion, state laws related to education affected Chase and
aided his parents in requesting testing and special educa-
tion services. Lastly, state laws related to child abandonment
could have affected this family if they chose to relinquish
custody to the Department of Family and Children Services
(DFCS).

8. How would you advocate for social change to positively
affect this case?

Advocacy within the school system for early identification and
testing of children like Chase would be helpful.

9. Were there any legal or ethical issues present in the case?
If so, what were they and how were they addressed?

There was a possibility of legal/ethical issues related to the
family’s frustration with Chase. If his parents had resorted to
physical abuse, a CPS report would need to be filed. In addi-
tion, with a possible relinquishment of Chase, DFCS could
decide to look at the children still in the home (Chase’s adopted
siblings) and consider removing them as well.

Working With Children and Adolescents:
The Case of Claudia
1. What specific intervention strategies (skills, knowledge, etc.)

did you use to address this client situation?
Specific intervention skills used were positive verbal support

and encouragement, validation and reflection, and affect
identification and exploration. Knowledge of child anxieties/
fear and psychoeducation for the client and her mother were
also utilized. Child-centered play therapy was utilized along
with sand tray therapy to provide a safe environment for
Claudia.

SOCIAL WORK CASE STUDIES: CONCENTRATION YEAR

100

2. Which theory or theories did you use to guide your practice?
I used theoretical bases of child- (client-) centered nondirective

play therapy.
3. What were the identified strengths of the client(s)?
Client strengths were a supportive parenting unit, positive peer

interactions, and the ability to engage.
4. What were the identified challenges faced by the client(s)?
The client faced environmental challenges. Due to socioeconomic

status, the client resided in a somewhat dangerous neighborhood,
adding to her anxiety and fear. The client’s family also lacked an
extended support system and struggled to establish legal residency.

5. What were the agreed-upon goals to be met to address the
concern?

The goals agreed upon were to increase the client’s ability to
cope with anxiety and increase her ability to maintain attention
at school.

6. Did you have to address any issues around cultural compe-
tence? Did you have to learn about this population/group
prior to beginning your work with this client system? If so,
what type of research did you do to prepare?

Language barriers existed when working with the client’s
mother. I ensured that all agency documents were translated
into Spanish. It was also important to understand the family’s
cultural isolation. Their current neighborhood and culture is
much different than the rural Nicaraguan areas Claudia’s parents
grew up in. To learn more about this, I spent time with Paula,
learning more about her experience growing up and how this
affects her parenting style and desires for her daughter’s future.

7. What local, state, or federal policies could (or did) affect
this situation?

The client and her parents are affected by immigration legislation.
The client’s family was struggling financially as a result of their
inability to obtain documented status in this country. The client’s
mother expressed their strong desire to obtain legal status, but
stated that lawyer fees, court fees, and overwhelming paperwork
hindered their ability to obtain legal residency.

APPENDIX

101

8. How would you advocate for social change to positively
affect this case?

I would advocate for increased availability and funding for
legal aid services in the field of immigration.

9. How can evidence-based practice be integrated into this
situation?

Evidenced-based practice can be integrated through the use
of proven child therapy techniques, such as child-centered
nondirective play therapy, along with unconditional positive
regard.

10. Describe any additional personal reflections about this case.
It can be difficult to work with fears and anxiety when they

are rooted in a client’s environment. It was important to help
Claudia cope with her anxiety while still maintaining the family’s
vigilance about crime and violence in the neighborhood.

Working With Children and Adolescents:
The Case of Noah
1. What specific intervention strategies (skills, knowledge, etc.)

did you use to address this client situation?
I utilized structured play therapy and cognitive behavioral

techniques.
2. Which theory or theories did you use to guide your practice?
For this case study, I used cognitive behavioral theory.
3. What were the identified strengths of the client(s)?
Noah had supportive and loving foster parents who desired to

adopt him. He quickly became acclimated to the foster home
and started a friendship with his foster brother. He started to
become engaged in extracurricular activities. Noah was an
inquisitive and engaging boy who participated in our meetings.

4. What were the identified challenges faced by the client(s)?
Noah faced several challenges, most significantly the failure

of his mother to follow through with the reunification plan.
He has had an unstable childhood with unclear parental role
models. There may be some unreported incidences of abuse
and trauma.

The Child Therapies:
Application in Work

with Abused Children

Closer than the moon, even closer than the
depths of the seas,
the minds of children seem to most people
not only mysterious,
but impenetrable.
-J, ALEXIS BURLAND & THEODORE B. COHEN

Child therapy is described by Sours (1980) as “a relationship
between the child and the therapist, aimed primarily at
symptom resolution and attaining adaptive stability” (p.
275). Child therapy, as a separate and distinct type of work,
has been evolving since 1909, when Freud first attempted
psychotherapy with the now historic patient Little Hans. The
term child therapy is often used interchangeably with the
term play therapy although play was not used directly in the
therapy of children until 1920 when Hermine Hug-Hellmuth

26

27 Applying the Child Therapies

began using play for the diagnosis and treatment of
childhood emotional problems (Schaefer, 1980). Melanie
Klein and Anna Freud formulated the theory and practice of
psychoanalytic play therapy some 10 years later.

While most child therapists agree that play is the most
effective medium for conducting therapy with children,
others (Freiberg, 1965; Sandler, Kennedy, & Tyson, 1980)
have raised questions as to whether play produces structural
change, have pointed to the nebulous quality of play, and
have dismissed it as consisting ofneither dream material nor
free association. Schaeffer (1983) contends that “it is some­
what difficult for anyone interested in play and play therapy
to gain a clear understanding of what is meant by the term
play because no single, comprehensive definition of the term
has been developed” (p. 2). However, the potential benefits of
play are well documented. In his literature review Schaeffer
found descriptions of play as “pleasurable,” “intrinsically
complete,” “independent from external rewards or other
people,” “noninstrumental, with no goal,” and “not occurring
in novel or frightening situations.” Schaeffer suggests that
play is person- rather than object-dominated.

Schaeffer (1980) further asserts that “one of the most
firmly established principles of psychology is that play is a
process of development for a child” (p. 95). Play has been
alternately depicted as a mechanism for developing “prob­
lem-solving and competence skills” (White, 1966); a process
that allows children to “mentally digest” experiences and
situations (Piaget, 1969); an “emotional laboratory” in which
the child learns to cope with his/her environment (Erikson,
1963); a way that the child talks, with “toys as his words”
(Ginott, 1961); and a way to deal with behaviors and concerns
through “playing it out” (Erikson, 1963). Nickerson (1973)
views play activities as the main therapeutic approach for
children because it is a natural medium for self-expression,
facilitates a child’s communication, allows for a cathartic
release of feelings, can be renewing and constructive, and
allows the adult a window to observe the child’s world.
Nickerson points out that the child feels at home in a play
setting, readily relates to toys, and will play out concerns

28 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

with them. Chethik (1989) makes an important point about
the use of play as therapy: “Play in itself will not ordinarily
produce changes…the therapist’s interventions and utiliza­
tions of the play are critical” (p. 49). In addition, the clinician
must serve as a participant-observer, rather than a
playmate. I believe that play in therapy must be facilitated
by an involved clinician in a meaningful way. Some of the
most frequent errors made in child therapy are allowing a
child to play randomly over an extended period of time,
ignoring the child’s play, and providing the kind of toys that
do not promote self-expression.

As interest in child therapy has grown and as the num­
ber of child-specific referrals has increased, a variety of
therapeutic techniques, games, and toys have also evolved.
Play therapy has blossomed into a multifaceted and exciting
field of study.

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF PLAY THERAPY

As mentioned earlier, Sigmund Freud in 1909 was the first
to use play to uncover his client’s unconscious fears and
concerns. Hermine Hug-Hellmuth began using play as a part
of her treatment of children in 1920 (Hug-Hellmuth, 1921)
and 10 years later, Melanie Klein and Anna Freud formu­
lated the theory and practice of psychoanalytic play therapy.
This type of play therapy continues to be one of the most
respected forms of child therapy, usually conducted by
analysts.

Psychoanalytic Play Therapy

Anna Freud and Melanie Klein wrote extensively about how
they incorporated play into their psychoanalytic technique.
Whereas the former advocated using play mainly to build a
strong positive relationship between child and therapist,
the latter proposed using it as a direct substitute for ver­

29 Applying the Child Therapies

balizations. The primary goal of their approach was “to help
children work through difficulties or trauma by helping
them gain insight” (Schaefer & O’Connor, 1983). Anna
Freud has repeatedly pointed out that “the essential task
[of therapy] is to remove the obstacles that impede [the
child’s] development and to allow his progressive develop­
mental forces and ego resources to complete the task of
development” (Nagera, 1980, p. 22). Klein (1937) felt that
an analysis of the child’s transference relationship with the
therapist was the main source of insight into the child’s
underlying conflict.

Freud and Klein took the basic concept of free associa­
tion, one of the basic precepts of adult analysis, and in its
place substituted the child’s natural tendency to play
(Nagera, 1980). They proposed that play uncovered the
child’s unconscious conflicts and desires and that play was
the child’s way of free-associating. While Klein proposed
that the child’s play is “fully equivalent” to the adult’s free
associations and “equally available for interpretation,”
Freud’s theory viewed play not as an equivalent to adult fre<) associations but as an ego-mediated mode of behavior "yield­ ing a substantial body of data" but requiring supplementa­ tion from a variety of sources, including parents (Esman, 1983). Psychoanalytic play therapy, predicated on the analysis of resistance and transference, emphasizes the use of interpretation, recognizing the child's ability to use play symbolically to manifest internal concerns. Nagera (1980) documents that even though significant differences existed in the theoretical tenets of Freud and Klein in the beginning, throughout the years there has been more of a convergence between the two theories. Fries (1937), a student of Anna Freud's, delineates the distinctions between the two theories, emphasizing Freud's preference to withhold inter­ pretation.

Esman (1983) describes the focus of play in psychoana­
lytic child therapy: “It allows for the communication of
wishes, fantasies, and conflicts in ways the child can tolerate
affectively and express at the level of his or her cognitive

30 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

capacities” (p. 19). He goes on to say that the therapist’s
function is to “observe, attempt to understand, integrate, and
ultimately communicate the meanings of the child’s play in
order to promote the child’s understanding of his or her
conflict toward the end of more adaptive resolution” (p. 19).

Structured Play Therapies

In the late 1930s, a more goal-oriented therapy, known as
“structured therapy,” was developed. This therapy emerged
from a psychoanalytic framework and from a belief in the
cathartic value of play and the active role of the therapist in
determining the course and focus of therapy (Schaefer &
O’Connor, 1983).

Anna Freud had initially found the use of affective
release useful, but on the basis of later experience she en­
couraged this type of work only in cases of severe traumatic
neuroses. David Levy (1939), stimulated by Anna Freud’s
conclusion and by Sigmund Freud’s concept of “repetition
compulsion,” introduced the concept of “release therapy” for
children who had experienced trauma. Levy helped the child
recreate the traumatic event through play. The goal of this
type of play was to help the child assimilate the negative
thoughts and feelings associated with the trauma by reenact­
ing it over and over again. Levy cautioned against using this
technique too early in therapy, before a strong therapeutic
relationship had been formed. In addition, he took care to
avoid “flooding,” in which the child is overcome by strong
emotions and thus unable to assimilate them.

Other well-known contributors to the literature on struc­
tured therapies include Hambidge and Solomon. Solomon
(1938) thought that helping a child express rage and fear
through play without experiencing the feared negative con­
sequences would have an abreactive effect. Hambidge (1955)
was even more directive than Levy, who provided toys to
facilitate the child’s recreation of the trauma: Hambidge
facilitated the child’s abreaction by directly recreating the
event or life situation in play.

