- Email: [email protected]
Activities for children in therapy
The Arts in Ps~~~~~r~f,~(lp~, Vol. I6 pp. 646.5. a’ Pergamon
Press plc, 1989. Printed in the U.S.A.
tern, interest, caring, and love were emphasized. The opening and closing vignettes showing a father and daughter interacting were especially effective in portraying how important true communication is. As an art therapist, I would have appreciated more discussion of art productions and how art can be used in working with suicidal teens. However, this video appeared to be aimed at parents, teachers, adolescents, and professionals other than arts therapists who work with adolescents, and it provides basic information about teenage suicide in easily understandable terms. The information, reinforced by the different participants, also presents more than one perspective, which is very important when dealing with as sensitive an issue as suicide. Most clinicians are probably already aware of the facts, but a general audience will find the video extremely effective, informative, and conducive to furthering discussion. It is an excellent and sensitively done video. I recommend it highly.
the feelings, clues, and symptoms is excellent as it reinforces the facts presented. The growth of the suicide rate is attributed to increased stress, a faster life pace, more rapid mobility, substance abuse, and unstable family life frequently culminating in separation and divorce that lead to feelings of alienation. Adolescents frequently act impulsively. Potentially suicidal adolescents also experience a lack of self-esteem, repressed anger, and self-hate. Clues that should alert those who care are changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns; substance use and abuse; changes in behavior (e.g., the quiet person who becomes aggressive, the good student who stops going to overt threats that are sometimes school; subtle--“no one will care if I’m gone, I’d be better off dead,” etc.), and the giving away of possessions. Artwork that includes cemeteries, coffins, guns, daggers, blood are also tell-tale clues. Poetry and prose dealing with hopelessness, death, alienation indicate depression and potential suicide. Throughout the video, listening and communicating were stressed repeatedly as primary in importance when dealing with adolescents, especially those at risk. Any threats made should be taken seriously. Expressing feelings of con-
Acrivities
Art Therapist,
Judith Zigmund, MPS, ATR Middletown Psychiatric Center Middletown, NY
for ~~~iIdr~n in ~~~ra~~
A Guide for Planning and Facilitating Susan T. Dennison,
0197-4556189 $3.00 + .oo
Therapy with TroubIed Children
MSW & Connie K. Glassman,
(Sp~ng~~ld, IL: Charles C Thomas,
The clinician trained in verbal therapy often has difficulty in treating children who may be resistant to treatment in general. This innovative workbook, created by a social worker and a speech pathologist, assists the mental health professional in planning and implementing therapy with the 5- to 12-year-old disturbed child. Beginning clinicians are given guidance in applying theoretical knowledge to clinical work. Play activities are made clear via worksheets designed to elicit disclosure. The clinician is then instructed to use his or her expertise to process the material that surfaces. The activities, consist-
MA
1987, 288 pages, $32.75)
ing of drawing completion, puzzles, word matching, word fill-ins, crossword puzzles, cover six common areas of difficulty: (a) relationship building and self-disclosure, (b) affective awareness and communication, (c) family relationships and interactions, (d) social skills, (e) school life, and (f) termination and follow-up. The ideas behind these activities address the above mentioned therapeutic issues and are designed for use in individual therapy, but can be adapted for use in groups. The authors assume that the clinician is knowledgeable in developmental theory, and offer concrete ideas to put theory to use. Diffi64
