Many years ago, while working towards my Bachelor of Social Work degree, I learned to NOT volunteer for public role play exercises.  “Why?”, you ask.  Well, inevitably it would turn in a direction that I really was not prepared for.  I was caught off guard and, therefore, I missed the opportunity to carefully consider my responses—feeling vulnerable and exposed.   As I became a more seasoned clinician, a ready response came more easily AND I continued in my established pattern of self-preservation. 

            Fast forward 25+ years. In 2019, I became a Registered Play Therapist.  In March 2020, I was introduced to and began a deep dive into incorporating digital tools in my play therapy practice.  In fact, it has become a passion! Through this journey of professional growth, I have also been exposed to an unexpected personal growth.  There may be more, but I attribute this shift to two primary factors: 1) healing properties of play and 2) felt safety among colleagues and friends.

Notice the picture above—one side is very tidy, while the other is very messy with a plethora of items on the floor.  These past several months I have had the opportunity to receive training in the therapeutic use of Virtual Reality.  Each training has given me a different, yet equally powerful take-away message.  In the most recent training, we utilized and discussed two games from the perspective of multi-sequential tasks and learning:  Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator.  Clinician hat on and learning brain activated—check. Well, until it wasn’t.  almost immediately my clinician hat and learning brain were replaced; instead, I was a person fully immersed in an unfamiliar setting, attempting to navigate surroundings.  I quickly became frustrated.  I could hear the tantalizing sound of the coffee pot; yet, after multiple attempts, I could not figure out how to dispense the coffee.  The more I looked around, the more things deeply resonated.  Finally, I gave up!  In fact, I became somewhat defiant—throwing things on the floor, putting my head in the copy machine to see if it would actually work (IT DID!!), randomly pushing all the buttons—trying to make sense of SOMETHING.  I quit….again—abandoning the job for a vacation.

Just a game, right? How is it possible that all of my senses could feel like I stumbled into the virtual version of my life??  On the surface, play seems like ‘just play.’ However, when considering the Therapeutic Powers of Play, it is so much deeper than that! For years, play therapists have been advocating for the profession; declaring “WE NEED MORE PLAY!  PLAY HEALS!”  So much so that, at times, I am baffled by the dichotomy.  We have fought so ardently for play therapy to be a recognized and respected modality and, yet, the acceptance of digital play can seem elusive.  In terms of traditional and digital play therapy, one does not replace the other—it is a both-and.  The goal is not for every play therapist to utilize every modality of play, including digital.  Instead, the hope is that we, as a play therapy community, will at least widely entertain the potential and acknowledge the benefits of Digital Play Therapy^TM. We owe it to ourselves, our clients, and our profession to be interested enough in the client’s world, and all it entails, to give consideration —even if it means making referrals.

Fiona Hill is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and a Registered Play Therapist in the state of Missouri. She currently works in a group practice as a children-family therapist specializing in working with childhood trauma, attachment disruption, as well as families impacted by varying developmental needs within the family system. In addition, she has a sub-specialty of incorporating digital tools into therapeutic practice. Find more information about Ms. Hill here: https://fionahilllpc.com/

The post Stumbling Into My Life: first appeared on Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S.

By Fiona Hill, LPC, RPT

The Story

Feeling or being ‘stuck’ is difficult. ‘Stuckness’ can look and feel differently, depending on who you are talking to.  Personally, a common theme has been that I want to run away.  Seemingly, life starts to close in around me and breathing can become very difficult.  Then, my focus is how to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. 