31 Applying the Child Therapies

Relationship Therapies

Otto Rank and Carl Rogers, also considered non-directive
therapists, were the major proponents of relationship
therapy, which is based on a particular theory of personality
“which assumes that an individual has within himself not
only the ability to solve his own problems but also a growth
force that makes mature behavior more satisfying than im­
mature behavior” (Schaefer, 1980, p. 101). This type of
therapy promotes the full acceptance of the child as he/she
is, and stresses the importance of the therapeutic relation­
ship. Moustakas (1966), another prominent leader in the
field of child therapy, emphasizes the genuineness of the
therapist as pivotal to the success of therapy. He strongly
advocates the importance of the here-and-now as the nucleus
of therapeutic success. Axline (1969) also gives credence to
the importance of the therapeutic relationship, viewing it as
the “deciding factor” (p. 74). Axline’s writings, particularly
the widely touted book Dibbs in Search of Self (1964), have
clearly delineated the benefits and desirability of nondirec­
tive therapy.

Behavior Therapies

In the 1960s the behavior therapies, based on the principles
of learning theory were developed. Such therapies apply the
concepts of reinforcement and modeling to relieve behavior
problems in children. The behavioral approaches are precise­
ly concerned with the problem behavior itself, not with the
past or with feelings that might have preceded or accom­
panied the behaviors. No attempts are made to achieve
affective release, to do cathartic or abreactive work, or to help
children express feelings. Behavioral approaches are applied
directly to children in the playroom or are taught to parents
for use in the home. This type of therapy has broad applica­
tion to childhood problems, particularly those that stem from
a lack of adult guidance and limit setting. Within this
framework play is used as a means to an end, not as inherent­
ly valuable in and of itself.

32 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

Group Therapy

Slavson (1947) experimented with group situations in 1947,
guiding latency-age children through activities, games, and
arts and crafts designed to help them “release emotional and
physical tensions” (p. 101). In 1950, Schiffer developed what
began to be known as “therapeutic play groups” (Rothenberg
& Schiffer, 1966) in which children could interact freely with
minimal intervention from the clinicians. The unique aspect
of this type of therapy, according to Schaefer (1980), is that
“the child has to learn to share an adult with other children”
(p. 101). Group therapy enjoys a certain contemporary
popularity, partly because it can be provided at lower cost
and partly because there has been a growing belief in the
effectiveness of this modality. Yalom (1975) documents
numerous “curative” benefits provided by group therapy,
including the following: installation of hope, universality,
imparting of information, altruism, corrective recapitulation
of the primary family group, development of socializing tech­
niques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, group
cohesiveness, catharsis, and existential factors. Kraft (1980)
elucidates that effective group treatment must contain the
following elements:

Leadership, preferably with male and female co-therapists,
involves developing cohesiveness, identifying goals for the
group, showing the group how to function, keeping the
group task-oriented, serving as a model, and representing
a value system. In carrying out these tasks, the leader may
offer clarification of reality, analysis of transactions, brief
educational input, empathic statements acknowledging his
own feelings and those of members, and at times delineat­
ing the feeling states at hand in the group. (p. 129)

Group therapy has traditionally been believed to have
application to the treatment of abusive parents (Kempe &
Helfer, 1980). A treatment approach used effectively with
abusive parents is known as Parents Anonymous (PA),
founded in California in 1970. PA uses a formerly abusive
parent as a group facilitator in addition to the mental health
professional. There are currently over 1,200 PA groups in the
United States.

33 Applying the Child Therapies

Another very well-known treatment model, Parents
United, relies heavily on the group format. Parents United
was established in 1975 by Dr. Hank Giarretto as the self­
help component of the Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Pro­
gram (Giarretto, Giarretto, & Sgroi, 1984), now known as the
Community as Extended Family. Separate groups are formed
for the incestuous parents and for the non-abusive partners.
The children’s groups are known as Daughters and Sons
United, and the groups for adult survivors are known as
Adults Molested as Children (AMAC) groups. There are
currently over 135 active Parents United programs across
the United States.

Mandell, Damon, et al. (1989) wrote a useful and timely
book on group treatment for abused children, with parallel
treatment for caretakers. Throughout the book the authors
use different play techniques to help the children open up
about their abuse and to build trust among themselves. They
defined the objectives of group treatment as follows:

• Define acceptable behavior of group members and intro­
duce a respect for boundaries.

• Promote group interaction and reinforce cooperative
efforts.

• Introduce and encourage the discussion of common exw
periences to reinforce a feeling of togetherness and
promote group cohesion for both children and
caretakers.

• Improve self-esteem through validation of individual
feelings and ideas, acknowledging each member’s im­
portance in contributing to the group experience.

• Help group members to understand the purpose of the
group.

• Enhance caretakers’ capacity to begin to view their
children with increased sensitivity, understanding and
empathy. (p. 27)

Another pilot project, by Corder, Haizlip, and DeBoer
(1990), used structured group therapy to treat sexually
abused children ages 6 to 8, and focused on issues comparable
to those of Mandell and associates. The goals in the pilot
project included integrating the trauma, improving self-es­
teem, improving problem-solving skills, self-protection for

34 TI!E HEALING POWER OF PLAY

the future, improving ability to seek help, and enhancement
of the child’s relationship to the nonabusive parent.

In another preliminary group project with sexually
abused boys, Friedrich, Berliner, Urquiza, and Beilke (1990)
advocate more open-ended therapy and selection of group
members by developmental level (not chronological age) in
order to promote better peer interaction.

Group therapy is not without its controversy. I have often
heard the concern that the group might inadvertently en­
courage the child to overidentify with the victim role and that
groups have the potential of “contaminating” one child with
the emotional concerns of another. Yet another concern,
which I share, is that sometimes groups are run in random
ways, go on for indefinite periods of time, lack clear goals,
and suffer from inconsistent and inexperienced leadership.
However, these concerns are discussed in the book by Man­
dell and associates and do not undermine the potential
benefits of the group experience.

Sand Tray Therapy

No summary of the major models of child therapy would be
complete without making note of the significant contribution
of Dora Kalff (1980), who created sand therapy. Sand therapy,
based on the principles ofJungian therapy, sees the sand tray
as symbolic of the child’s psyche. The sand therapist inter­
prets the child’s use of symbols and placement of objects in
the tray and observes the child’s passage through distinctive
phases of healing. While many child therapists use sand play
in their therapy, this type of play therapy stands alone,
embedded in its own theory and technique.

THE TECHNIQUES OF CHILD THERAPY

The theoretical frameworks highlighted earlier-the psycho­
analytic, existential, behavioral, and Jungian-are the major
frameworks for conducting child therapy; almost every
known technique can be subsumed under one of these head­

35 Applying the Child Therapies

ings. It is important to distinguish between the child
therapies and the child therapy techniques. The child
therapies are based on a theoretical framework; the techni­
ques are chosen to implement therapy based on those con­
ceptual frameworks. Some of the child therapies are flexible
enough to incorporate a variety of techniques whereas others
restrict the therapeutic approach.

DIRECTIVE VERSUS NONDIRECTIVE
PLAY THERAPY

Yet another way to categorize the types of therapy employed
with children is to differentiate between directive and non­
directive styles of play therapy. Nondirective or client­
centered play therapy, promoted by the relationship
therapists, is nonintrusive; it parallels the client-centered
approach created by Carl Rogers (1951). Axline (1969) is
credited with the creation of this specific kind ofplay therapy,
and she distinguished between nondirective and directive
therapy by simply stating, “Play therapy may be directive in
form-that is, the therapist may assume responsibility for
guidance and interpretation-or it may be nondirective; the
therapist may leave responsibility and direction to the child”
(p. 9). The child is allowed and encouraged to choose the toys
to play with and is given the freedom to develop or terminate
any particular theme. Guerney (1980) cites two major fea­
tures of client-centered therapy: First, the client-centered
approach is “viewed as promoting the process of growth and
normalization” and, second, the therapist “must rely on the
child to direct this process at his or her own rate” (p. 58). The
non-directive therapist observes the child’s play, often af­
firming verbally what is seen. Guerney states, “The realiza­
tion of selfhood via one’s own map is the goal of non-directive
play therapy” (p. 21).

The nondirective therapist cultivates hypotheses that
are tested over time; interpretations are used sparingly and
then only after a great deal of observation. Nondirective
therapists give the child concentrated attention and refrain

36 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

from answering questions or giving directives. Axline (1964)
demonstrates the use of nondirective therapy in her classic
work Dibbs in Search of Self. Nondirective techniques are
always helpful in the diagnostic phase of treatment and, as
Guerney (1980) points out, have been shown to be effective
with a wide range of problems.

The basic difference between the nondirective and direc­
tive approaches rests in the clinician’s activity in the therapy.
Directive therapists structure and create the play situation,
attempting to elicit, stimulate, and intrude upon the child’s
unconscious, hidden processes or overt behavior by challeng­
ing the child’s defensive mechanisms and encouraging or
leading the child in directions that are seen as beneficial.
Nondirective therapists are “actually controlled, always
centered on the child, and attuned to his/her communica­
tions, even the subtle ones” (Guerney, 1980, p. 58). Directive
therapies are by nature more short-term, more symptom­
oriented, and less dependent on the therapeutic transference
than are nondirective therapies.

The directive therapies are multitudinous and include,
among other things, behavior therapies, Gestalt therapy,
filial therapy, and family therapy. Certain specific techni­
ques, such as puppet play, story-telling techniques, certain
board games, and various forms of artistic endeavor, lend
themselves to being employed in therapy in different ways:
A nondirective therapist might provide the child with ample
opportunities for art work or story telling with puppets
whereas a directive therapist might ask the child to draw
specific things or tell an exact story.

The Treatment of
Abused Children

‘

TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS IN
WORKING

WITH ABUSED CHILDREN

When assessing the treatment needs of abused children and
formulating treatment plans, it is vital to consider a number
of issues such as, among other things, the phenomenological
impact of the abuse, the family’s level of dysfunction, the
environmental stability, the age of the child, and the child’s
relationship to the offender.

The actual act of abuse is usually only one of myriad
experiences the child endures. More often than not, the recog­
nition and reporting of the abuse to the authorities sets into
motion a number of legal and protective interventions that are
perplexing and anxiety-provoking to the child. Consequently,
the treatment of abused children is multidimensional and will
likely include an array of services including individual,
parent-child, group, and family therapy-all delivered within
the context of social service and legal systems that operate
within their own regulations and limitations.

37

38 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

The therapy of abused children includes the monitoring
of risk factors, coordination with a variety of agencies, ad­
herence to requests for periodic reports, and a focus on
processing of the child and family’s trauma, as well as inter­
vention in intricate family dynamics, observation of parent­
child interactions, work with foster families or other tem­
porary caretakers for the child, advocacy efforts, testifying
in court as needed, and other special activities that are
discussed in the final chapter of this book.

The Phenomenological Experience

First and foremost, it is urgent to view each child’s ex­
perience as unique. References were made to “mediators of
abuse” earlier in this book, and there might be a temptation
to judge the impact of abuse by certain yardsticks, such as
the duration of the abuse, the severity, how many symptoms
arise, who the perpetrator was, or how the child appears. The
reality is that children react differently, and although the
research can serve as a kind of global map of common reper­
cussions, only close examination will reveal the subtle
landmarks.

I once worked with a family of five children, ages two,
four, seven, ten, and fifteen, whose home was burned down
as a result of a freak gas explosion. The parents made swift
and appropriate responses, buying the children duplicates of
their favorite things, talking to them in a group about the
experience, and bringing themselves and the children for
some family counseling sessions. The parents commanded
authority, coped well with their stress, and conveyed positive
feelings to the children, centering on the fact that they had
all survived and that that was the most miraculous and
important thing. The parents also had the financial means
to rent a comfortable home, and their insurance provided
substantial compensation for erecting a new home. The
children were involved in the plans and were awarded the
right to “design” their own space if interested. The counseling
sessions were almost redundant, since the parents had
engaged the children in effective verbal communication. It

39 The Treatment of Abused Children

was clear this was a close and communicative family, and
their skills were well applied during the crisis. Some of the
younger children’s art work and play had elements of
reenactment, as they drew fires and tumbled buildings. The
children had also had fretful sleep, particularly the older
ones, who seemed to have a greater understanding of how
close they had come to death.

