Critically evaluate the role of creative therapies in work with Essay

Critically evaluate the role of creative therapies in work with children - Essay Example For this reason, there have been a growing number of programs designed to work with troubled children through venues other than shelters and governmental organizations (Groves, 2002b). Many of these programs attempt to discover more effective means of reaching the child in a trusting, comforting environment that speaks to the child’s level but without ‘talking down’ to them. Group interventions are one means of addressing the problem while still letting children know they are not alone and have little to be ashamed of (Peled & Edleson, 1995). These types of group meetings, often held in shelters or other community center-type settings, tend to benefit children in the 6 to 15 year age range and work to group children together in age spans of less than 2 to 3 years (Peled & Edleson, 1995). This treatment technique is not recommended for children of preschool or younger age, however, because of their natural lack of focus and reduced dependence upon peer relationships to help them cope with issues and more impulsive natures. Very small children do not respond well to sit-down sessions so require alternate forms of therapy to be developed that meet their specific needs. Regardless of the therapy approach selected, the goal is always the same. â€Å"The therapist seeks to stabilize the child’s life situation, to help the child integrate the experiences of the violent events in an adaptive manner, and to work with the child to manage the symptoms that resulted from the trauma† (Groves, 2002b). There are a number of other therapies currently being studied that may be more successful than these approaches in bringing the discussion to the level of the child in a non-threatening, non-invasive way. Several alternative and less-threatening forms of therapy have b een devised that allow children to be treated in a less-threatening environment which matches the