21 research outputs found
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Playing with sound: the therapeutic use of music in direct work with children
Children rarely have the language or the cognitive development to process and convey their experiences solely through words, so spontaneously complement these with symbolic forms of expression and communication, such as play, metaphor and a variety of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic imagery. Consequently, social workers need to supplement verbal methods of assessment and intervention with more symbolic modes of communication and engagement when working directly with children. The play therapy literature has been a key source of guidance and the expressive arts therapies, such as art and drama therapy, are now well represented in the literature and training of social workers in 'direct work with children'. However, principles and practice from music therapy are under-represented. The writer, who is a social worker, psychotherapist and musician, shares her reflections on introducing techniques and theoretical approaches from music therapy into her own therapeutically orientated direct work. Suggestions are made as to how other practitioners (both musically trained and not) could develop the use of music as a further 'tool' in their direct work with children
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Direct work with children
Learning about children’s experiences, thoughts and feelings is one of the most important tasks in child protection. Children are not passive objects of concern but important agents in their own lives who can provide vital insights into the harm they are facing. Their views and emotions should always be placed centre stage when decisions are being made and plans formulated. And yet we know that this remains an area of challenge for practitioners, who do not always feel skilled in engaging or communicating with children in unsafe situations. As a result, some children feel unheard and unsupported, and the risks they are encountering may not be fully appreciated. Direct work offers a key pathway through which practitioners can gather information, elicit views, help children understand what is happening to them, and provide support. The term refers not only to formal, planned work carried out over a number of sessions, but to everyday, impromptu or brief interactions with children on their own, in sibling groups, or with their parents or carers present. This chapter will clarify the role and place of direct work, explore what may lie beneath practitioner struggles, and set out some principles and approaches which are proving helpful in child protection practice. </p