After six or eight conjoint meetings with the family, the
parents and I agreed that I would be available to the children
should any concerns arise in the future. Six months later the
parents brought their 7-year-old son into therapy because he
was unable to sleep, had lost his appetite (and 12 pounds),
and appeared to go into alternating states of panic and what
the parents described as “spacey” behavior-he sucked his
thumb in the corner and had a fixed stare. In addition, he
was afraid of the stove, the fireplace (which had not been
used), and even the hot water in the tub. He flinched at any
slight noise, and he had stopped playing outside. His
brothers and sisters were not able to elicit his participation
in either conversation or play. This is an example of how the
same event, with subsequent similar responses, can be ex­
perienced differently by one child than by others when there
has been no previous indication of marked personality dif­
ferences among the children. The only explanation is the
phenomenological nature of an individual’s perception, in­
tegration, and processing of single or cumulative events, and
this uniqueness commands great respect.

No matter what initial intervention is made, there is an
inherent advantage in setting the therapeutic context for
future work. Many of my child clients have had “discon­
tinuous therapy,” which allows and encourages families to
return to therapy for “checkups” on an as-needed basis.
However, it is my belief that the sooner a trauma victim
enters treatment, the better.

Terr (1990) is quick to point out how quickly children and
their families can recover from a trauma and cautions
against postponing treatment:

Putting off treatment for trauma is about the worst thing
one can do. Trauma does not-ordinarily get ”better” by itself.

40 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

It burrows down further and further under the child’s
defenses and coping strategies. Suppression, displacement,
overgeneralization, identification with the aggressor, split­
ting, passive-into-active, undoing, and self-anesthesia take
over. The trauma may actually come to “look” better after
all these coping and defense mechanisms go into operation.
But the trauma will continue to affect the child’s character,
dreams, feelings about sex, trust, and attitudes about the
future. (p. 293)

All presuppositions about abused children must be
halted in the face of a new child victim. Assuming a child feels
angry, sad, betrayed, depressed, or anything else is
counterproductive. We must enter the assessment phase free
from biases about the general effects of victimization or
traumatization and enter the realm of learning from each
child’s singular experience. Only the children can tell or show
us what meaning the experience has had to them. Only they
can allow us to understand the incredible survival instincts
of victims/survivors. They will show or tell us what they need
although verbal directives are few and far between.

The clinician must set aside his/her own agenda and
treatment plans must be individually designed and revised
on a continuous basis.

The Family’s Level of Dysfunction

The therapist may or may not have access to the abusive
family when work is done with abused children. Abusive
families, particularly neglectful ones, are frequently multi­
problem families with high levels of dysfunction.

Even if the clinician has access to the family, their level
of functioning might be so low as to minimize the impact of
therapy. Therefore, it becomes critical for the clinician to
lower expectations and devise realistic goals. Also, the
clinician must take great care to ascertain how the child’s
progress is viewed at home. For example, the clinician may
encourage the child to express his/her feelings and send the
child into an environment where verbalizing feelings will
elicit punishment. If the family is unresponsive and con­
tinues to organize around multiple crises, the most helpful

41 The ‘freatment of Abused Children

interventions will be those designed to help the child cope
with the realities of the environment.

Monitoring Risk Factors

Providing therapy to abused children, particularly those who
have not been removed from their families, involves a special
focus on risk factors to both the parents and the child clients.
As Green (1988) notes, “Any plan for the treatment of child
abuse must be designed to create a safe environment for the
child and to modify the potentiating factors underlying the
maltreatment…An effective treatment program must deal
specifically with the parental abuse-proneness, the charac­
teristics of the child that make him vulnerable, and the
environmental stress that triggers the abusive interaction”
(p. 859). It is therefore obligatory to have a clear under­
standing of the factors that led to the abuse and to have done
a comprehensive review of these factors with the parents. For
example, if one of the precipitators of the abuse was a
parent’s alcohol abuse, efforts must be made to monitor the
parent’s adherence to alcohol treatment programs. If one of
the conditions of the court is that the child attend a daily
child care program, it is important to verify that this is, in
fact, transpiring. If the parental treatment is being con­
ducted by another clinician, the child’s clinician is advised to
obtain contact with the relevant professionals and coordinate
the risk management aspect of the therapeutic intervention.

Environmental Stability

As mentioned earlier, abusive families characteristically
have a wide range of problems. They may have housing
problems or frequent relocations, live in shelters, or even be
homeless. The primary focus of the treatment is on providing
the family and the child with as much information on resour­
ces and coping skills as possible. Clinicians who choose to
work with abusive families must familiarize themselves with
the multitude of prevention and treatment programs that
have surfaced over the past 15 years. Up-to-date information
is provided by local Child Abuse Councils, easily found in the

42 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

telephone directory. In addition, a National Child Abuse
Hotline maintains current resource information (1-800-4-A­
CHILD).

The Age of the Child

It is difficult to conduct play therapy with children under the
age of two. Two- to three-year-olds differ immensely in cog­
nitive, motor, and verbal abilities. Children in this age group
should be assessed to determine how amenable they are to
therapy. Little is written about the treatment of young
children, although a number of professionals are beginning
to gain and share their expertise (MacFarlane, Waterman, et
al., 1986). Even children this young can exhibit post­
traumatic play and reveal unconscious fears and concerns
through their play.

The Child’s Relationship to the Offender

As noted earlier, the closer the relationship between the child
and the offender, the more potentially traumatic the event is
to the child. The clinician is once again advised to tread
lightly, suspending personal judgments about the child’s
perpetrator. The child must sense that any and all feelings
he/she may have about the perpetrator are acceptable to the
clinician.

If, however, the child appears to be fixated on just one
feeling, the clinician can comment on that and gently direct
the child to other possible emotions. I once saw a young girl
who had been virtually abandoned by her mother and had
only sporadic contact with her. She was adamant that she
hated her mother, thought she was useless, and never
wanted to have anything to do with her. One day I softly said,
“You are really good at telling me about how angry you are
at your mother. And I bet you would be just as good at telling
me some of the other feelings you have or have had towards
her.” She quickly retorted, “I don’t feel anything else about
her.” I added, “Maybe not now, but I bet when you were little
there might have been some other feelings.” “Well yeah,

43 The ‘lreatment of Abused Children

’cause I didn’t know any better.” Then I proceeded to ask what
those feelings had been, and she cried a little as she described
memories of wanting to go everywhere with her mother, and
of feeling worried about her when she went out drinking. Just
because a child emphasizes one primary feeling doesn’t mean
that other feelings might not be just beneath the surface.

Another child, also overtly hostile toward his mother,
was unresponsive to queries about other feelings. I brought
out my cards with “feeling pictures” (Communication
Skillbuilders, 1988) and fanned them out in my hands. “Pick
one,” I prompted. When he did I asked him to tell me a time
he had felt the (chosen) feeling about his mom. Because it
was a game and there were explicit rules, the child simply
acquiesced, and a lot of rich material sprang forward.

Treatment of the Child in His/Her Environment

Another difference in treating this population is the frequent
instability of the environment. Often children are placed in
foster homes (or a series of foster homes), group homes, or
residential facilities. I have had more than one treatment
interrupted by an abrupt transfer of my child client to
another county or state.

Foster homes differ in quality. I have had contact with
many highly qualified professionals, who have become part
of the treatment team. Children who are removed from their
home suffer the additional impact of separation from parents
and familiar environments and usually need help dealing
with separation anxiety, concern for their parents, and loyal­
ty conflicts (Itzkowitz, 1989).

The therapy must include an assessment of the child’s
environment and an attempt to coordinate informational
exchange with the alternative family on a regular basis. My
experience has been that most foster parents welcome con­
tact with the therapist, appreciate being regarded as a mem­
ber of a professional team, offer many valuable insights, and
respond well to suggestions regarding the child. Too often,
foster families or other caretakers are not contacted, and
helpful information is unavailable to the clinician.

44 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

Discontinuous Therapy

As mentioned previously, working with abused children may
include intermittent participation from the child. Parents
may withdraw the child from treatment once the court man­
date is no longer present, or financial restrictions may in­
fluence the parent’s decision to terminate the therapy. In
addition, the child may use the therapy well for a period of
time and later shift to periods when she/he does not seem to
want to come or does not engage in therapeutic play. These
are but some of the circumstances that can precipitate the
use of discontinuous therapy. Nevertheless, children can
benefit greatly from these short-term, task-focused, involve­
ments with therapy.

The Clinician’s Gender

Children who are abused may develop idiosyncratic respon­
ses to persons of the same sex as their abusers, including
clinicians. In some instances it may be advantageous to
transfer the child so this issue can be resolved. For example,
I worked with a boy victim who was raped by his father for
over a year. This child was in therapy with me for over 2
years, became well adjusted to his long-term foster place­
ment, processed the trauma issues, and developed a sense of
competence, safety, and well-being. The combination of a safe
environment and therapy worked wonders; yet the boy al­
ways shied away from men and, I observed, exhibited startle
responses when he saw a male therapist in my office. His play
indicated a reticence toward men and a preference for contact
with women. Unfortunately, the foster parent was an unmar­
ried woman and the boy’s teachers had been women, except
for the physical education teacher. The boy wanted to avoill.
physical education because of the teacher, and the school
gave him a special dispensation based on his history. Thus,
the child had effectively managed to expel all men from his
life.

I decided to transfer the boy to a male therapist. At first
he resisted vehemently, but the joint sessions with the male
therapist intrigued him, and slowly but surely, I could see

45 The Treatment of Abused Children

him explore the boundaries of the new situation, asking
questions of the male therapist, handing him toys, and
making definitive statements about his preferences. Finally,
the day came for his first “alone” visit with the male
therapist; I waited outside the office at a designated place.
He came out of the office twice to make sure I was there but
tolerated the visit fairly well. The therapy continued for
another year, and even though I felt the child had already
made great strides, his progress with the male therapist was
very rewarding. The child became physically active, ap­
peared to grow due to his more erect stature, and joined a
soccer team. He no longer avoided men and had established
a good relationship with the soccer coach.

Symptoms of Distress and Treatment Modalities

Relatively little has been written about the treatment of
young abused children although the past 2 years has seen
a welcome surge in books about therapy with sexually
abused and traumatized children (Friedrich, 1990; James,
1989; Johnson, 1989; Terr, 1990). Treatment of sexually
abused children has probably been the most widely re­
searched and documented aspect of treatment of abused
children, and many of these findings are applicable to vic­
tims of other types of abuse. Long (1986), for example,
discusses relevant issues in the treatment of sexually
abused children: importance of teaming with the child’s
mother; inappropriate attachment behavior; infant regres­
sive behavior; need for body contact and body awareness;
and need for education on feelings. All of these areas are
addressed in treatment of abused and neglected children in
general. Porter, Blick, and Sgroi (1982), referring to the
psychological issues that must be dealt with in work with
sexually abused children, list “damaged goods” syndrome,
guilt, fear, depression, low self-esteem, poor social skills,
repressed anger, and hostility. Added to these are traits
most characteristic of incest victims: impaired ability to
trust, blurred role boundary and role confusion, and pseu­
domaturity coupled with failure to accomplish developmen­
tal tasks, self-mastery, and control. Again, all victims of

46 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

child abuse and neglect will benefit from the clinician’s
focus on these matters. Burgess, Holstrom, and Mc­
Causland (1978) emphasize the importance of decreasing
the child’s anxiety and attempting to engender trust as a
first step in the treatment process. MacVicar (1979) stres­
ses that sexually abused children often confuse sex with
affection and need some help understanding sexuality.
Waterman (1986), reviewing the literature on the treat­
ment of sexually abused children, notes that many treat­
ment modalities have been used, including family systems;
a combination of behavior therapy for perpetrator, marital
therapy, and family therapy; individual short- or long-term
child therapy; group therapy; and art or play therapy. Terr
(1990) notes that traumatized children are characterized by
emotions of terror, rage, denial and numbing, unresolved
grief, shame, and guilt. She also states that such children
develop “traumatophobia,” or fear of fear itself. This fear
that springs from psychic trauma, she says, “makes arch
conservatives out of formerly flexible children” (p. 37).
Beezeley, Martin, and Alexander (1976), in a study of 12
physically abused children who stayed in treatment over
one year,· found that children’s improvement was seen in
increased ability to trust, increased ability to delay
gratification, increased self-esteem, increased ability to
verbalize feelings, and increased capacity for pleasure.
Beezley and associates found that progress was greatest if
the parents were willing to let the child make changes and
were willing to make changes themselves and if the
therapist could influence the environment, that is, the
school setting, the playroom, and the child’s relationships
with others (p. 210). Mann and McDermott (1983) point out
that the common areas of psychological disturbance requir­
ing clinical attention are fear of physical assault or fear of
abandonment, leading to depression and anxiety; failure to
meet parents’ distorted expectations, leading to defective
object relationships, struggles over dependency, and inter­
nalization of a “bad child” self-image with poor self-esteem;
difficulty achieving separation and autonomy; and
prolonged and heightened separation anxiety and am­

47 The ‘.freatment of Abused Children

bivalence over attachment to caretakers as a result of mul­
tiple rejections and out-of-home placements, including
hospitalizations (p. 285).