Lately, I’ve been working to improve my Minecraft skills…not to perfection, but to the point I’m not bogged down by the mechanics.  At first, practicing Minecraft wasn’t really something I wanted to do.  Honestly, I would often find the game so frustrating and overwhelming that I clearly avoided playing.  However, I really felt drawn to the game for a couple of reasons: 1) In hearing other clinicians talk about it, I knew that there can be lots of therapeutic value 2) many of my clients talk about, play it, and are very drawn to the game and 3) I really do like a challenge—the best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t.  So, I started slowly:  googling how to work various mechanics; watching YouTube videos; informally playing with colleagues and friends; then, as I became more comfortable I began to play more on my own and ‘try things out.’  For me, a turning point away from avoidance of direct play was in playing with a colleague who had graciously volunteered to give me a Minecraft ‘lesson.’  It was described as a ‘sandbox game.’  You mention anything sand related and there is an automatic connection for me.  However, that wasn’t even really the most impactful.  I was getting a tour of the amazing realm, and we were about to cross over some very high planks.  Even though we were playing ‘just a game,’ my fear of heights kicked in and I was immobilized-stuck.  My chest became tight and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing in that moment.  My colleague’s avatar graciously carried my avatar across the planks.  Immediately, I felt relief.  I felt safe. Now, I was ready to more deeply explore Minecraft, both as a game and as a therapeutic tool.

A few days ago I was playing Minecraft, and found myself stuck underground. It was dark. There was a tightness in my chest because I couldn’t see my way out. I literally turned my avatar in circles and all I could see was pitch black. I wanted out; so, I turned the game off.  Went back another day…same thing. The next day…same thing. Today was different, though. I went into my ‘world’ and I was stuck. My avoidance had served me well—I had forgotten about my situation.  I was more than slightly irritated.  I mentioned to friends that I was stuck in Minecraft and my exact words were ‘I just turned on my Minecraft world and remembered I’m STUCK and haven’t been able to get out…so I just keep turning it back off……#Iwillgetout.’ As I’m turning looking for a way out, I remember ‘OH! I can use a lantern for light!’ Within a matter of a minute or so I was back out into the daylight. I could see the house I had built, and the tightness in my chest was gone.

Clinical Application

What I shared above is a personal experience.  If I were to sum up my experiences in two words, they would be co-regulation and resilience.  Looking at my personal experience through a clinical lens, there are many opportunities for therapeutic work.  The same can be said for many, if not all, of our clients with whom play therapy is our mode of treatment.  Play therapy is more than ‘just play,’ whether it is traditional or digital.  How powerful it can be to immersively partner with clients in providing co-regulation and building resilience through the use of digital tools—and these are only a small glimpse into the therapeutic possibilities! 

Fiona Hill is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and a Registered Play Therapist in the state of Missouri.  She currently works in a group practice as a children-family therapist specializing in working with childhood trauma, attachment disruption, as well as families impacted by varying developmental needs within the family system.  In addition, she has a sub-specialty of incorporating digital tools into therapeutic practice.

The post Schooled by Minecraft: The Impact of the Digital World in Therapy – Guest Blog first appeared on Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S.

Sometimes caring for yourself seems like a daunting all day-everyday task that’s unmanageable.  We are a sum of all our parts and when it seems all parts are needing care at the same time, it can become overwhelming.  As mental health professionals, we know caring for ourselves is important, and yet, it is extremely easy to feel so obligated to help others that we unknowingly neglect ourselves.  After all, it’s why we went to school, right?? We want to help people—and that’s good.  However, especially during this time of pandemic, the question remains—at what cost and whose expense? 

“We need balance in all aspects of life. Humans do not function well when unbalanced whether that be regarding food, work school, sleeping, running, or anything else.  Internal balance is achieved when the activities and interests of a person do not cause other aspects of life to become under-or overinflated”(Stone, 2020).

During my undergraduate studies I had a full course load of 18 credits, worked full time AND worked 15-20 hours at my internship site.  It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this was not the healthiest decision, but never-mind health.  I had a goal, and I was intent on working towards that goal regardless of the future consequences.  In fact, future consequences were not even a thought in my mind.   During this time a dear friend said these words to me that have stuck with me all these years: “If you don’t take care of your body where will you live?”.