BOOK REVIEW culties secondary to the emotional factor (physical handicaps, neurological impairments, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, mental retardation, or multi-problems) are addressed. An organizing aspect of this work is “The Dennison Individual Therapy Practice Model,” a goal-focused approach to individual therapy, along with a planning guide for the activities contained. Therapeutic goals are defined in behavioral terms to enable more effective planning of sessions. Therapy is divided into three phases: initial, middle, and termination. Process and content goals are defined for each phase. A primary and secondary goal emphasis guide is provided to identify the goals (process or content) most important in each phase of therapy. Activities are then correlated with the three phases of the model. All of this is illustrated clearly in table form, and the clinician is always encouraged to use the suggestions to develop other ways of attaining goals. A sample of an assessment procedure for individual therapy is featured. It has three purposes: (a) the child’s readiness or appropriateness for therapy, (b) the identification of problems that can be focused on in this treatment modality, and (c) a baseline of functioning in all treatment areas. This assessment procedure is extensivefy outlined and provides a basis for accountability. An appendix lists 67 Child Assessment Scales/Procedures, 44 Assessment Ratings/ Checklists, and 6 Assessment Interview Schedules. Other appendices include supplemental reading material in child development, references for additional activity ideas, and titles of children’s books and magazines. In the authors’ words: “This is a ‘how-to-doit’ book for the mental health professional who is
in need of new and creative interventions with children. It is intended that the readers will individualize the material for each youngster. Also, it is hoped this book will serve as a stimulus for professionals to develop other avenues for working effectively with children” (p. xi). The well-trained creative arts therapist uses art materials to elicit authentic disclosive responses from a child in a less directive manner than outlined in this book. The art therapist is trained to use what a child presents spontaneously in the session. Instead of the therapist imposing an agenda onto a child, the child is allowed the freedom of expressing him or her self symbolically; the therapist “decodes” and responds to the child’s communication by being attuned to the symbols presented. For this art therapist, the free associative nature of this approach allows child and clinician to work together spontaneously and intuitively. In the short-term therapy setting, however, where there may not be sufficient time to allow material to surface without inhibition, the entire system outlined in this book is helpful. The evaluative and goal-setting processes as well as their practical application are clearly described. Any clinician working with children will benefit from familiarity with the activities presented, as they apply to the entire system or to use when work with a child becomes stagnated. This reviewer feels that the authors have developed a system that may be extremely useful to a variety of clinicians in a variety of settings. Barbara Faith Cooper, MPS Creative Arts Therapist Lifeline Center for Child Development Queens Village, NY
Press plc, 1989. Printed in the U.S.A.
tern, interest, caring, and love were emphasized. The opening and closing vignettes showing a father and daughter interacting were especially effective in portraying how important true communication is. As an art therapist, I would have appreciated more discussion of art productions and how art can be used in working with suicidal teens. However, this video appeared to be aimed at parents, teachers, adolescents, and professionals other than arts therapists who work with adolescents, and it provides basic information about teenage suicide in easily understandable terms. The information, reinforced by the different participants, also presents more than one perspective, which is very important when dealing with as sensitive an issue as suicide. Most clinicians are probably already aware of the facts, but a general audience will find the video extremely effective, informative, and conducive to furthering discussion. It is an excellent and sensitively done video. I recommend it highly.