I can’t imagine a situation in which an abused child
would not require or benefit from individual therapy. The
experience of victimization or traumatization is painful,
alarming, and confusing enough to warrant speedy inter­
vention. The individual therapy, which includes an ongoing
assessment, may be short-term and may precipitate the
need for family or group work. However, in my view, every
abused child deserves a one-on-one experience with a
trained professional.

At the same time, if the child is to be reunited with a
formerly abusive family-whether it be physical or sexual
abuse, neglect, or emotional maltreatment-it becomes req­
uisite to see the family with the child present. In addition, if
the child has been abused outside the home, the entire family
experiences the impact of the traumatic event, and all mem­
bers require assistance.

Probably nowhere else is the direct observation of the
parent-child relationship as indispensable as it is in situa­
tions of child abuse. Many inexperienced clinicians have been
baffled to learn of a new abusive incident after the parents
had religiously reported that they were using better discipli­
nary techniques and had not engaged in overt conflicts. A
parent can state that she/he has been making calm and
reasonable requests of a child, but direct observation may
lead to a different conclusion. The clinician may find that
while some improvement has been made, the tone and pitch
of the parent’s voice, combined with nonverbal communica­
tion, continue to be harsh enough to terrify the child and
discourage voluntary compliance.

Family therapists encourage the presence of all family
members in therapy sessions, but they have been consider­
ably lax in demonstrating methods for conducting family
sessions with very young children (Scharff & Scharff, 1987).
The most typical family therapy scenario consists of the
family therapist meeting with the adults in the family while
the young children are relegated to the corner with toys or

48 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

drawing materials. Scharff and Scharff (1987) discuss family
therapy with very young children, offering interesting and
useful suggestions (p. 285).

Social Service Agencies and the Courts

Working with abusive families often necessitates contact
with court and social service agency personnel, who are
responsible for overseeing the protection of the child. This
type of contact can be seen as an act of treason by parents
who are nonvoluntary therapy clients. In order to maximize
the chances of forming a therapeutic alliance (often an
oxymoron) with these clients, I usually limit my contact with
social service agencies to written communications and show
the letters to my clients prior to mailing. In this way, trian­
gulation can be avoided and the clients may feel less helpless.
It’s probably too much to expect that this simple action will
elicit total trust, but most clients respond well to this method
of compliance with the authorities.

In working with abusive families and children, it is
important to ascertain what the authorities expect from
them. In other words, what specific behaviors or activities
does the court or social service agency expect from the family
to avoid the child’s removal or to bring about reunification.
Behavioral objectives, rather than broad goals, must be out­
lined. For example, “The parents should get along better” is
vague and can be better explained with an explicit statement
like “The parents must stop hitting and begin to have com­
munication with each other, resulting in at least two
decisions a week about the children and two decisions a week
about how to spend their money.” This specificity will greatly
aid the clinician in assessing progress and in implementing
treatment in a purposeful way.

Confidentiality and the Reporting Law

The mental health professional encounters a serious dilem­
ma when treating allegedly abused or identified abused
children. The dilemma originates because clinicians create
an environment where, hopefully, a child feels safe and com­

49 The ‘freatment of Abused Children

fortable enough to share his/her inner thoughts, worries, or
fears. When this atmosphere is accomplished by competent
professionals and the child verbally or nonverbally shares or
signals that he/she is being abused, the therapist is legally
obligated to convey that information to the authorities. The
child may feel betrayed by this apparent breach of trust and
may withdraw into the uncomfortable or familiar position of
having to decide what information can and cannot be
divulged. And yet the reality is that the child abuse law was
developed as a mechanism to obtain necessary protection for
vulnerable children.

I find it necessary and desirable to tell the children from
the outset that there are limits to confidentiality, that
clinicians have certain legal obligations that supersede the
obligations of confidentiality. This can be done in a matter­
of-fact way in simple language, for example: “Everything we
talk about in here is private. I won’t repeat things that you
tell me to anyone unless I get worried about a few things. I
will have to tell someone if I think you are hurting yourself,
hurting someone else, or if someone is hurting you, including
your parents or brothers and sisters. ‘Hurting’ means dif­
ferent things like hitting or touching on private parts of the
body.” Then the child should be encouraged to ask questions
or get further clarification. The clinician’s answers should be
confined to what is known. One of the ways that children will
definitely feel betrayed is if the clinician predicts or promises
a particular outcome, for example, the child will or will not
stay at home or protective services or police will or will not
come to the school.

Regardless of how many steps are taken to minimize the
impact of a child abuse report, the child almost always
regrets saying anything, particularly if the abuser is some­
one the child loves or depends on. The clinician must be
sensitive to the child’s predicament and avoid using false
reassurances such as, “Everything will be all right now.”

The Legal System

Probably one of the most disheartening aspects of therapy
with abused children is the unpredictability and length of

50 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

certain legal procedures. Ifthe child must testify, this process
can feel endless to the professionals-to say nothing of the
children themselves. There are frequent continuances, and
even when the child is required to testify, busy calendars or
other external factors can require the child to return again
and again before he/she is actually put on the stand.

Clinicians are sometimes criticized by defense attorneys
for “preparing” a child to testify. A child’s testimony can be
discredited if she/he states that the testimony has been
discussed with a therapist beforehand. Because of this, I
suggest that the content of the child’s testimony not be
discussed during therapy sessions. The clinician can be help­
ful, however, in preparing the child to go to court. Caruso
(1986) developed a set of pictures depicting a courtroom, the
judge, the waiting room, and where the child sits. These
pictures can familiarize the child with the courtroom am­
bience. In particular, the child should have some concrete
idea of where she/he will sit to testify and of the distance from
the offender; it is helpful if children who will testify know
that they will be face-to-face with the offender, will likely be
asked to identify the person, and can look at their own
attorney or anywhere else if looking at the offender feels
awkward or disturbing.

Court-Mandated Evaluations. A child’s treatment is cus­
tomarily suspended when the court requests an “inde­
pendent” evaluation and is resumed once the evaluation is
completed. The child’s therapist and the evaluator prepare
the child for the evaluation process, clearly explaining the
projected length. Suspending the child’s treatment sessions
during the evaluation process may maximize the evaluator’s
potential to obtain important information from the child.
There are circumstances in which suspending treatment
might be contraindicated.

Report Writing. Working with abused children and their
families can often be accompanied by nagging subpoenas for
records. It has become my practice to write brief, matter-of­
fact notes limited to issues of concern regarding the protec­
tion of the child. It is also my practice to always make every

51 The ‘lreatment of Abused Children

effort to protect my client’s confidentiality, making phone
calls to my attorney in attempts to “block” subpoenas while
remaining fully cooperative.

Testifying. Yet another customary adjunct in the therapy
of abused children is the possibility of the clinician’s having
to give depositions or testify in court. These are always
distracting and stressful, no matter how well accustomed the
clinician becomes to them. Recent information, indispen­
sable to clinicians who serve as expert witnesses or provide
other testimony in court, has become available (Myers et al.,
1989). I advise the clinician to secure an attorney well versed
in issues of family custody.

Advocacy Efforts. Finally, working with abused children
may precipitate a number of concerns regarding the social
service and legal system and how it operates. Some clinicians
find it worthwhile to channel some of their concerns into
letters to the legislature, participation in statewide organiza­
tions dedicated to these issues, or membership in local child
abuse councils.

Working with abused children and their families is chal­
lenging, stressful, and quite an opportunity. There are a
number of obstacles, and planning ahead will prevent many
of the typical problems associated with this work such as not
knowing what’s expected, getting involved in interagency
conflicts, learning suddenly that new workers have been
assigned to the case, and feeling helpless and futile. The
clinician will be most successful working as part of a team,
talking with other professionals on a regular basis, asking
for guidelines in writing, and meeting periodically to discuss
the status of the case.

APPLICATION OF ESTABLISHED
CHILD THERAPIES TO WORK

WITH ABUSED CHILDREN

At no other time in history has the child therapy field had
such a rich array of therapeutic tools and props for therapists

52 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

to use. This is likely in response to the increase in childhood
problems (such as drug abuse, delinquency, child abuse,
suicide, youth prostitution) and a greater awareness within
the mental health profession and the general public of the
need for and efficacy of therapy for childhood problems.
Clinicians currently working with abused children are in the
enviable position of being able to draw from a growing litera­
ture reflecting many professionals’ ground breaking and
dedicated work. This cumulative knowledge helps us design
more sensitive and effective treatment programs.

Some of the established child therapies are applicable to
the therapy of abused children. These children have chal­
lenged mental health professionals with an array of unique
behaviors that command a specialized response. The inter­
ventions are not offered as rigid, inflexible, or final in any
way. The field of play therapy in general, and play therapy
with abused children specifically, is in evolution; as more and
more clinicians become trained and experienced and as re­
search findings shape our understanding and thinking, more
directives will be available about effective therapeutic
strategies. The truth is that currently there are very few
“rules” about this type of treatment, and we must equip
ourselves with as much knowledge and experience as pos­
sible.

THE TREATMENT PLAN

As mentioned earlier, abused children are referred to treat­
ment with an assortment of clinical symptoms that manifest
underlying issues. The fundamental goal of therapy is to
provide corrective and reparatiue experiences for the child. A
corrective approach provides the child with the experience of
safe and appropriate interactions that engender a sense of
safety, trust, and well-being. In other words, there is an
attempt to demonstrate to the child through therapeutic
intervention the potentially rewarding nature of human in­
teraction. A reparative approach is designed to allow the
child to process the traumatic event in such a way that it can
be consciously understood and tolerated. The healing power

53 The Treatment of Abused Children

of play cannot be underestimated; likewise, the survival
instinct of humans cannot be underrated. If given a nurtur­
ing, safe environment, the child will inevitably gravitate
toward the reparative experience. Even in the unfortunate
situation where children are kept in actively abusive homes,
or returned prematurely after temporary foster care, the
reparative clinical experience tends to be stored and remem­
bered, later serving as a motivating factor. Of course, the
impact of the reparative experience will depend on many
external factors, such as the degree of continuity in the
therapeutic setting, how well parents or caretakers
cooperate, and how rigorous the efforts of social service
agencies and courts are in planning for the child’s future.

When a treatment plan is being designed for an abused
child, the presenting symptoms must not be considered in
isolation. Beginning efforts are appropriately directed
toward the reduction of the child’s symptoms, but
therapeutic efforts must persist long after the relief of
symptomatology. Too many children are terminated hastily
by relieved parents or shortsighted clinicians.

As stated previously, each child is unique and treatment
plans will vary according to the child’s needs, level of
damage, ongoing response to therapy, and accessibility. In
the following pages I discuss various treatment areas and
include specific therapeutic suggestions for each area.

Relationship Therapy

Because abuse is interactional and usually occurs within the
framework of a family, the child can profit from an oppor­
tunity to experience a safe, appropriate, and rewarding inter­
action with a trusted other.

Children entering treatment are curious, reticent, and
often anxious or afraid. Physically or sexually abused
children, or children who have witnessed domestic violence,
have a background that can predispose them to feeling vul­
nerable. They have learned that the world is unsafe and have
met the challenge by cultivating such defensive mechanisms
as hypervigilance or extreme compliance. The neglected
child, conversely, may show little resistance to coming to

54 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

therapy and may appear uninterested in and unaffected by
the new surroundings. The neglected child is accustomed to
inattention and has probably lacked even the most basic
stimulation; he/she may sit still, expecting little. It is impor­
tant in these cases for the clinician to underwhelm the child,
then gradually introduce more stimulation. For example,
sitting next to the child, facing away, coloring, or playing with
some objects may be a good beginning; then, commenting on
what is being done, directing the child’s attention to toys,
and, eventually, facing the child, asking questions, and en­
couraging the child’s participation in a simple task like
coloring will be effective.

