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I just spent another week in Estonia, this time in Kaariku. A beautiful place near a big lake in a clearing surrounded by pine trees. Apart from the occasional mosquito, it was paradise! This time there were 20 children, all of them Estonian. The theme this year was 'From Anger to Forgiveness and Joy'. We did various activites learning about anger as an emotion - how it feels when you get angry, what you do, how you can express it, and learning that anger is not a bad feeling but one that needs expressing in the right way, and how to communicate it to those around you. Activities included making anger monsters from clay, using movement and music to express our angry and joyful selves, and making masks which 'erupted' from a volcano collage we put on the wall.
All in all a very rewarding and once again unforgettable experience. Next time though, I'm determined to learn the language a bit more so I don't have to completely reply on interpreters! But it strengthens my belief that more so than ever, play is such a natural medium for a child. Who needs words when you have play, with support.
The practice set up at The Therapy Room is going well, and I am working with a number of clients. Here's what the mother of a client who I've recently finished working with has said: "J feels more in control now. His teacher has not had to speak to me about him for some time and a lot of staff have commented on much calmer J is. We have noticed this at home too. J is a lovely little boy. He just needed a little help from you to deal with being that lovely boy again! Thanks Emma."
Mrs H.
There are are number of therapists specialising in working with other alternative treatments that I have met. Here are just a couple of their web addresses if you'd like any more information.
www.changeyourmind.ltd.uk
www.asdtherapy.co.uk
I'm going back to Estonia in July to once again run a series of play therapy workshops. Watch this space for the write up!
October 2007As well as being available to work in schools and other institutional settings, I have a private practice room at a site in Cambridge. For more information contact The Therapy Room on 01223 315400, or email info@thetherapyroom.com
Estonia July 2007
I spent five days in July working with children in Estonia - a mix of English and Estonian children, of age ranges from 4 to 11. They were the children of delegates who were attending a conference run by the School of Analytic and Cognitive Hypnotherapy and the conference theme was 'My Body, My Self'. The play therapy sessions also ran with this theme. We had an incredible five days of getting to know each other, and getting to know ourselves, discovering how the mind can affect the body, why it's important to listen to what our bodies are telling us, and working through some issues that transpired from the sessions. The process was important, the outcome amazing. I look forward to returning.
