How I Work with Children Michal Goldstein First Session

so working with children is fascinating to me each child is so different and they each come with their own story and so the beginning of the work with child is really about building trust and allowing them to see that I'm somebody here that's here to support them and to help them and to teach them and to play with them and just to enjoy each other's company the child will come in and we'll just spend time together we'll spend time doing the things that they enjoy doing you know spend time playing with the child and using that play to allow child to communicate their emotions and that's how learn about the child and through learning about the child can learn lot about how to support them in the emotions that they're experiencing so tell my clients that my role in their life is like the passenger in the car right so they're in the driver's seat they're driving the car they're deciding where they want to go they're deciding where they want the sessions to go and I'm there supporting them if they forget where they're going if they you know need some direction if they're not sure should we go right or should we go left or straight or back so so I'm there to sort of support them remind them of what their goals are point out to them how well they do know their environment and how well they can adjust to their environment and choose which way to go so that's where you know that's where am I'm not driving the car so really work with my clients around you know developing goals that they are comfortable with what is it that they Envision from their life how do they want to see their lives differently and for the child as well encourage children to set their own go goals because children really do know what they're looking for and they really do want things to be better for them in their lives and so having them set their own goals is really important part of the process to help them feel like they have bit of control in what's going on within the session and in their lives as whole play is child's language right children don't have words especially young children they don't have words for everything and an atmosphere of play allows child to express their emotions without having to speak their emotions and so using play in the session it's not just I'm playing with your child we are working through emotions depending on the type of play either we're working through emotions we're building connections and relationships very often will bring in very sensitive topics for the child through the play so will give the child an opportunity wonder what that person might be feeling that character might be feeling wonder how this you know figure would feel if someone just knocked them over right and so it's allowing the child to explore how they feel about something without having to say feel this because often that's very challenging verbally for child meaning that they don't have the words for it and then also emotionally in in their vulnerability and and their sense of safety some Childs will come in and they could talk mile INE they're just talking and talking talking talking sharing sharing sharing and other children will sit there quietly and not want to say word so there's from all ends of the spectrum different children and their comfort level and being able to be expressive so the play allows that to open the door for children that can't verbalize things on their own don't want to or just the situations are too big to be able to explore verbally for them