The clinician always proceeds with caution, gingerly
laying a foundation that advances a sense of security. (I have
often imagined this step as the creating of a kind of
sanctuary: quiet, accepting, stable, consistent, and free of
external conflict.) One of the ways to create a sense of safety
is to have a stable structure so the child can rely on certain
aspects being constant.

Structure means many things. The length of the session,
the location, the toys in the playroom, the “rules,” the
therapist’s presence, and the procedure followed during the
therapy hour are all features that can be used to build a
strong structure. Even the way the therapist introduces
himsel:f/herself to the child is carefully designed. I have
always found it best to be short and to the point in all
communications with children:

My name is Eliana. I am someone who talks and plays
with children. Sometimes I talk to kids about their
thoughts and feelings. Other times, I play whatever the
child wants.

Regarding rules I say the following:

There are lots of things you can do in here. You can play
with anything you see. You can talk if you want. You can
play or draw. You choose what to do. Sometimes I might
ask you some questions. You can answer or not.

55 The Treatment of Abused Children

There are a few rules. No hitting or breaking toys. No
hurting yourself or me. All the toys stay here.

We’ll meet together for 50 minutes. I’ll set this timer
and when the bell goes off, it’s time to stop until next
time.

Everything we talk about is private. I won’t tell
anybody what you say unless you are hurting yourself,
hurting someone else, or someone is hurting you, includ­
ing your parents or brothers or sisters. If that happens,
I’ll need to tell someone else so we can make sure you’re
OK, but I’ll talk to you about it first.

Obviously, all these rules are not announced in the first
session. In that session I usually introduce myself and give
the general directives for what will happen. After that, I
scatter the rules throughout the succeeding sessions.

The clinician focuses on the child’s needs and provides
the child with opportunities for self-exploration, adaptation,
and new (functional) behaviors. The nondirective, client­
centered therapies are most beneficial at the beginning of
treatment. The child is respected and accepted. The child
chooses what to do and what to talk about. The therapist
observes (actively) and documents the child’s behavior, af­
fect, play themes, interactions, and so on. The therapist
makes a great effort to earn the child’s trust, responds
honestly, does what is promised, and is present week after
week.

The therapist must resist the temptation to overgratify
or overstimulate the child; compliments and overattention
must be curtailed. Factual statements are best. “You have
new shoes on today” might be a more productive statement
than “Your new shoes are beautiful.” It’s always better to
inquire how children view something, as opposed to telling
them how they feel. “How do you like your new shoes?” is
more conducive to communication than “I bet you love your
new shoes.” These children may find it difficult to disagree
with an adult’s opinion.

Likewise, if questions are necessary (and sometimes
they are), they must be phrased to avoid a yes/no response.

56 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

It can be difficult to make the transition to open-ended
questions, but the results are most helpful to children. In
addition, I have learned through trial and error the relative
merits of using comments rather than questions-comments
that invoke the child’s interest. My favorite and most suc­
cessful comment is “Humm, I wonder what that might be
like…. ” or “I wonder what other feelings might be there…. ”
Given the implied freedom to wonder along, children may
freely offer their own thoughts.

Assuming the therapeutic structure is well received and
the child begins to attend sessions more voluntarily-per­
haps even looking forward to them-the child may discern
positive regard from the clinician. Now the challenge com­
mences, since abused children have frequently learned that
intimacy implies threat.

One of the insidious lessons of physical, sexual, or emo­
tional abuse is that “people who love you will hurt you.”
Neglected children learn that “people who love you abandon
you.” Either way, intimacy implies threat, and the child who
feels reassured or consoled will inevitably feel endangered.
Feeling in peril, the abused child may attempt to take flight
emotionally, physically, or through some acting-out behavior.
Understanding the child’s need to flee or need to evoke an
abusive response from the clinician provides direction for the
clinician’s serene and persistent responses. Green (1983) has
postulated that the tendency of the child to provoke abuse
may serve a need to “obtain otherwise unavailable physical
contact and attention” (p. 92).

One memorable 6-year-old brought me a paddle four
months into treatment. “What’s this?” I asked. “It’s a paddle,”
she said, surprised by the question. “What’s it for?” I con­
tinued. “For you to hit me,” she announced. I looked puzzled,
stating, “Why would I want to hit you?” Her response was
simple. “You like me, don’t you?” It was as simple and as sad
as that. She assumed that my regard for her would be
followed by an attack. Rather than tolerate the anticipatory
anxiety of waiting for the attack, she decided to take the
initiative and provide me with my weapon. Needless to say,
the next four months in therapy were quite a trial of wills.

57 The Treatment of Abused Children

She kept provoking and I continued to simply state, “I am
not going to hit you, yell at you, or get mad. I’m going to show
you that I care about you in different ways.” I also said, “You
would really feel much better if I hit you or screamed at you
right now. But that is something that will not happen. I know
that you expect grown-ups will hurt you, and I also know that
you will learn that I will not hit or hurt you.” The little girl
needed to learn to tolerate the anxiety of expecting an attack.
When I noticed her tension, I would say, “You’re feeling
worried that I might hurt you right now.. .it’s OK to worry a
little, until you know deep down that you’ll be safe.” Other
times I would say, “I know you’re worried, and it’s OK to tell
me when you feel that way. Sometimes, after you worry for a
little while and nothing happens to you, the worry gets
smaller and smaller.” At the end of therapy she made me a
little stitched purse and gave me a card saying, “Eliana.
Thanks for liking me and not hitting me. Your friend always.”

For neglected or needy children, the wish for attachment
may loom strongly. These children make indiscriminate con­
nections and seem desperate to be special to the therapist.
They may ask point-blank, “Do you like me the best of all the
children you see?” or “Do you miss me when I’m not here?”
For them, intimacy is not encumbered with threatening
feelings; it is an elusive sensation they long for. I respond to
these questions by asking what they imagine I might feel and
then commenting on how important being liked or missed is
to them. If children persist I will say, “I do like you,” “You are
special,” or “I think of you sometimes during the week” and
then inquire what it’s like for them to hear these things.

Setting limits for these children, by gently asserting the
nature of the therapeutic relationship, is important. Not
setting limits can be counterproductive for the child and
his/her family. If the clinician becomes overly responsive to
the child’s needs or begins to behave in unusual ways (such
as buying clothes and other presents for the child), the
abusive or neglectful parent will be affected inadvertently.
One therapist consulted with me when her 7-year-old client
proclaimed, “I want you to be my mommy. I don’t like my
mommy as well as you.” It is possible that a child could

58 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

develop this feeling without any encouragement, and yet I
have frequently met well -meaning therapists who regret that
they failed to keep clear boundaries in the therapeutic
relationship with the child (and who confide that keeping
clear boundaries is more difficult with children).

The psychodynamic concept of “transference” has ap­
plicability in work with abused children. Scharff and Scharff
(1987) reviewing Freud’s concept of transference, explain
that Freud defined transference as “the repetition of a psy­
chological experience from the past applied to the person of
the physician: The physician is simply the present site for
the distribution of the libido, or sexual energy, of the patient”
(p. 203). Transference, therefore, refers to the relocation of
thoughts and feelings about a primary person in the child’s
life to the clinician. The abused child is liable to experience
emotions such as distrust, fear, rage, and longing toward the
clinician. These feelings originate in the parental relation·
ship and get transferred to a person who may feel safer to the
child or who may require less caretaking or loyalty. As a
result the therapist must refrain from behaving in any set
way. Some therapists who work with abused children allow
countertransference issues to dictate their behavior.

As alluded to earlier, abused children may become
anxious and threatened by the unfamiliar (nonabusive) be­
havior of the clinician. These children feel helpless or be·
wildered by nonabusive behaviors, and in an effort to feel
more in control and less anxious, they may become provoca·
tive.

During my first internship with abused children I, in my
inexperience, brought with me, out of countertransference
needs, an enormous desire to be nurturing. Many of the
children literally attacked me, kicking my shins, punching
my arms, and biting me. Green (1983) has suggested that the
compulsion to repeat trauma and the identification with the
aggressor “replace[s] fear and helplessness with feelings of
omnipotence” (p. 9). This attacking behavior from children
can evoke disturbing responses in the clinician. It was when
I first confronted this behavior that I first acknowledged, as
I have often shared in lectures, having hostile feelings
toward children. I later came to recognize these angry feel·

59 The Treatment of Abused Children

ings not as a sign that I needed to find a new career but as a
sign that the children were provoking responses in me that
were familiar to them in an effort to take care of their needs.
Probably the greatest lesson I have learned from abused
children and adults is that everything they do after they have
been abused is designed to keep themselves feeling safe. This
concept is beneficial in evaluating even the most difficult or
irritating behavior. While early in the treatment I simply
document the child’s responses, and set limits when needed,
once the therapeutic relationship is established, I make my
observations explicit by describing to the child the connection
between his/her behavior and underlying issues.

Nonintrusive Therapy

Because physical and sexual abuse are intrusive acts, the
clinician’s interventions should be nonintrusive, allowing the
child ample physical and emotional space.

Physical and sexual abuse are intrusive acts that violate
the child’s boundaries. The body is hit or penetrated and the
child feels “too much” of the parent. In these families abuse
can be accompanied by emotional encroachment or detach­
ment, either of which makes the abuse more complex. Abused
children frequently have the experience of having extreme
and unreasonable directives about what to think, what to
feel, and what to do. The parents are either enmeshed with
or disengaged from the child and may either restrict the child
from any privacy or be totally apathetic. An abusive parent
may sporadically want to take care of all the child’s hygiene
needs whereas a neglectful parent may fail to oversee any of
the child’s hygiene practices. Moreover, the behaviors of
abusive and neglectful parents can fluctuate, particularly
when drug or alcohol abuse is involved.

Because of these boundary problems the clinician’s early
interventions should be nonintrusive, allowing the child to
set the boundaries. The child should be allowed to move
around freely and choose desired activities. While the child
plays, the therapist is advised to sit nearby, without hovering
over the child’s every movement. It is best to avoid a question
and answer format and, instead, allow the child to communi­

60 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

cate spontaneously as desired. The clinician may obtain
valuable information immediately. For example, some
children may throw things, break things, wander in and out
of the room, reset the timer, and generally test all of the
regulations defiantly. Other children do the opposite: They
sit quietly in a corner, avoiding interactions of any kind. They
seem to recoil from the therapist, creating their needed
seclusion; they are unresponsive and subdued. Sometimes
these initial behaviors taper off after a while; at other times
they linger beyond the expected period. All the child’s be­
haviors are informative and purposeful. Both what the child
does and what he/she fails to do furnish details of the child’s
inner world. If the child persists in a nonverbal mode or
appears to feel pressured to perform verbally, the clinician
may speak aloud, without addressing the child specifically.
This technique is called “talking to the wall,” and may allow
a resistant child to listen in, and possibly respond. As the
therapy proceeds it may be necessary to become more direc­
tive, particularly if the child continues to be avoidant or too
guarded-especially about the abuse.

Some clinicians question what to do if the child avoids
the topic of abuse in therapy. Often when I inquire into the
details of the case, I find that the clinicians are relying on
verbal validation of some kind. One clinician, who described
the child’s elaborate posttraumatic play, was frustrated that
the child never made verbal reference to his abuse.

One of the errors in child therapy is observing the child
passively rather than in an active mode. Active observation
requires the therapist to participate in the child’s play, not
necessarily in a physical way but certainly in an emotional
way. The therapist remains interested and involved, mental­
ly logging the sequence of play, the themes, the conflicts and
resolution, the child’s affect, and the verbal commentary as
it evolves.

The clinician must also refrain from inadvertently en­
couraging or permitting too much “random play,” or play that
has symbolic obstruction. A recent (and I hope short-lived)
trend among therapists is to equip their offices with com­
puter games: Children become absorbed in these games, but
they are devoid of therapeutic usefulness. Therapists seem

61 The Tueatment of Abused Children

to use these games the same way parents do: to entertain
and/or relax the child. Less obvious, but equally worthless,
is outfitting the therapy room with popular toys, such as
converters and electric cars. These toys will summon specific
types of play in children and do not lend themselves to
symbolic reenactment of internal concerns.

