by Cheryl Scott

Created on: September 19, 2009   Last Updated: October 05, 2009

The important thing for the counselor to remember with young children is that their vocabulary is much smaller then that of their adult patients. One can only express feelings with words if one has the word in a vocabulary to use. Words like depression and anxiety mean little to young children. Counselors need to remember that children can show us their feelings much better then tell us. Sessions with young children should focus on ways the children can 'show' us how they feel rather then 'tell' us. The sessions should be short and fun always. The environment should be child friendly with lots of color, clean, neat, safe, and happy.

Specific strategies to help young children communicate in counseling sessions include play, art, and drama therapies. These three therapy types allow a child to safely express feelings through natural means doing something they would normally do outside the counseling office.

Play therapy will often include work with doll houses and dolls of different sorts. A child will literally play out or act out his or her feelings with the dolls. What the good counselor needs to do is watch how the child plays. Watch how the child works with the play family. Generally, children do not lie when they play with dolls. What they do with dolls in a doll house or similar situation will likely be very close to how they and their families behave in the real world. The counselor can ask the child questions while the child is playing. Other situations such as school settings could be laid out for the child to play. It is important that the counselor provide the appropriate play tools which match the child's situation. After the counselor has watched the child play out their feelings, the counselor can talk with the adults in the child's life to help find ways to change the child's environment to be more supportive of the child's needs.

Art therapy is another excellent tool for helping young children to communicate their feelings. Various mediums of art can be put out for the child to select. Collages are excellent ways to help a child express their feelings. The pictures that a child uses will say volumes about what the child is feeling. Painting is another good form of art therapy. Asking a child to paint their day at school or home can reveal much. Clay and other forms of molding and sculpture can help an especially nervous or anxious child begin to express their feelings. As the child is working with clay, they may find talking is easier. While involved in the art, the counselor can ask questions and help guide the art more toward personal expression.

Drama can be used to help young children communicate in the counselor's office. Children already act out their own feelings often. In dramatic therapy, the child can be asked to play a different role then themselves. The can be asked to become their mother, teacher, or another student. Costumes and props can be supplied in a trunk allowing the child even more room for expression. As with play therapy and art therapy, the counselor will need to take the information gained from these sessions and then share this with the caregivers to hopefully construct a more supportive environment for the child.

Work with a young child will include a close relationship with the caregivers to learn about the child's feelings and then begin to construct an environment for the young child that allows the child to heal and manage their feelings safely, with dignity and without harm to self or others.

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