Wroxton Study Group Intern Testimonial As my love of play therapy moves out of the classroom, it extends to the heart of Nana’s Children, reaching the hearts of the homeless children in the Phoenix area. Because the children at the Pappas Elementary School have numerous arms barring their path in life, it is refreshing and a blessing to be a vessel through which to say with outstretched arms, “Come play with me; together, we will heal your heart.” One particular case, in which a little ones heart is slowly allowing joy and laughter residence, quickly comes to mind. A second grade female with a reputation for stealing is one of the clients at Nana’s Children Mental Health Foundation. After a session in which she would barely make eye contact with me, I squatted down so that I was shorter than she, and looked straight into her eyes. I uttered five simple words, “(My name) believes in you!” The session ended on that note and I walked her back to class. The following day, I saw her walking toward me on her way to the lunch room and as we made eye contact, she bolted out of line and gave me an enormous hug, looking me right in the eyes and grinning from ear to ear. Our next session involved much conversation and play with toys from the play bag. I ended the session in the same manner, by imparting my belief in her, and we returned to her classroom. On my way out the door, her teacher stopped me and remarked that she had seen a change in the student…my heart soared at the hope that was stirred inside. Three days later, this second grader appeared on my schedule of clients and I commented on how proud I was of her for being honest with the social worker regarding a pair of scissors blades she was preparing to steal. As the tears welled in my eyes, her little face was confused at my emotions. I explained that sometimes, when we care about someone, we cry because we are so happy. As I walked away, she ran to the playground and scurried up to the top of the play structure. I turned to wave a good-bye and was shocked to see her crying as well, with a smile on her face! The teacher, silently observing this interaction from a nearby picnic table, commented that she is so thankful for our presence in this child's life. I, too, am thankful for the way that five simple words of encouragement have begun the healing process in this child's heart. I believe that the trust established in Play Therapy laid the groundwork for healing to begin with this little girl. I also believe that these results are the norm rather than the exception. I am thankful for the training and supportive environment that have been provided to me through working in partnership with Nana’s Children: together, we can heal the hearts of the homeless children of Phoenix, one heart at a time.
Sincerely yours, Heather Koutsogiannis Argosy University Doctoral Candidate
Nana’s Children’s Mental Health Foundation afforded me various opportunities to gain a more “hands on” play therapy experience during my doctoral internship to expound on the skills and techniques I learned in the classroom setting. In addition, I was also exposed to a unique modality to use in play therapy called, “Experimental Play Therapy” a model developed by Drs. Byron and Carol Norton out of Greeley, Colorado. In conjunction with learning this new technique, I was awarded the Nana’s scholarship to attend the 13th annual Arizona Play Therapy (AzAPT) conference on, Treating Sexually Abused And Traumatized Children In Play Therapy. This was where I was initially introduced to, Experimental Play Therapy. The conference was beneficial in that not only was I able to learn some new techniques, but I was given the opportunity to meet key contacts and vendors in the play therapy field that we have right here in Arizona.
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