Paper by: Liz Jones
INTRODUCTION
According to Thompson & Rudolph (2000), the Gestalt play therapy approach is used in working with children due to the child’s self-awareness; cited fantasy and the child’s imaginary mind are increased by the Gestalt techniques.
According to Yontef (1993), most play therapy modalities and styles have the following in common: it focuses on the here and now; on direct contact and personal dialogue; on direct experiences.
The Schoeman - model is not a rigid model but rather one that represents a working model that includes the basic principles of the Gestalt therapeutic process. The process within the Schoeman- model is a gentle, flowing event and not meant to be followed mechanically, “giving the therapist a comfortable way to work with the obvious issues first while staying with the client’s foreground (Schoeman, 2004:118).
According to Schoeman, the structure of the model is meant to give the therapist
a comfortable way to work with the most obvious issues first whilst staying in the child’s foreground.
The aim of this assignment is to discuss the different elements within the Schoeman- model and especially how it can be utilised within the principles of the Gestalt Therapeutic approach.
2. BUILDING OF A THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
Establishing and building a relationship provides the therapist and client the opportunity to get to know each other and to determine each other boundaries and limitations. (Schoeman, 1996). The therapeutic relationship between the child and therapist forms the pulse of the therapeutic process and is, according Schoeman & Van Der Merwe (1996:22), “a crucial factor in the helping process”. Without a good relationship, trusting relationship the client will not be willing to reveal his inner feelings.
Schoeman (1996:29) refers to Yontef’s (1993:31) quotation of Buber’s model in Gestalt therapy called “healing through meeting”. According to Schoeman healing here refers to the restoration of wholeness, with the full engagement taking place in the here and the now. The I-Thou relationship is thus very important.
Buber sees the relationship between therapist and client as equal, whereas Schoeman (1996) maintains that the therapist should view the client as a friend within the therapeutic relationship. The aforementioned author is of the opinion that no child would spontaneously be willing to play and interact with a total stranger or would feel comfortable to share secrets with them, hence the therapist are a friend to the client, willing to share of herself to facilitate the client’s awareness of himself in the now. Without a good, trusting relationship, the client will not be willing to reveal his inner feelings.
Schoeman (1996) highlights the fact that it is extremely difficult to build a relationship with a client, however, a sincere and caring therapist, putting the client first, would achieve success. The therapist must be aware of resistance as a deterring factor to achieve success, however, it can also be considered as a normal and essential aspect when working in a gestalt approach during the therapeutic process (Blom, 2004). Schoeman (1996) concludes that to enhance the success of the therapeutic relationship, the therapist and client must accomplish and achieve certain objectives. Schoeman (1996) refers to these objectives as the ABC framework of the therapeutic relationship:
3. SENSORY MODALITIES
This is another important aspect of this model. Sensory modalities is a techniques used in Gestalt therapy to get the client to focus on the here and now. Schoeman (2004) maintains that our five senses: to see, touch, taste, smell and hear, form ways in which we make contact with, and become aware of the environment, and in this way become aware of our emotions (Schoeman, 1996).
Oaklander (1988:109) argues that an individual may lose full awareness of his senses when they become blurred and hazy. Individuals thus often function as if their senses, bodies and emotions do not exist. Schoeman emphasizes the importance to always ascertain whether the client is sensory intact, which will signify whether the client is emotionally mature.
Oaklander (1988) and Schoeman (1996) both refer to the different senses and the activities that can be used to ascertain whether the client is sensory intact, hence by observing the client’s reaction to stimuli in his environment, the therapist will develop a better understanding of the client’s process:
- Use music to bring the client back into contact with hearing. It is a powerful medium to use for children to express their emotions.
- Allow the client to touch various surfaces, to talk about how it feels, thus allowing the client to verbalise his feelings and emotions.
- Let the child smell different objects, flowers, perfume, sweets, etc.
- To bring back the awareness of taste, the therapist could let the client taste different foods: sweet, sour, bitter, salty.
- The awareness of sight can be ascertained by letting the client look at different colourful objects; to describe how it looked and how it made them feel.
4. THE CHILD’S PROCESS
Blom (2004:52) defines the child’s process as “what they do and how they do it”. Schoeman (2004) maintains that the child’s process is the means by which he interacts with the world around him and how he uses previous experiences as a measuring tool.
Each child is unique in the way he interacts with his environment and how he reacts to difficult problems. It is the task of the therapist to ascertain the process of the child, and to have thorough process knowledge of this process (Schoeman, 2004:153).
Gestalt therapists works in the here and now, focussing on what they see, and assessing a client by the means in which he presents himself in the therapy room.
The client’s unique process can be identified by: the way he completes a task; how goal directed he is; how emotionally involved he is; the people he involves in his attempts to solve a problem and the pattern he uses to address the problem (Schoeman, 2004: 44).
5. PROJECTION
Yontef (1993:142) in Schoeman (2004) defines projection as “a confusion of self and other that results from attributing to the outside something that is truly self”. Schoeman (2004:161) states that healthy projection is an art and that pathological projection results from one is not being aware of and not accepting what is projected.
Projection serves the following objectives in the life of the child (Schoeman, 1996:64):
- It gives the child the space to sort out the expectations with which the world confronts him.
- It is an attempt by the child to dispel that which he cannot handle.
- Projection offers the child a means of maintaining his self-respect.
- It offers an escape when the child is unready to accept criticism and rejection.
- It provides the client and therapist to work in the here and now.
- It stimulates self-development.
According to Schoeman (2004) projection is closely linked with fantasy, and when the child experience an inability to own feelings, anger, or demands, he projects his need into something else. The basic principle underlying projection as a technique is that the child must use natural media to communicate his responses.