If the child is making good use of therapy, his/her play
will be sporadically significant to the clinician; it will almost
always be enriching for the child.

Ongoing Assessment

Probably in no other kind oftherapy is an ongoing assessment
so necessary. Children may unfold during therapy, sharing
their emotions and feelings as they begin to trust. They are
also in a state of continuous developmental change with
accompanying personality transfigurations.

Unlike that of an adult client, a child’s personality is
maturing during the course of treatment. A child is often “in
the midst of rapid and continuous developmental and en­
vironmental changes” (Diamond, 1988, p. 43). As Chethik
(1989) elucidates, “The child’s personality is in a state of
evolution and flux,” with an immature ego, fragile defenses,
easily stimulated anxiety, and often feelings of magic and
omnipotence (p. 5). The child’s ego is expanding; his/her
consciousness and self-consciousness are developing; he/she
is tentatively establishing identities; and he/she develops a
repertoire of defenses and coping skills. Depending on the
length of treatment, children’s transformation can be im­
mense as they tackle the pertinent developmental tasks.
Children are influenced greatly by peers, and their behavior
may change drastically under the influence of friends or
teachers. As a result therapy strategies must sometimes
change to address these differences: A child who is suddenly
defiant and challenging may require firm limits; a child who
begins to question his/her competence may require a focus
on simple tasks that result in success; a child.who suddenly
becomes extroverted and inquisitive may benefit from a
therapist who responds in an informative and directive
manner.

62 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

However, any and all changes in the clinician’s strategies
must be well thought out and purposeful. I have frequently
told students of child therapy that a clinician should be able
to explain why she/he did what was done or said what was
said-and why it was done or said at a particular moment.
This can be more difficult with children who are less in­
hibited about their thoughts, actions, and behaviors and can
act more impulsively. The clinician has less response time,
which requires the ability to say, “I don’t know,” “Let me think
about that a minute,” or “I think I have two thoughts about
that; let me take a second.”

Effective assessments also require clear and measurable
treatment plans based on active observations. Making a treat­
ment plan with clear, concrete behavioral objectives allows the
clinician a way to gauge progress. As I intimated earlier, one
of the most common errors in working with children is an
unfortunate tendency to ignore the child’s play. Some
clinicians seem lulled into passive participation in the therapy
hour with children, perhaps because play can be self-absorbing
for the child; many children require sparse interactions during
their play. Greenspan (1981) maintains that active observa­
tion occurs on a variety of levels, involving the physical in­
tegrity of the child; the child’s emotional tone; how the child
relates to the clinician; the child’s specific affects and
anxieties; the way the child uses the environment; thematic
development of the child’s play (the way themes are developed
in terms of depth, richness, organization, and sequence); and
the therapist’s subjective feelings about the child (p. 15). As
Cooper and Wanerman (1977) suggest, “allow yourself a grow­
ing fascination with and respect for the minutiae of human
behavior” (p. 107). The clinician who documents these levels
of information is by necessity involved in the therapy as an
observer-participant. Unless the therapist assumes this role,
he/she is disengaged and is not conducting therapy to its
fullest potential. If the therapist finds that the child is no
longer using the play in a therapeutic way, or is engaged in
stagnated or random and disorganized play, the therapist
must intervene. However, if the therapist begins to think that
the child’s behavior is crystal-clear, the therapy warrants
review. Cooper and Wanerman (1977) caution: “Slow down

63 The ‘.lreatment of Abused Children

when you feel that you are beginning to understand the
meaning of a child’s play behavior” (p. 107).

Facilitative Efforts

Because abused, neglected, or emotionally abused children
are frequently under- or overstimulated, they lack the ability
to explore, experiment, and even play. The clinician must
facilitate these natural, now constricted or disorganized ten­
dencies.

Children who have been physically or sexually abused
may be anxious, hypervigilant, dissociative, depressed,
and/or developmentally delayed. They may be socially imma­
ture and may rely on the environment for performance cues.
They may have had emotionally barren environments or
emotionally chaotic and inconsistent ones. In either case
their natural tendencies toward play may be interrupted,
leading to anxious, disorganized, or chaotic play.

The clinician is advised to inquire about the child’s com­
mon play patterns before meeting with the child. Parents,
foster parents, day-care providers, or teachers may be able to
provide information about attention span, play preferences,
and other relevant issues. This knowledge is then used in
selecting the type of playroom or play materials to be made
available to the child. The chaotic, disorganized child will need
a more restrictive setting with fewer options. The restriction
can be accomplished by providing a large open space with
previously selected toys or a smaller room with a limited
number of toys to choose from. The worst possible combination
for a child with disorganized, frenzied play is a large room with
numerous toys and activities for selection.

The understimulated child will probably do the same in
either setting. With this child, the clinician is, by necessity,
more directive, selecting the toys and encouraging the child’s
interest and play. The therapist first attempts to encourage
the child by modeling play behaviors, thus giving tacit permis­
sion for the child’s participation. If the child continues to
retreat from the play, the therapist can slowly encourage the
child more directly. One of the major functions of play “is to
alter the raw, overwhelming affects that arise in children at

64 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

times of anxiety and provide a natural vehicle for the expres­
sion of these affects” (Chethik, 1989, p. 14). A child’s continued
lack of involvement with play could signal a different kind of
problem, and medical and neurological exams are indicated.

The selection of toys for play therapy is critical. Axline
(1969) suggests a list of required materials, including the
following:

nursing bottles, a doll family, a doll house with furniture,
toy soldiers and army equipment, toy animals, playhouse
materials, including table, chairs, cot, doll, bed, stove, tin
dishes, pans, spoons, doll clothes, clothesline, clothespins,
and clothes basket, a didee doll, a large rag doll, puppets, a
puppet screen, crayons, clay, finger paints, sand, water, toy
guns, peg-pounding sets, wooden mallet, paper dolls, little
cars, airplanes, a table, an easel, an enamel-top table for
finger painting and clay work, toy telephone, shelves, basin,
small broom, mop, rags, drawing paper, finger-painting
paper, old newspapers, inexpensive cutting paper, pictures
of people, houses, animals, and other objects, and empty
berry baskets to smash. (p. 54)

Clearly, not all these items will be equally effective.
The doll house, family dolls, nursing bottles, puppets,

and art materials are the necessary minimum.
In working with abused children, I have found the fol­

lowing toys or techniques to be repeatedly successful in
encouraging the child’s verbal or play communication:

• Telephones
• Sunglasses
• Feeling cards (i.e., illustrations of faces expressing

feelings)
• Therapeutic stories
• Mutual story-telling techniques
• Puppet play
• Sandplay
• Nursing bottles and dishes and utensils
• Video therapy

Telephones connote intimate verbal communication to
the child. I usually sit with my back to the child and mimic

65 The Tl-eatment of Abused Children

the confidential tone used in a phone call. The child usually
turns away through example, and a more private conversa­
tion can ensue.

Sunglasses are magical: Children believe that they be­
come invisible once they put sunglasses on. Wearing them
gives children a comfortable anonymity that can disinhibit
their communications, particularly when they have been
feeling embarrassed or reticent.

Therapeutic stories have been frequently used in child
therapy in a convincing way. Because children’s imagination
and ability to identify is so powerful, they can easily enter a
story, making unconscious connections to heroes, conflicts,
and resolutions. Stories have been used to teach children
some basic concepts and to encourage their interest through
a familiar medium.

A wonderful book that offers therapeutic stories specifi­
cally for abused children was made available recently (Davis,
1990). The author, trained in Ericksonian hypnosis, found
that the use of metaphors in therapy could directly engage
the child’s unconscious mind and facilitate lasting changes.
Her stories, specifically designed for an array of child-related
problems, are insightful and very effective, particularly with
latency-age children and preadolescent youngsters (and in
some instances younger children as well).

Gardner’s (1971) Mutual Story-Telling Technique can
also have good results, but it necessitates the creation of a
story by the child. Some abused children have restricted
creativity and are anxious about their performance, so this
technique may be more successful later in therapy.

Puppet play has several benefits. The child creates a
story but does so anonymously, so to speak, using specific
characters to portray hidden conflicts or concerns. I find it
especially useful to have a sheet the child can sit behind, so
that she/he can conduct the play while hidaen.

Sand play can be very evocative. Children tend to like
the sand (maybe because it’s reminiscent of beaches) and
enjoy the tactile experience of molding and shaping it or
simply letting it rain through their fingers. My impressi

66 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

immediately produce intricate scenarios, abundant with
symbolism. The play is in and of itself therapeutic and
provides the child with ample opportunities for a reparative
experience.

The use of videos in therapy is very worthwhile. Abused
children may be reticent to disclose their worries, fears, or
self-doubts. They often have impaired self-images and lack
the insight or confidence to recognize or express themselves
freely. Watching videos that discuss topics such as self-es­
teem, emotional abuse, secrets, drug abuse, or coping with
feelings, can be extremely beneficial for children for two
reasons. First, it gives them a little distance to consider
personal issues they may otherwise avoid, and second, the
issue is presented in the child’s medium, story-telling, and
has the potential to engage the child’s interest. I believe the
first step toward self-empathy is the ability to empathize
with others; the child watching a character in a videotape
has the option to identify with the character, empathizing
with his/her plight. The information presented in the tape is
then discussed between the clinician and the child. I have
been most impressed with a series created by J. Gary
Mitchell (MTI Productions, 1989) in which a character called
“Super Puppy” guides children through a variety of impor­
tant issues such as those mentioned previously.

It’s worth noting that children with established play
patterns find it essential to have toys available to them on a
consistent basis. Toys must be protected and constancy main­
tained. Toys do not leave the playroom under any circumstan­
ces. In addition, the therapist must convey a sense of comfort
with the child’s use of the toys (I have met therapists who
buy expensive or irreplaceable antiques for the playroom,
creating a kind of museum.)

Expressive Efforts

Because abused children are frequently forced or threatened
to keep the abuse secret, or somehow sense that the abuse
cannot be disclosed, efforts must be made to invite and
promote self-expression.

67 The Treatment of Abused Children

Sundry ways of stimulating expression must be under­
taken. Art, sand play, storytelling, doll play are all useful
attempts. However, a child who seems averse to overtly
expressing himseH/herself may require considerable effort.

One technique I’ve found fruitful is making the need and
use of secrecy explicit. I mark a paper bag “Secrets” and play
a game with the child in which, every now and then we each
pull out one of the secrets written on folded pieces of paper.
The child may choose to select another secret to read aloud.
The child sees this as a game and has less resistance to
disclosing scary or uncomfortable secrets.

Sometimes I draw cartoon figures, for example, of a
small child and an adult placing an empty cloud above their
heads the way cartoonists do. Then the child fills in what is
being said.

Caruso’s Projective Story-Telling Cards (1986) are also
effective because they depict so many familiar situations for
children who live in dysfunctional families. The characters
are obviously experiencing conflict, danger, fear, or discom­
fort. Children have an opportunity to project their own wor­
ries or concerns into the characters in the drawing. The
clinician learns about the child and responds to his/her
concerns as the child’s projected concerns become clear.

There are no strict rules about techniques that can be
employed to encourage the child to reveal inner thoughts and
feelings. The clinician must be as creative as possible, using
whatever interest areas the child displays. Perhaps no other
clinician contributed such a multitude of creative ideas as
James (1989). The more numerous the techniques available,
the better; abused child.ren can be resistant to self-disclose
for a variety of external and internal reasons.

My impression has been that many children have dif­
ficulty with the expression of anger. They are afraid of the
emotion, probably because of their history. They need to see
anger as a normal emotion that can be expressed construc­
tively and safely, not just in inappropriate and dangerous ·
ways.

Most abused children have resentments and feelings of
anger; however, they frequently squelch these feelings to

68 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

stay safe. Providing them with permission to show anger can
generate a variety of experimental behaviors, some safer
than others. It is useful to model safe expressions of anger,
setting the necessary limits.

