Children's Books That Address Emotions

In my role as a play therapist I often search for different ways to introduce emotions into my sessions. Often children are pressured to "behave" regardless of how they are feeling. While this is a good skill to have (imagine acting on those thoughts you have about other drivers on the highway)  it  does not validate the child's right to have the feeling they are having. All of us have emotions.

How useful is it when someone tells you to "just cheer up" when you are feeling sad. What about when someone tells you to "calm down" when you are ANGRY? So you do understand how children feel after all.

I did a search, as I often do, to find good therapeutic books to bring into my sessions. I then looked up the price for the books and decided to look for another option. I decided to try my local library but the majority of the well established books out there were not in the libaray. Below are the books that I found at my local library.

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly and her constant worries came up in the therapeutic book search I had done. I enjoyed using this with a child who is similar to Wemberly but doesn't identify with her yet. The child was able to see how Wemberly worked herself up but also how the comments from the adults in her life didn't really help how she was feeling. I enjoyed this book and would really recommend it to parents and therapists alike. I may break down and purchase it for my own library.
This is my own art work created while the child and I processed the book. I would not breach the child's confidentiality by sharing her work.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You! by Robie H. Harris

This book was a hidden treasure found at the library. I found while using this book in session that it explores so much more than just anger. Remorse, frustration, impatience, mischief, and love are all very much alive in this story about Leo and his mom. I love to use art as a form of reflection and expression. Again my work done parallel to a child in session.

All of the emotions that we identified in the session

Another find I was happy to find was....

The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out! by Troy Cummings

I have not yet been able to use this book in session but found that it covers insecurity in a very cool way. The spider, with the help of a friend, finds her bravery and adventrous side again by the end of the book.

I will share more books as I find them as I believe this is a great addition to a child's education.

Preventing suicide with talk?

I am sure everyone has known someone that has been down or clinically depressed in their lifetime. 

Many times you may suggest that person "talk to someone" or get those emotions out. 

But what about those that are suffering from thoughts of suicide or those who have actually tried to die by suicide?

A Danish study that followed participants for 20 years found that "those who received therapy were 27 percent less likely to attempt suicide again" after their first attempt. 

This is very good news because though many of us know that talking about what is troubling us 

can help, this is the first study of its kind to really look into how talk therapy (counseling) really

impacts the rate of further suicide attempts. 

If you know someone who is suicidal please don't just suggest that they go talk to someone. 

Offer yourself and offer this number 1-800-273-8255 or website for further help. 

I personally have known someone that attempted suicide, and have had someone close to me

die by suicide. 

Knowing now there is proof that therapy reduces the likelihood of another attempt makes me feel

much better about my chosen career and being able to help others, not just clients with this in the 

future. 

Tell me have you been impacted by depression or suicide?

Edited March 25, 2022, to correct outdated language in regard to suicide. 

What is Dance Movement Therapy and How Can it Help?

Original Post Here

Dance has been a part of the human experience for centuries. Whether it be traditional folk dancing, recreational dancing, or formal training people dance around the globe daily. If you have ever known a child who began taking dance lessons you may have noticed a change in their confidence and/or outgoing behaviors. Having taught dance for several years I often noticed radical changes in children I taught. It is no wonder that dance and movement have been intentionally applied to bring about therapeutic change.

Dance Movement Therapy or DMT is defined as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual” (American Dance Therapy Association, 2013). Jeong, Hong, Lee, Park, Kim, and Suh (2005) show that DMT has been a recognized form of therapy since the 1950s. Prior to this musical movement or dance was used to affect change in feelings for centuries (Jeong et al., 2005). DMT is a form of therapy that requires special training and certification/registration to be appropriately used.

A picture from Kinections with Director Danielle Frankel, my DMT instructor/mentor.
http://www.kinections.com/

In their study of the effectiveness of DMT with depressed youth Jeong et al. found that DMT was useful with a wide variety of populations and issues. According to Jeong et al. (2005) “DMT aids recovery from the psychosocial and psychophysical effects of physical trauma and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, neurological impairments, systemic lupus erythematous, chronic pain, and after surgery.” (p.1713). DMT was found to help in these situations by: Redefining and strengthening body image; clarifying ego boundaries; providing an outlet for relief of physical tension, anxiety, and aggression; reducing cognitive and kinesthetic disorientation; increasing the capacity for communication, pleasure, fun, and spontaneity; and support for therapeutic medical goals. (Jeong et al., 2005 p.1713)

Given the many applications for this treatment type further study is implicated. In Texas there are few providers of DMT. An increase in available options for DMT could benefit many.
Stacia Barrett, LMSW

References

American Dance Therapy Association (nd). About dance movement therapy. Retrieved from http://www.adta.org/About_DMT
Jeong, Y., Hong, S., Lee, M. S., Park, M., Kim, Y., & Suh, C. (2005). Dance movement therapy improves emotional responses and modulates neurohormones in adolescents with mild depression. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(12), 1712-1713. doi:10.1080/00207450590958574