5.1 Forms of Play
Schoeman (2004: 88 – 109) suggests the use of the following forms of play and techniques to choose from when working children:
Dramatised Play: use the mediums of role-play, music and movements, hand puppets.
Creative Play: use the mediums of drawing, sandbox, clay work and writing letters.
Biblio Play: use the mediums of poems, diaries, cartoons, book of life.
5.2 Techniques
Rosebush Technique: In this technique the child is asked to describe certain qualities attached to the rosebush, eg what type of bush it is; how many roses is on it; whether the bush has enough leaves on it; the colour of the roses; how does the rosebush relate to other plants in the garden; can the rosebush feel the sun shining on it and whether the child can identify and compare qualities of the rosebush with his own life. The aforementioned provides the child with the unique opportunity to own his projection (Oaklander, 1988).
Open Chair Technique: This technique provides the child with the opportunity to deal with an unpleasant situation in the here and now.
Dream Technique: This technique deals with the here and now, which is an important principle in the Gestalt approach. A child is asked to draw and discuss his dream in order to encourage dialogue between the different elements of the dream.
It is important for the therapist to be constantly aware of the child’s feelings when he discusses his projection. The projection should not be seen as the ultimate goal but rather as the beginning of opening up valuable information (Schoeman, 2004).
6. OWNING THE PROJECTION
This aspect of the Schoeman-model refers to the fact that the child is able to compare aspects of the projection with that of his own life. Schoeman (2004:119) argues, “it is only by taking ownership of the projection that the child will recognise his emotions, feelings and issues and, in certain situations, get rid of negative issues”. Should the child be unable to takes ownership of the projection, he will remain in the Impasse and will not be able to develop and grow. The therapist may use certain techniques to provide the child with the opportunity to own his projection. Schoeman (2004:110) highlights the following techniques:
- Reformulation: Leave the situation the same, however, change the negative aspect into a positive one, eg the ugly monster into a wonderful, cute one
- Paradox: The aim of a paradox is to develop a degree of discomfort/conflict where the therapist actually allows the child to do what he don’t want him to do. In this way allowing him to take responsibility for his own behaviour.
- Enactment: The child is asked to play out the negative feelings and to tell the therapist about it. A good example is to use the open chair technique.
7. ALTERNATIVES
This aspect of the Schoeman – model allows the child to find his own alternatives and make his own choices regarding his past, present and future. The child might choose an alternative but does not have the ego strength to execute it. Yontef (1993) maintains that it is only after the child has achieved all his goals that he will gain ego strength and equilibrium. According to Schoeman (2004), it might be necessary to let the child do another projection to allow him to explore these new chosen alternatives.
8. CLARIFICATION / SUMMARISING
This phase of the Gestalt play therapeutic process and thus, the Schoeman – model, is one of the most important ones as it provides the child with a sense of security. The therapist clarifies the child’s feelings and behaviour, allowing unconditional positive regard, hence giving him this sense of security.
9. EMPOWERMENT
Schoeman (2004) lays emphasis on the importance of empowering in the therapeutic process. The child regains power with the knowledge that he has taken responsibility for his own choices.
Oaklander (1988:282-283) identifies the following guidelines as tools to enhance a child’s feelings of self:
- Be specific in criticism and praise, to the point.
- Treat child with respect.
- Assign responsibilities, independence and the freedom to choose.
- Allow child in problem solving and decision-making.
- Be a good role-model
- Do not condemn the child.
- Allow child to experiment, pursue his own interest.
- Treat child with respect.
- Avoid being judgemental.
- Teach the child to accept inner self.
10. EVALUATION
The process of evaluation allows both the child and therapist to take responsibility to reflect the process and the outcomes thereof. The child is guided by the therapist to come to a conclusion. According to Schoeman (2004), this will empower the child’s motivational level.
11. SELF-NURTURING
Schoeman (2004:178) refers to this part of the process as the ones where “the child is given permission to go and do something that he likes, for himself”. This part of the process restores the balance for the child. Schoeman concludes that self-nurturing serves to round off the therapeutic session with the child in a positive way.
12. THE BENIFIT OF USING
12.1 CONFLUENCE
Confluence can be used when the child is in impasse. The therapist creates a discomfort when she goes into confluence with a client (Yontef, 1993). Yontef maintains that the boundaries and the separation between the self and the other become very unclear that it eventually disappears.
12.2 POLARITIES
Polarities are used to establish an awareness of opposites. Children function in the form of opposites, which includes their feelings, which is often either “good” or “bad”. The flexibility of the Schoeman-model can be seen throughout the process with the child. Schoeman maintains that the therapist is allowed to use projections, polarities and confluence as often as possible.
CONCLUSION
The Gestalt Therapeutic process is not rigid. The Schoeman-model allows even more flexibility and an easy flow of the therapeutic process. It can be seen as a working model that where every aspect are in support of the other. The growth of the relationship is established right from the first session as the therapeutic begins in the here and now. Throughout this model, the emphasis is on awareness, which gives the child the opportunity to take responsibility to solve his own problem. The child never leaves a session feeling unfulfilled as the therapist has the freedom to aspects of this model as often as possible.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blom, R. 2004. Handbook of Gestalt Therapy: Practical guidelines for child
therapists. Bloemfontein R. Blom
Oaklander, V. 1988. Windows to our children’s world: A gestalt therapy approach
to children and adolescents. New York: The Gestalt Journal Press
Schoeman, J P. 2004. Play therapy: An Important Skill in Child Therapy. Learning
Experience that will add value.
Schoeman, J P. 1996. Entering a child’s world. Kagiso Publishers
Schoeman, J P. 1996 Entering a child’s world: A play therapy approach. Pretoria:
Kagiso Publishers
Thompson, C. L. & Rudolph, L. B. 2000. Counselling children. (5th edition)
California. Brooks-Cole
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