Two Loyola professors will present different models of therapy at the annual Louisiana Counseling Association conference in Baton Rouge on Friday, Oct.2.
Thomas Foster, assistant professor of counseling , will present on reminiscence therapy, while assistant professor and interim chairwoman of counseling LeAnn Steen, who is also the director of Loyola’s Play Therapy Center, will present on play therapy.
The two professors shared their ideas one day, and thought of combining the therapies and finding the connections in the therapies and the issues they treat.
In play therapy, the doctor uses pictures, collages and different forms of art and environments, even including sand boxes, for children to express themselves in a memory or situation they are going through. This type of therapy gives a visual idea for counselors to see what the child is saying through those types of forms.
“Play therapy and activity therapy is used when children don’t have the verbal skills to communicate all the time, so they express themselves in different types of art, ” Steen said.
Steen said sand trays are commonly used in play therapy and can also be used with adults. The use of the sand box gives a subconscious experience, giving a clearer image of what’s going on in the patient’s life. Steen said the sand also gives a soothing effect, which helps in expressing feelings.
Reminiscence therapy may be more helpful for adults and elders. Foster said encouraging the patients to go over past experiences of a pleasant nature restores their self-esteem and personal satisfaction.
It is used, for example, to help those who have Alzheimer’s disease. For many with Alzheimer’s, long-term memories are more intact than short-term, making the therapy especially effective.
“It gives them a great sense who they were and reminds them of the strength they once possessed, and lets them know they still have the strength to work with whatever adversity they currently dealing with,” Foster said.
Steen said she and Foster feel that the two therapies have a natural fit, and although it may sound strange that the therapy geared for young children would combine well with a therapy geared for older adults, but they do.
“Play is the first language we all use as infants, toddlers and children. It is a ubiquitous language, understood by all children (and adults who pay attention). Children use play to process complex emotions and experiences. Because it is our first language, it is never really forgotten,” Steen said.
Steen said when people get older, they sometimes have difficulty expressing their emotions and experiences with words, especially if they have suffered from a stroke or some kind of damage to the Broca’s area of the brain. Using some of the procedures from play therapy, such as sand tray and expressive arts therapies, will allow a person of any age to express feelings and process both past and present experiences without having to rely on verbalization, Steen said.
Since older people have responded to reminiscent therapies already, combining the reminiscent therapy concepts with the play procedures is a natural fit, Steen said. She said she and Foster believe it is a great model for older persons who are having difficulty with verbalization for any reason, since traditional “talk therapy” would be rather difficult for them.
They will present this theory at the LCA conference, an annual event that gathers all types of counseling workers in Louisiana to share their work. Steen said even though they are different fields, they all somehow link to one “big family.”
Mai Bader can be reached at [email protected]