In order to hold the heavy, hard things for our clients we MUST have space to hold it.   How do we have the space?  We take care of ourselves to create space not only for our clients but for ourselves.  Often times we create an either/or scenario when really it is more helpful to have a both/and.  “I take care of myself AND I help others.”  Over the last several days I’ve found myself being curious about the word ‘permission.’  As a child, especially in my adolescent years, I wanted to be an adult so I did not have to ask permission to do things I wanted.  I find it curious that, like so many other adults, there are times I still need permission in order to take time to care of myself the way I need and deserve.  So….for those of you who need permission to say ‘Yes’ to yourself, you now have it.  You have permission to take care of yourself the way you need AND you deserve—whether it’s for 15 min, 30 min, a day, a weekend, or every day!  Take care of yourself so you can be the best you can be for yourself AND others.

Reference

Stone, J. (2020) Digital Play Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Comfort and Competence, Routledge, pp. 14.

Fiona Hill, MTS, MA, LPC

Fiona Hill is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri.  She currently works in a group practice as a children and family therapist.  She specializes in working with those who have experienced childhood trauma, as well as, families impacted by developmental disabilities.  Fiona utilizes primarily EMDR and Play Therapy in her practice; she is currently working towards both her Registered Play Therapist credential and EMDR certification.

The post Self-Care: The Power of Saying ‘Yes’ to Yourself – Guest blog first appeared on Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S.

Sandtray…..sand……tray…what comes up for you when you see these words? Hear these words?  Think these words?  Before March 2020 I would literally have feelings of excitement.  What about after March 2020?  Honestly, sadness.  I am a lover of sandtray and all the healing properties it affords.  When we all started to respond to the Covid-19 crisis, I became sad thinking about not being able to use my sandtray with those I serve, neither in person nor online—then I found the Virtual Sandtray App®© (VSA), and my professional and personal lives were forever shifted!  Not only did I have an option for telehealth, I now also had a feasible option IF I decided to provide services in-person.

We all have a mind-body connection.  Sometimes it’s easily noticed, while other times it isn’t—and rarely can we fully understand it.  Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful tool that has the capability of helping us connect the emotions of our right brain to the logic of our left brain, thus creating a synergy of healing.  I have been working to incorporate my use of the VSA and was recently introduced to an EMDR imagery technique called Lightstream. 

I invite you to take a journey with me—if you will, imagine you are walking through an intensely red filmy liquid flowing out of an equally intense red sun shining down, exuding an orange afterglow.   Down below there is lava flowing in a creek and oozing out over the bank of sand.  Arms with unseen bodies are reaching out for you and monsters staring as you walk by.  The lava isn’t covering all the sand, so you know that there is a chance for a calming light to bring a change.  In fact, you notice, there is a blue light boxed in.  If only it can be free—and then, the blue ball of light breaks free!  The barriers are broken down.  As the blue light becomes bigger the intensity of the red sun dims and then-poof- it’s gone.  The lava is replaced with a calming blue liquid.  The monsters and body-less arms are replaced with fairies that calm.  The red filmy liquid is replaced with a calming white mist; then before you know it, the heat you were feeling from the intensely red film is completely gone and replaced with a soothing feeling like a cool breeze.

 Take a moment to notice the current impact of the above imagery–now multiply that impact by 100, and this is the potential of the VSA.  There will ALWAYS be a place for traditional sandtray work, AND we can (dare I say SHOULD) make a place for the possibility of even deeper work–in both ourselves and those we strive to help–through the VSA!

Fiona Hill, MTS, MA, LPC

Fiona Hill is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri.  She currently works in a group practice as a children and family therapist.  She specializes in working with those who have experienced childhood trauma, as well as, families impacted by developmental disabilities.  Fiona utilizes primarily EMDR and Play Therapy in her practice; she is currently working towards both her Registered Play Therapist credential and EMDR certification.

**special note: be sure to check out the 9 CEU training starting October 9, 2020 combining EMDR and the VSA, right here in the training section of this website!

The post The Merging of the Mind and Body: EMDR and the VSA – Guest Blog first appeared on Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S.