Puppet therapy for children

/ Puppet therapy for children

Art therapy methods are gaining increasing popularity among child psychologists. Direction involves the use of different forms of artistic activity to stimulate development and solve problems. We decided to talk about puppet therapy - a method of art therapy that psychologists often use when working with young patients.

In this article we will tell you in detail about the method of puppet therapy in psychological work with a child. In addition, we will find out why such a technique is good.

What is the technique?

Communication with toys is an important stage in the development of every full-fledged personality. That is why direct communication with dolls as a method of psychological assistance and correction of the child's behavior is very effective.

It should be noted that, as mentioned above, art therapy is now used by both adults and children. Most likely, you've seen adult coloring books on store shelves, which, as conceived by the creators, help relieve stress or distract from daily problems. Playing with dolls is no worse: with the help of such a game, a confidential conversation with an object that the child animates and endows with special properties, excellent results can be achieved. Indeed, the puppet therapy method helps relieve stress, stimulates the development of the baby and even corrects behavior in certain cases.

“On the one hand, the child through the doll feels responsibility for her actions, behavior, finds expression in emotions, feelings, state, on the other hand, the adult indirectly carries out an educational impact that is not perceived by the child as an instruction, instruction and does not cause resistance in children.”

When a child plays with a doll, he creates his own reality by imitating the situations around him. And since play is the most natural process for a child, using it as a method of psychological assistance and correction is perhaps one of the softest, but most effective ways.

What problems does it solve?

Any psychological technique is aimed at achieving certain goals: behavior correction, removal of clamps, stress, determination of a social role, assistance in self-improvement, development, etc. The undoubted plus of puppet therapy is that this method of a psychological child is quite variable, therefore it can become the key to solving a whole range of problems of children's education, development and behavior.

Firstly, puppet therapy helps to establish emotional contact with a child or between children (if the technique is used in a group). In addition, very often with the help of it, a psychologist or teacher can easily unite the children's team or help in its natural formation.

Secondly, a confidential conversation with a doll, play or joint production of a doll, which will then “come to life”, is a helping hand in relieving emotional stress.

Thirdly, puppet therapy promotes the development of attention, artistic perception, long-term and short-term memory.

Fourthly, puppet therapy is infinitely diverse, which means that this method can include an educational function. You or a specialist can enrich your baby with information about the world around him.

Fifth, psychological games with dolls help in the social adaptation of the child. This is important in kindergarten, school or other institutions where the baby spends time in a team.

Sixth, puppet therapy sessions with a professional psychologist can help to cope with, and emotional trauma.

“Puppet therapy is applied to children of almost any developmental level, since the psychologist necessarily establishes an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance, aimed at meeting the needs of each child.

The psychologist treats with a sense of respect for the abilities of each child, accepts the latter as he is, sets the limits only necessary to consolidate the effect of therapy in real life and so that the child is aware of the extent of his responsibility in the relationship.

The only thing that Russian and foreign experts do not recommend is the use of the method with very aggressive children, since such children require a strictly regulated system of behavior and restrictions, which is unusual for this art therapy method. "

Elena Andrienko, teacher of the highest qualification category, psychologist of the Skazka Children's Development Center

Mode of application

How does a puppet therapy session take place? If we talk about the technique in general terms, then together with the child, the psychologist plays out a story in faces with the help of a doll (dolls), which helps the child to understand the causes of stress, deviations in behavior and other realities of everyday life (we talked about this in the previous paragraph).

Since puppet therapy is, first of all, an art technique, the method of conducting sessions can vary depending on the professionalism of the psychologist and the characteristics of the character of a particular child.

For example, it can be a puppet show, when a child looks at the situation from the outside and independently or with the help of a specialist makes the correct conclusions that affect further behavior in everyday life.

It can be a confidential conversation on a certain topic with a child using one or more dolls. Sometimes it is easier for a kid to open the most intimate not to adult uncles and aunts (even if it is a mom and dad), but to a soft animal or a fairy-tale character. During the conversation, the child talks about the most important thing, this allows you to find out the true causes of stress, clamps and other psychological problems that can arise at any age.

It should also be mentioned that a wide variety of dolls can be used in this method of art therapy: individual characters of the cartoon world, a child's favorite toy, theatrical puppets (puppets, mitten dolls, life size and finger puppets) and others. An experienced specialist will easily determine what exactly to use in the process of puppet therapy, because, as you understand, this is individual for each child.

For example, finger puppets (you can draw on your fingers, make them from caps, paper or balls) can be made with your child and used to quickly diagnose an emotional state.

Another option is cardboard flat dolls. The faces of paper characters can be changed depending on the emotional state, such "theatricality" as a technique helps children with problems of personality formation.
Glove dolls allow you to use several characters during an art therapy session: a psychologist can play a performance that will point out the developmental and behavioral problems of the baby or correct existing problems.

Stages of puppet therapy

Of course, puppet therapy can be used by a psychologist as an applied method of psychological support, to identify the problem that the psychologist has to work on. However, if we talk about puppet therapy as a complex phenomenon in the correction of behavior and solving the problems of child psychology, then it is worth highlighting several stages.

The first stage is making a doll. If in the course of therapy the psychologist uses dolls that he can make with the child (finger, paper, drawings on the palms, etc.), then in the process of joint creativity the specialist can establish contact with the child. The kid begins to trust the psychologist, so in further sessions it will be easier for him to open up to a stranger. This is especially important when working with younger preschool children.

The second stage is to "revive" the doll. At this moment, the psychologist can ask the child about his doll: what is she, what is her name, why does she look like that, what she loves, with whom she is friends. Answers to the questions will help the specialist understand the personality of the child, reveal his essence and find the places that affect the behavior of the baby.

The third stage is direct fairy tale therapy in the forms that we talked about above.

“As one of the methods of art therapy, puppet therapy develops the ability of emotional self-regulation, prevents the development of neuropsychic pathologies in children - relieves internal tension, anxiety, distrust of the world around them, corrects behavioral problems, and develops creativity.

Despite the fact that the development and active use of art therapy techniques, in this case, puppet therapy, has been observed in recent decades, it should be noted that this technique is to a certain extent similar to ancient folk games and amusements that had a very large educational potential. "

Elena Andrienko, teacher of the highest qualification category, psychologist of the Skazka Children's Development Center

In Krasnoyarsk, many child psychologists work with the puppet therapy method. Every year this type of art therapy is becoming more and more popular, as it combines the classic techniques of psychology, tradition and an individual approach. Look in to find an experienced child psychologist who can help you solve your baby's developmental and parenting problems.

We are sure that we were able to give you at least a partial understanding of puppet therapy. We are sure that you will not face serious children's psychological problems, and you will bypass all the bumps and bumps that arise in the way of raising and developing your baby. Patience and health to you, dear parents!