the feelings, clues, and symptoms is excellent as it reinforces the facts presented. The growth of the suicide rate is attributed to increased stress, a faster life pace, more rapid mobility, substance abuse, and unstable family life frequently culminating in separation and divorce that lead to feelings of alienation. Adolescents frequently act impulsively. Potentially suicidal adolescents also experience a lack of self-esteem, repressed anger, and self-hate. Clues that should alert those who care are changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns; substance use and abuse; changes in behavior (e.g., the quiet person who becomes aggressive, the good student who stops going to overt threats that are sometimes school; subtle--“no one will care if I’m gone, I’d be better off dead,” etc.), and the giving away of possessions. Artwork that includes cemeteries, coffins, guns, daggers, blood are also tell-tale clues. Poetry and prose dealing with hopelessness, death, alienation indicate depression and potential suicide. Throughout the video, listening and communicating were stressed repeatedly as primary in importance when dealing with adolescents, especially those at risk. Any threats made should be taken seriously. Expressing feelings of con-
Acrivities
Art Therapist,
Judith Zigmund, MPS, ATR Middletown Psychiatric Center Middletown, NY
for ~~~iIdr~n in ~~~ra~~
A Guide for Planning and Facilitating Susan T. Dennison,
0197-4556189 $3.00 + .oo
Therapy with TroubIed Children
MSW & Connie K. Glassman,
(Sp~ng~~ld, IL: Charles C Thomas,
The clinician trained in verbal therapy often has difficulty in treating children who may be resistant to treatment in general. This innovative workbook, created by a social worker and a speech pathologist, assists the mental health professional in planning and implementing therapy with the 5- to 12-year-old disturbed child. Beginning clinicians are given guidance in applying theoretical knowledge to clinical work. Play activities are made clear via worksheets designed to elicit disclosure. The clinician is then instructed to use his or her expertise to process the material that surfaces. The activities, consist-
MA
1987, 288 pages, $32.75)
ing of drawing completion, puzzles, word matching, word fill-ins, crossword puzzles, cover six common areas of difficulty: (a) relationship building and self-disclosure, (b) affective awareness and communication, (c) family relationships and interactions, (d) social skills, (e) school life, and (f) termination and follow-up. The ideas behind these activities address the above mentioned therapeutic issues and are designed for use in individual therapy, but can be adapted for use in groups. The authors assume that the clinician is knowledgeable in developmental theory, and offer concrete ideas to put theory to use. Diffi64
BOOK REVIEW culties secondary to the emotional factor (physical handicaps, neurological impairments, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, mental retardation, or multi-problems) are addressed. An organizing aspect of this work is “The Dennison Individual Therapy Practice Model,” a goal-focused approach to individual therapy, along with a planning guide for the activities contained. Therapeutic goals are defined in behavioral terms to enable more effective planning of sessions. Therapy is divided into three phases: initial, middle, and termination. Process and content goals are defined for each phase. A primary and secondary goal emphasis guide is provided to identify the goals (process or content) most important in each phase of therapy. Activities are then correlated with the three phases of the model. All of this is illustrated clearly in table form, and the clinician is always encouraged to use the suggestions to develop other ways of attaining goals. A sample of an assessment procedure for individual therapy is featured. It has three purposes: (a) the child’s readiness or appropriateness for therapy, (b) the identification of problems that can be focused on in this treatment modality, and (c) a baseline of functioning in all treatment areas. This assessment procedure is extensivefy outlined and provides a basis for accountability. An appendix lists 67 Child Assessment Scales/Procedures, 44 Assessment Ratings/ Checklists, and 6 Assessment Interview Schedules. Other appendices include supplemental reading material in child development, references for additional activity ideas, and titles of children’s books and magazines. In the authors’ words: “This is a ‘how-to-doit’ book for the mental health professional who is
in need of new and creative interventions with children. It is intended that the readers will individualize the material for each youngster. Also, it is hoped this book will serve as a stimulus for professionals to develop other avenues for working effectively with children” (p. xi). The well-trained creative arts therapist uses art materials to elicit authentic disclosive responses from a child in a less directive manner than outlined in this book. The art therapist is trained to use what a child presents spontaneously in the session. Instead of the therapist imposing an agenda onto a child, the child is allowed the freedom of expressing him or her self symbolically; the therapist “decodes” and responds to the child’s communication by being attuned to the symbols presented. For this art therapist, the free associative nature of this approach allows child and clinician to work together spontaneously and intuitively. In the short-term therapy setting, however, where there may not be sufficient time to allow material to surface without inhibition, the entire system outlined in this book is helpful. The evaluative and goal-setting processes as well as their practical application are clearly described. Any clinician working with children will benefit from familiarity with the activities presented, as they apply to the entire system or to use when work with a child becomes stagnated. This reviewer feels that the authors have developed a system that may be extremely useful to a variety of clinicians in a variety of settings. Barbara Faith Cooper, MPS Creative Arts Therapist Lifeline Center for Child Development Queens Village, NY