Play Therapy operates with three main mechanisms:

1. Helping the child process distracting emotions, 

2. Improving the power of decision and executive functioning. 

3. Reducing impulsivity. Together with Parenting Counselling, it is doubly effective.

Children with ADHD have great difficulty focusing on tasks, paying attention and listening. They are very easily distracted and impulsive, and often disruptive. How does a child psychotherapist treat this through Play Therapy?

Resolving distracting emotions

Let's say a child is going through stress and conflict within his family. Even a small amount of conflict may generate angry feelings towards family members. Unresolved anger is one factor that intensifies ADHD symptoms. This anger simmers in the back of his mind and distracts him during his schoolwork. The whole time he may not even be consciously aware that he's angry. He doesn't have the tools to fight his distraction because he doesn't even know where it's coming from. But in the safe space of the playroom, he can express and recognize his angry feelings. Let’s say he bangs with a toy hammer, punches the bob bag or pounds clay, bringing his feelings to the surface and expressing them symbolically. The therapist recognizes, identifies and reflects those angry feelings, even if only for five minutes during each session. He has gained valuable practice in becoming consciously aware of his anger, and now he can begin to process, manipulate and resolve it and let it slip into the past so it no longer distracts him during his schoolwork. 

Furthermore, Children who have been through stressors usually experience shame, and these feelings distract them. Shame is a ‘collapsing’ of the self, making a child feel that he is essentially defective, not worthwhile, no good. He becomes intensely preoccupied with his state and cannot focus on his work. In the playroom the sense of value and self-acceptance gets built back up as the therapist shows the child that every detail of every action and decision he makes in play is valuable, important and meaningful. Yet, this feeling must not be seen to exist by the therapist alone, but to the child himself.  The child is helped to conclude that his feelings and actions are worthwhile and important through a technique of ‘tracking,’ which in some ways is like the way a sportscaster describes a game. The therapist describes back to the child every action he takes, every decision he makes and every feeling he expresses. This gives him a perspective on himself, a way to consciously perceive every detail of each action he takes and thereby to judge himself favourably. When a child is given an opportunity to create his own entire experience, and when this experience is validated and accepted by the therapist in the interpersonal venue, self-acceptance and self-value is always the natural result.

 As successful experiences are validated and reflected to the child by the therapist, he learns to think "I can accomplish things." All this builds up over time with weekly sessions and challenges and overcomes his feelings and thoughts of shame so that they no longer distract him in the classroom.

In addition, fear often distracts children. Children are small and weak compared with adults, and they often may feel vulnerable, powerless and dependent. This generates fear that their needs will not be met. A child with ADHD is already distracted, but this emotion of fear preoccupies his mind and further distracts him. It simmers in the back of his mind and competes with the teacher for his attention. Playing out his fears in pretend scenes in the playroom, while the therapist recognizes, verbalizes and reflects his fears allows him to process them and gain mastery over them. Fears don't seem so intimidating and they don't distract him to such a great extent. 

At Creative Connections we are here to support you and your child, whether it is pre or post diagnosis. Please contact us for further information and support.