Play Therapy: More than kids play - Dr Judi Parson, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, UTAS School of Nursing & Midwifery, shared her insights into play therapy at the Womens Peer Mentoring Group function on Wednesday 12th December 2012, hosted by the Rural Clinical School.
Staff from the Cradle Coast Campus and Rural Clinical School enjoyed the interaction of a play therapy session which highlighted the key principles found in Child Centred, Non-Directive Play Therapy - which may be adapted for all people across the lifespan, including people with dementia.
Play therapy is emerging as an appropriate therapeutic intervention for children who have experienced trauma or suffered as a result of life events or difficulties. The trained play therapist utilises the power of play, within a therapeutic relationship, to help resolve or process issues. Because play does not require higher order cognitive processes or verbalisations it allows for thoughts, feelings and behaviours to be explored through the metaphor of play. This is really useful for when children (or adults) are not able to, or do not want to, talk about their hurts.
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Dr Judi Parson is a Paediatric Registered Nurse, Play Therapist and Post Doctoral Research Fellow at School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Science, University of Tasmania.
Dr Parson will be the keynote speaker at the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association 'Diversity in Play Therapy Conference'. Dr Parson's opening keynote address is titled 'The State of Play Therapy in Australia'. The conference will be held from 22-24 August 2013 on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
In addition, Dr Parson will also be presenting a paper titled 'The art of play in rural paediatrics' at the 12th National Rural Health Conference in Adelaide, 7-10 April 2013.
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