What is it about?
Solution-focused play therapy (SFPT) is a strengths-based approach to play therapy that helps children work through challenges by building on their capabilities and resources (Hartwig, 2021). SFPT provides a developmentally appropriate way for school children to share what they want for the future, set goals, and work towards those goals using expressive toys and materials. In this article we will provide an overview of the solution-focused approach and describe how to set goals using SFPT with expressive art, sandtray, and puppets. These SFPT goal-setting tools can be easily integrated into school settings so that school-based practitioners and children can take small steps to create big changes in children’s lives.
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Photo by Artem Kniaz on Unsplash
Why is it important?
School-based mental health professionals have limited time in schools to work with children to address behavioral and mental health challenges. Setting goals in schools using the solution-focused approach redirects children toward identifying what possible solutions may already exist instead of focusing on problems (Kim et al., 2017). Goals help the child to imagine a future of what it looks like when the problem is solved. Setting goals allows school-based practitioners to have a focus for sessions and provides students with a way to find solutions to challenges they experience at home or school
Perspectives
We are excited to present solution-focused play therapy (SFPT) as a strengths-based theoretical approach to play therapy. While solution-focused therapy has been widely used with children in schools for many years, its application to the play therapy field is emerging. We hope this article establishes SFPT as a significant and beneficial theoretical approach in the play therapy field.
Elizabeth Hartwig
Texas State University San Marcos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Small steps can lead to big changes: Goal setting in schools using solution-focused play therapy., International Journal of Play Therapy, July 2022, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pla0000179.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Solution-Focused Play Therapy: A Strengths-Based Clinical Approach to Play Therapy
Solution-Focused Play Therapy is an essential text that blends the process of play therapy with solution-focused therapy. With a focus on child strengths and resources, this book identifies key concepts and principles in solution-focused play therapy (SFPT). The author provides neurobiological and developmental support for SFPT and guidance on how practitioners can transition from using a non-directive approach to a more directive and activity-based approach based on the developmental needs of the child. Chapters describe the 12 basic skills needed for employing this approach with children of all ages and their families. Harnessing a strengths-oriented approach, the author presents expressive ways to use key SFPT techniques, including the miracle question, scaling, finding exceptions, and end-of-session feedback. Clinicians will come away from the book with a suite of interventions, strategies, handouts, and forms that can be employed with children of all ages and their families, from strength-based assessment and treatment planning to the final celebration session.
Solution-Focused Therapy with Children and Adolescents: Creative and Play-Based Approaches
Solution-Focused Therapy with Children and Adolescents offers mental health professionals an integration of creative and playful approaches and solution-focused therapy. The author presents developmentally appropriate and expressive alternatives to oral communication including sandtray, writing, puppetry, drawing and coloring, photography, and music. The text presents an overview of strength-based and creative approaches with a focused examination of the philosophy and process of solution-focused therapy, then divides chapters into specific stages of therapy—beginnings, searching for treasure, setting goals, and ending the session—with creative techniques offered in each section. The final chapter addresses working with children and adolescents in solution-focused groups, including how to set up groups and progress through different group stages, presenting specific techniques and activities focused on each stage of the group process.
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