Abuse-Focused Play Therapy

In order to provide treatment to children who have been sexually abused, it is important first to uncover how they understood the abuse.  Dr. Sandra Wieland, the former clinical director of the Centre, developed the internalization model for this very purpose. It is through observing and interpreting a child’s play, drawings, and interactions with the therapist that the therapist can uncover messages that the child has internalized about her or himself and about the world around them as a result of abuse.  These messages need to be addressed by the therapist to assist the child in his or her acquisition of more healthy and adaptive views of self and others.  Additionally, the therapist has the critical task of facilitating the child’s ability to process the multitude of emotions that were evoked by the abuse. This task is essentially an exposure exercise, which is recognized as a potent therapeutic technique in the treatment of trauma and anxiety disorders. The therapist, to achieve this end, carefully observes and interprets the child’s play and drawings, natural mediums for a child to express him or herself. Finally, the therapist supports the child to consider alternative endings to their play re-enactments to foster a sense of hope that things can be different for them in the future.