If the child shows more of a certain type of feeling than
others, the clinician must begin to inquire about the range,
for example, by saying, “You are very good at showing your
angry feelings. What do you do when you feel sad?” Some­
times feelings are shown through the body. Children may
tense up, bite their lip, or even scratch themselves during
specific discussions in the therapy. The child’s posture can
help the clinician determine which concerns need attention.

Abuse affects the child physically. In physical abuse
there is a great deal of pain sustained by the child; the body
will develop physiologic responses, including muscle tension,
and evidence of anxiety, such as flinching. An abused child,
living with erratic violence, can literally prepare the body for
an attack by holding the body still and experiencing other
signs of physical distress such as shallow breathing, in­
creased heart rate, and flushing. In cases of sexual abuse the
child’s body has usually been penetrated, creating a feeling
of vulnerability. The child’s body feels unsafe, and the sexual­
ly abused child does not have a sense of physical control.

Finally, some emotionally abused and neglected children
do not receive normal physical attention or affection, and
since it has been clearly demonstrated that physical nurtur­
ing of a child is as important as alimentation, neglected
children can feel confused or inundated by a fear of or wish
for touching.

Because of the innate physical issues for abused
children, helping parents and caretakers encourage the
child’s physical activity is vital. The child needs to engage in
the most basic of physical movements; walking, climbing,
and running can begin to give the child a sense of accomplish­
ment and pride as well as a knowledge of his/her physical
limitations. It is important to keep expectations to a mini­
mum until the child begins to thrive, allowing him/her to
experiment at an individual pace.

When the child appears to be more physically comfort­
able, less tense, and more prone toward physical activity, it

69 The Treatment of Abused Children

can be beneficial to enroll the child in some kind of team sport
at school or through a park and recreation department.
Participating in group activities can engender a sense of
well-being and belonging.

In addition, the formerly abused child may find self­
defense courses educational and worthwhile. The abused
child who learns principles of self-defense may feel em­
powered and less threatened by the environment. Most of the
self-defense classes do not teach violence; they teach self­
protection and respect for others. There is a great deal of
self-motivation and self-discipline involved in learning self­
defense, and many children I’ve worked with have responded
well to this instruction.

Although there are some sex differences regarding
preference of activity (boys prefer self-defense, girls prefer
dance or movement), children can be stimulated to develop
other interests ifthe activity is normalized. For example, one
boy who was in a group with two other boys who took dance
classes, developed an interest in dance classes after meeting
other boys who liked this activity.

Directive Efforts

Abused or traumatized children may also have a tendency to
try to suppress frightening or painful memories or thoughts
and in some cases may use denial and avoidance fully.

Suppression is a necessary defense that allows the in­
dividual to store intolerable material in the unconscious so
that it no longer interferes with current functioning.

Eventually, the abused child will be served by being able
to suppress or consciously inhibit a specific impulse, idea, or
affect associated with the trauma, but traumatic memories
are best suppressed after they have been processed and
understood. When this is done the individual has fewer
experiences with fragmentation or splitting and dissociation.
It is the repressed, or unconsciously stored memories, that
can leak out into consciousness through posttraumatic
symptoms.

The child’s first and most natural tendency will be to use
the defense of denial or suppression; the family frequently

70 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

]Oms in to try to put the unpleasant or painful memory
behind. Families can reorganize quickly after a trauma,
taking care to avoid individuals or situations that can trigger
the memory.

The therapist can help a child who is avoiding the process­
ing of traumatic material by guiding him/her through a
thorough, time-limited review of the traumatic event so that
the event can be understood, felt, processed, and assimilated.
It appears that no matter how long this process is postponed,
eventually (for most people) the unconscious brings the event
back to consciousness through symptoms of posttraumatic
stress syndrome, including flashbacks, nightmares, auditory
hallucinations, or behavioral reenactment.

There is growing evidence in the literature that many
adult survivors have amnesia for the abuse for most of their
lives. This indicates how powerful and effective the defense
mechanisms can be. I believe we can give abused and
traumatized children a real advantage if we stimulate their
processing of the trauma. This does not mean that these
children won’t need different levels of explanation and reas­
surance as they become more cognitively and emotionally
mature. It does mean that the foundation is set for future
exploration.

Privacy

Because in-home physical and sexual abuse and neglect are
family matters and children may feel loyal and protective of
their parents, it is important to expect the child’s reticence and
to structure opportunities for him/her to divulge information
at his/her own pace.

Some abused children are threatened by their families
or caretakers to keep all family interactions to themselves.
They are told that they or loved ones will be harmed. Some
of the children I’ve worked with have had demonstrations of
what will happen to them if they tell others about secret
family situations. One child witnessed the murder of his dog.
The parent threw the dog against a wall, and brutally
crushed its head with a brick. This was the incident that
precipitated the mother’s taking flight with the child. The

71 The Treatment of Abused Children

child suffered greatly about this for a number of years; since
the child’s environment was so wanting, the child had formed
a strong tie with his pet.

Even when children are spared overt threats, many of
them sense the secrecy of family violence or sexual abuse.
They may not feel able to talk about feelings associated with
their abuse.

Privacy is very important for children; secrecy is not.
Establishing privacy empowers; keeping secrets engenders
feelings of helplessness. Children required to keep secrets
(through internal or external pressures) feel burdened, and
the secret takes on great importance for them, alienating
them from others and limiting the number of comfortable
interactions they can have.

A number of techniques to clarify the difference between
privacy and secrecy can be employed. Sometimes an abused
child is at the crossroads of making a disclosure about dis­
turbing thoughts or feelings. I might ask the child who
refuses to continue, “What will happen if you say more?” If
the child says “I don’t know,” I will explore possible alterna­
tives by having the child “guess” what might happen. More
frequently, the child has a specific reason for not telling, and
she/he might respond, “Daddy will be mad at me” or “Mommy
told me if I told, bad things would happen.” I usually make
the following statement, “It’s really hard to talk about things
when we’re afraid. What might make it feel safer to talk
about how you feel?”

Some children prefer to tell a stuffed animal in the
playroom. I may ask them to pick out the animal they’d like
to tell, and they can whisper it to them. Once they’ve done
that, I ask how it feels to get these feelings out. Most of the
time the children feel good about talking; sometimes they
seem indifferent. I also might ask the child to imagine what
the stuffed animal might say to them about their secret.

I have on occasion brought out a tape recorder and left the
child alone in the playroom to tape what she/he wants to say
but can’t. Children usually ask if I will listen to the tape, and
I answer that the tape belongs to them and they can let me
listen when they want. Every time I’ve done this, the child has
wanted to play the tape back to me right away. I then have an

72 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

opportunity to comment about the secret. I might say some­
thing like “It must be hard to be alone with that secret” or “It
must be hard to keep that just to yourself.” I usually ask the
child whom he/she might feel safer telling and continue to talk
about the difficulties of keeping things to oneself.

Obviously, if the child’s secret concerns an event such as
physical abuse or sexual abuse, the reporting law may enter
the picture. However, many of the secrets include situations
that are burdensome to the child but not necessarily
dangerous.

Posttraumatic Play

Because posttraumatic play often occurs in secret, the
therapeutic environment must create a climate for this type
of play. Once the play begins, it must be carefully monitored
for alterations, and at some point interrupted with suitable
interventions.

The traumatized child is often compelled to reenact the
traumatic event in an effort to master it. This concept was
first introduced by S. Freud as “repetition compulsion.” As
Terr (1990) has affirmed, the reenactments can take the form
of behavioral manifestations as well as play dramatizations.
A reenactment is usually the result of an unconscious com­
pulsion that the child may not understand. Some children
claim that no matter how much they try, they cannot stop
thinking about the trauma and frequently feel as if it were
“happening again.” Others claim that they no longer remem­
ber anything about the traumatic event and stubbornly deny
any and all feelings related to the event. Processing the
trauma can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some children
are more able to discuss their feelings and concerns and may
ask disarming questions about their abuse.

Because play provides a medium for communication,
some therapeutic play provides a mechanism for uncovering
concerns and releasing pent-up feelings. Some children simp­
ly go about the task of doing what they need to do to feel
better; they need little more than permission-and the
props-to do so. When this happens the clinician can observe,

73 The Treatment of Abused Children

document, and eventually comment on what transpires and
answer the child’s questions or concerns.

For other children-perhaps those who have been more
harmed by the traumatic event-the clinician’s direction and
stimulation will be needed before the frightening or over­
whelming feelings and sensations can be faced. In these
cases, forming a solid therapeutic relationship precedes any
gentle probing to assist the child in addressing intolerable
emotions. The goal of this work is to allow the child eventual­
ly to process the traumatic event, give it appropriate and
realistic meaning, and store it as a tolerable memory. It is
unnecessary to force the child into endless work on the
traumatic event, particularly when the child is not denying
or avoiding but has now redirected psychic energy into
developmental tasks.

The play of the traumatized child who reenacts is quite
unique. The child ritualistically sets up the same panorama
and acts out a series of sequential movements that result in
the identical outcome. The posttraumatic play is very literal
and devoid of apparent enjoyment or freedom of expression.
The potential benefit of this play is that while the child is
undergoing memories that are frightening or anxiety­
provoking, she/he is going from a passive to an active stance,
controlling the reenactment. In addition, the formerly over­
whelming event is occurring while the child is in a controlled,
safe environment. It is possible that the child gains a sense
of mastery and empowerment from this type of play therapy.
As Chethik (1989) says of a clinical example, “The repetitious
play, the comments of the player-observer, and his own new
solution helped him assimilate a past overpowering ex­
perience” (p. 61).

Posttraumatic play can remain fixed. Terr (1990) cau­
tions that allowing a child to continue long-term
posttraumatic play can be dangerous; the child may not
release any anxiety, and may have feelings of terror and
helplessness reinforced. For this reason, after observing that
the posttraumatic play remains static for a period of time
(eight to ten times), I attempt to intervene in the ritual play,
in the following ways:

74 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

• Asking the child to make physical movement, such as
standing up, moving arms, or taking deep breaths.
Physical movement can free up emotional constriction.

• Making verbal statements about the child’s
posttraumatic play, suspending the self-absorption
and rigidity of the play.

• Interrupting the sequence of play by asking the child
to take a specific role, describing the perceptions and
feelings of one of the players.

• Manipulating the dolls, moving them around, and ask­
ing the child to respond to “what would happen if… ”

• Encouraging the child to differentiate between the
traumatic event and current reality in terms of safety
and what has been learned.

• Videotaping the posttraumatic play and watching the
tape with the child, stopping it for discussion of what
is observed.

The goal of interrupting posttraumatic play is to
generate alternatives that might promote a sense of control,
help the child express fragmented thoughts and feelings, and
orient the child toward the future. It might take a number of
interruptions before the child allows the intervention to
change the posttraumatic play.

If the child is engaging in posttraumatic play at home
and the parents or caretakers have noticed it, two pos­
sibilities exist: The clinician either makes a home visit and
asks to witness the child’s play directly or the clinician
creates the posttraumatic scenario (as described by parents
or caretakers) in the therapy hour. It is possible that the child
dissociates during the posttraumatic play. Treatment
strategies for dissociation (discussed later) must be imple­
mented as well.

The child whose play is random, disorganized, and
devoid of symbolism may need greater stimulation. If a child
persists in failing to address the underlying issues naturally,
the therapist, taking a directive position, must introduce the
stimulus in the therapy. Several techniques can work. A
puppet story told by the clinician in which the central char­

75 The Treatment of Abused Children

acter experiences the same trauma as the child may elicit a
response. The child may empathize with the puppet’s plight;
empathy with others is a first step towards self-exploration
and self-empathy.

