Techniques, media, and activities to be used
The chosen case scenario is one for Jodi, who is six years old. They are referred for counseling due to oppositional behavior, which is noticed by the teachers in her school. The child lives with the grandmother because of the unavailability of the parents, who are dealing with substance use disorders. It is also reported that the parents have separated; hence, the father is totally absent as they went to be with another family in another city. Being the only child, she is also lonely. The parent attachment that develops in the early years of development is generally missing for Jodi. Typically, her behaviors can be linked with the experiences she has had in her early years of growth up to four years, where it is reported that she experienced a lot of neglect from her parents that even necessitated her to leave to go and live with her grandmother. For her counseling, her developmental stage has to be taken care of to ensure that the option chosen is effective in the long run. There are, therefore, various techniques that can be utilized during counseling sessions, as described below.
The first technique is the use of play therapy. Here, the child makes individual and independent decision on whichever game they wish to engage in and the activities that are more enjoyable for them. They have to figure out things and find solutions. It offers them the opportunity to master their emotional approach to various aspects. Here, the counselor takes the role of reassuring. The latter ensures that the therapy remains child-centred. During the therapy session, a warm, comfortable environment has to be available for the child to be free to raise any concerns; hence, the issues can be addressed in a manner that helps them overcome the problems even in their daily lives (Koukourikos et al., 2021). It gives the child the chance to track down how to react and address different issues. Notably, the relationship between the therapist and the child plays a fundamental role in ensuring that they develop constructive behaviors and attitudes.
Storytelling is another useful technique, especially for a six-year-old who, according to developmental stages, can effectively communicate in a language they understand. Generally, it helps in the exploration of the child’s experiences, which may be contributing to their oppositional behavior. In most cases, the child will always tend to share stories closely linked to their past experiences (Zarra-Nezhad et al., 2023). Here, the therapist is able to identify inner conflicts and come up with ways of resolving them. Through the stories and the moral lesson drawn, the child can gain insight, which is fundamental in their healing process as a way of resolving conflicts.
Other activities can be incorporated to manage anxiety, stress, and anger. Such activities include drawing, blowing balloons, and listening to music. However, in all these activities, it is essential to appreciate the child is given the freedom of choice (Koukourikos et al., 2021). A comfortable environment is also essential to ensure the elimination of stress and possible fear. Then, the child can be explained to and assured that the environment is safe since the new and enclosed environment may evoke some fear and tension in them.
Working with family
Family is an integral part of dealing with pediatric patients. It is an essential component of the care delivery process. The latter stems out from family-centered care that is essential for quality healthcare services. Family plays an integral role in a child’s development process (Daley et al., 2019). here, the family is reported to be dysfunctional in that both parents suffer from substance use disorders and are incapable of caring for their daughter. Later, the parents separate, and the father becomes completely absent in their child’s life. The family that is readily available and one that the therapist can work with is the grandmother and the mother. These two have to be involved in the therapy sessions so that they can understand the issue that the child is going through and how to support her to overcome it. The family is also responsible for caring for the child in the home setup. The mother here has to be intentional about being present and develop a trusting and caring relationship with the child to overcome the rejection from the child. They can also take time and explain whatever had happened to the daughter so that it can help them process and even carry on with the recovery process much more manageable.
The patient’s family genogram
People
Jodi-female, cisgender
Events
Family is distant from one another in that the child is away from the parent’s care but under the care of the grandmother. The parents- mother and father are separated.
Emotional relationship pattern
The parents are distant from the child support during development
Neglect
Health
Substance use- for both parents
The parents are dealing with substance use disorders, but after the recovery period, the mother tries to check in for her daughter, who is under the care of the grandmother. On the other side, the father decides to reunite with another family in another city and hence becomes completely absent from his daughter.
References
Daley, L. P., Miller, R. B., Bean, R. A., & Oka, M. (2018). Family system play therapy: An integrative approach. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 46(5), 421-436. DOI:10.1080/01926187.2019.1570386.
Koukourikos, K., Tsaloglidou, A., Tzeha, L., Iliadis, C., Frantzana, A., Katsimbeli, A., & Kourkouta, L. (2021). An Overview of Play Therapy. Materia Socio Medica, 33(4), 293. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2021.33.293-297.
Zarra-Nezhad, M., Pakdaman, F., & Moazami-Goodarzi, A. (2023). The effectiveness of child-centered group play therapy and narrative therapy on preschoolers’ separation anxiety disorder and social-emotional behaviors. Early Child Development and Care, 193(6), 841-853. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2167987.
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