Introducing trauma-informed play therapy in residential care setting: a Singapore experience

Conference Contribution ResearchOnline@JCU
Toh, Cindia;Pon, Alicia;Low, Poi Kee
Abstract

Children’s Aid Society (Melrose Home) caters to the needs of children and young persons affected by family violence, child abuse and neglect issues. In 2017, professional Play Therapy was introduced as part of the Home’s effort to enhance residents’ access to specialty therapy to help them work through psycho-emotional struggles resulting from past trauma. Approximately 10% or 5 residents underwent individual play therapy with the Home’s consultant Play Therapist for 6 to 25 sessions as of April 2018. Using a single case study approach and qualitative data generated from written reflections by multiple stakeholders during this period of introducing Play Therapy in the Home, this paper attempts to shed light on the challenges faced and therapeutic benefits observed during the first year of implementation. The key stakeholders include the play therapist, the respective case workers (for each of the 5 residents), the programme coordinator and the Head of Home who initiated the process of enhancing access to therapy. The authors envisioned that the findings may be helpful for other Play Therapy practitioners or residential care professionals who are attempting to introduce Play Therapy in similar settings or who are exploring the possibility to do so.

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13th International Conference on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

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34

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Kuching, Borneo

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University of Roehampton, UK

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Roehampton, UK

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