Some attempts at desensitization may also work. One
child I worked with was raped in a park, and yet she was
unable to offer verbal or nonverbal communications regard­
ing the trauma. Her silence was fueled by a fear that she
had brought on the rape by going to the park when she
should have gone directly home. The boys had told her she
“wanted” to be raped, and she was very confused because she
had indeed wanted to be noticed by the boys and had gone
to the park to be seen by them after overhearing mention of
their destination at school. I had the girl color a page in a
coloring book that depicted a park; I created a park scene
with dolls playing in a toy swing; I made a park in the sand.
I drove by a number of parks and, finally, asked the girl to
show me the park where she had been raped. We drove by it
first, then sat in the car outside the park, then walked
around the outside of the park, and finally walked inside.
Once inside, when I stated that the boys were very wrong to
rape her and hurt her, she cried almost instantly, saying
repeatedly, “I was bad, I was bad.” This session, and six or
seven that followed, focused on the rape and the child’s
feelings of guilt and shame. Eventually, she understood that
she had done nothing wrong and that wanting to be noticed
by boys was perfectly natural. This child also benefited
greatly by talking to another preteen who had also been a
rape victim.

Allowing the child to simply reenact without any ap­
parent resolution is, as Terr has noted, “dangerous.” In addi­
tion, the repetition of a trauma without resolution will rein­
force the child’s sense of helplessness and lack of control. The
clinician must take an active role in helping the child both
enter and maneuver the play, a role of actively commenting,
rearranging, or intruding upon the sequence of events the
child portrays. Reexperiencing alone is not enough. The
thoughts and feelings generated by the play must be acknow­
ledged and discussed. In addition, the child needs a struc­

76 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

tured way of “debriefing” from the play once it has ter­
minated. The clinician must take some time helping the child
reestablish a more comfortable emotional level. Guided im­
agery or simple relaxation techniques may have positive
results. Alerting the parents or caretakers to the difficult
work of the therapy, and asking them to plan appropriate
responses, is very important. During posttraumatic play the
child may appear more hypervigilant, anxious, and ex­
perience sleeping or eating disorders.

The overall goal of this work must be kept in the
forefront. As Scurfield (1985), describing his work with adult
survivors of various traumas, suggests the final step in the
stress recovery process is the integration of all aspects of the
trauma experience, both positive and negative, with the
survivor’s notion of who he or she was before, during, and
after the trauma experience. Sours (1980), describing child
therapies, states that “child therapies in general, whether
they are supportive or expressive psychotherapies, tend to
rely on abreaction, clarification, manipulation, and the cor­
rective emotional experience of the new object” (p. 273).

Treatment of Dissociation

Victims of trauma may experience dissociation. The clinician
must assess for dissociation, and devise ways of addressing
the dissociative process.

The DSM-III-R defines dissociation as “a disturbance or
alteration in the normally integrative functions of identity,
memory, or consciousness” (p. 269). Dissociation occurs along
a continuum; everyone experiences dissociative episodes,
such as highway hypnosis. Boredom, fatigue, or fear may
facilitate dissociation; the individual enters a trance state
that can last for brief or extensive periods of time. Sometimes
during frightening situations, like an earthquake, in­
dividuals may have brief dissociative episodes, later being
unable to remember specifically what happened, or how they
got from one place to another.

At the most extreme end of the dissociative continuum
is multiple personality disorder. Other less extensive forms

77 The Treatment of Abused Children

of dissociation include depersonalization, psychogenic am­
nesia, and fugue states. Depersonalization is very common
among abuse victims. Children often describe “out of body”
experiences, in which they feel as if they are floating on the
ceiling. From that vantage point (while emotionally
detached) they look down on themselves. The ability to dis­
sociate allows the child to mentally escape the dangerous or
threatening situation. At the same time, the child may be­
come confused about his/her own identity, having trouble
remembering what has occurred. Psychogenic amnesia, in
fact, is a disturbance in memory. Many child and adult
survivors are unable to remember specific events or periods
of their lives. Fugue states occur when an individual takes
physical flight, without conscious knowledge of how he/she
got from one location to another.

Dissociation is linked to trauma, particularly when the
traumatic situation is ongoing. The more chronic and severe
the trauma, the greater the likelihood of extensive dissocia­
tion. Lindemann (1944) wrote that “walling off” awareness
or memory of the traumatic event is a valuable defense as
long as the threat persists. However, as I’ve mentioned pre­
viously, clinicians who work with trauma survivors believe
that the trauma must eventually be brought into awareness
and put into perspective, or the repressed memories will
appear in the form of intrusive thoughts, nightmares,
reenactments, or emotional problems.

In my experience, many clinicians observe dissociation
in children but remain unsure about how to proceed. Over
the years, I have developed the following specific techniques
for addressing dissociation:

Develop a language. The first step in addressing dis­
sociation is to develop a way to communicate about it. I ask
children about dissociation by saying, “Everybody has times
when they’re doing something and suddenly they notice that
they seem to have gone away in their mind. Like when you’re
on a long drive and you get bored and you start thinking
about different things, and suddenly you got to where you
were going and you’re surprised. Does that ever happen to
you?” The child usually responds positively to the descrip­

78 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

tion. I then ask what name they give this process. Children
have many names for dissociation, including “spacing out,”
“getting little,” “going inside,” “fazing out,” and others. Once
dissociation is labelled, it can be discussed.

Assess patterns of use. The next step is to inquire when
the child dissociates; I ask children to tell me about the last
time it happened, or when they think it happens most. As
their attention is focused on dissociation, children may notice
when they are using this defense.

The clinician and child can review similarities between
dissociative experiences. For example in one case, the child
seemed to dissociate more when he was alone, and when he
was reminded of his father.

Help determine dissociative sequencing. Everyone who
uses dissociation as a coping strategy has his/her own unique
ways of generating a dissociative response. I find it useful to
ask the child to “pretend to dissociate,” paying particular
attention to the body, emotions, sensations, and thoughts.
Once the child is pretending to dissociate, either in the
therapy office or at home, I ask the child to notice: what
happens to his/her body and what feelings or sensations are
experienced; what kinds of feelings he/she has; and what
statements he/she might say internally.

The clinician points out the sequence to the child, pos­
sibly writing the information on a piece of paper so that the
child has a visual representation. This material becomes
particularly helpful when the clinician helps the child iden­
tify times when he/she might want to choose an alternative
response to dissociation. Using the sequence that has been
developed with the child’s help, the clinician encourages the
child to pretend to dissociate, and then stop the dissociation
process at different points.

Explain it as adaptive. I always describe dissociation as
a helpful defense: “Sometimes when we have a situation
that’s scary, or when it’s too hard to feel our feelings, we
‘space out’ for a while. It’s a really nice thing to be able to do.”
At the same time, I want to convey a couple of other mes­
sages: There are other ways of coping, and the child will feel
more in control if a choice can be made about when to
dissociate and when to use other strategies.

79 The ‘freatment of Abused Children

Understand precipitants. Once the child discusses times
when dissociation is a helpful defense, the clinician can
document the issues that seem to elicit this flight response.
With some children, it appears to be a singular issue such as
sexual arousal, physical pain, anger, or longing. For other
vulnerable children, the emotions that precipitate the dis­
sociative response may be numerous.

Address the troublesome emotion. Once identified, the
emotions or situations that are troublesome to the child must
be addressed in the therapy. The child needs to learn coping
strategies so that emotions are not avoided or repressed.

One initial technique I’ve found useful is to externalize
the specific emotion. For example, I’ll ask the child to draw
a picture of anger. Then looking at the picture, I’ll ask the
child to put words to the picture, and, finally, I’ll give the
child some open-ended statements such as, “I feel angry
when… ” “I feel angry because…. ” “I’m the angriest at… ” As
the child tolerates the discussion, the frightening emotion is
desensitized. On one occasion a child drew a picture of fear,
and when I asked what she wanted to do with her picture of
fear, she crumpled it up, put it in a wastebasket, and covered
the wastebasket with a bunch of pillows. This was her way
of symbolically containing her fear, and over the weeks she
removed more and more of the pillows until the crumpled-up
piece of paper was visible. At that point she grabbed it,
announcing “this is little now.” She then threw it in the big
garbage can outside my office. It was no longer an over­
whelming emotion to her. She had learned to tolerate her
uncomfortable feelings by talking to me and her father when­
ever she was worried or scared.

Give alternatives to the flight response. Once the feelings
are identified, and the child tolerates open discussion, alter­
natives can be articulated. “What can you do when you feel
sad?” I inquire, always asking for more than one option. “And
what else can you do?” I ask after the child responds. If the
child runs out of options, the clinician can volunteer other
helpful information by role-modeling, “When I feel sad, some­
times I do or say…. ” I may also mention “Some children I’ve
worked with tell me they feel lots of different ways, and one
of those ways is…. ” It’s important to be in contact with the

80 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

child’s caretakers to assure they will respond accordingly to
the child.

To summarize, dissociation is an adaptive and useful
strategy to defend against frightening memories, sensations,
or thoughts that occur in perceived threatening situations.
While dissociation is a valuable technique that allows the
child to escape immediately when threatened, it can later be
a reflexive response that perpetuates feelings of helplessness
and continued avoidance of reality. In addition, dissociation
can interfere with the child’s potential to develop a repertoire
of necessary coping behaviors.

The clinician must evaluate the child’s use of dissocia­
tion, developing techniques for discussing dissociation,
making the sequence of dissociation clear, establishing the
common patterns of use, and determining common feelings
or sensations that predpitate dissociation. The goal of treat­
ment with dissociation is to help the child feel in control of
choosing when he/she dissociates, and knowing the alterna­
tives to dissociation.

Transfer of Learning

The abused child may grow to trust the therapist and environ­
ment sufficiently to experiment with new behaviors. However,
unless the child can transfer the behaviors, or discern which
behaviors are transferable, the new knowledge can actually
become counterproductive.

In working with abused children it is an error to rein­
force behaviors that may precipitate attacks at home. For
example, one child client was encouraged to ask questions
and say how he felt in therapy. The clinician failed to alert
the child that the new behavior could be received differently
in different settings. When the child was reunited with his
natural family, his mother, threatened by her perceived in­
ability to provide information, would slap him each time he
asked a question. It was months before a teacher filed a child
abuse report and the child could be protected anew.

The therapist needs to help the child understand that
some behaviors may provoke different responses in different

81 The ‘lreatment of Abused Children

settings. For example, when working with an abused child
who is learning to talk about feelings, the clinician might ask,
“How will it be if you tell your mom and dad how you feel?”
or “What do you think they will say or do?” It is necessary to
keep stressing, “It’s OK to tell me about your feelings. Who
else can you tell your feelings to?” Eventually, all children
learn that people will respond to them differently and adjust
their behavior accordingly.

Prevention and Education

All abused children can benefit from learning skills to employ
in difficult, frightening, or abusive situations. Allowing the
child to anticipate and plan for crises is useful.

Before the child exits therapy, the clinician can spend
some time, in an educational mode, teaching the child about
child abuse and prevention. I concentrate on a couple of
important points: First, that children can say no, try to run
away, and get help if someone scares or bothers them and,
second, that if anyone asks them to keep a secret that scares
or confuses them, they need to tell someone. I always review
the child’s support system, making sure they understand
whom they can contact when they need help. I also convey to
the child that he/she never causes someone to abuse him/her
and that the abuser always has problems and needs help.

Some of this education can be done in a group setting. If
groups are not available, this educational phase can occur
within the context of termination of therapy. While some
educational programs talk to young children about being
“safe, strong, and free,” I prefer to use less abstract concepts.
I talk to children about the things that make them powerful;
since their physical limitations are painfully clear, I con­
centrate instead on the powers they all possess, including the
power to use words, the power to keep or share their
thoughts, the power to keep or share their feelings, and the
power to keep or share secrets.

Most children, particularly boys, have a tendency to talk
about physical power when asked to think what they would
do in the future if someone hurt them or did not take good

82 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY

care of them. The children say they will kick, punch, or kill
the abuser. But the reality is that children can be easily
overpowered, and even though they don’t like to see them­
selves as helpless, the reality is that they are. Because of
that, I tend to reinforce the abilities to think, to decide, to
choose, to act, to talk, to tell. These are indeed children’s
powers and can sometimes help to prevent their victimiza­
tion. Recognizing these powers enhances self-esteem and
feelings of competence.

Finally, abused children are vulnerable to feelings of low
self-esteem. I spend considerable time helping children iden­
tify their strengths, and I validate them consistently. By the
time they leave therapy, my child clients should be using
positive affirmations, and relying less on external validation.
Children who leave therapy must also have some skills in
decision making, impulse control, and anger release; hope­
fully, the children also know what to do when they feel sad
or disappointed.