Counselling and Play Therapy
These SOS Children’s Village BC services are for children and youth at our Village, and for foster children and at risk youth in the community, who are experiencing difficulties in their lives that are preventing them from moving forward.
MAKING SENSE OF CHALLENGE AND CHANGE
Occasionally, individual’s lives are interrupted by challenging events that can cause them grief and confusion. As a result, they might feel vulnerable or afraid, and unable to carry out day-to-day tasks. Some might even be facing some personality change as a result of the struggle.
It often helps to talk to a professional, someone who can help them understand that their behaviour is not so abnormal but may be the outcome of anxiety – stress associated with the area of difficulty they are experiencing in their lives.
Sometimes in our lives we find that we are unhappy, and yet not able to recognize the problem. It may be that we need to consider changing some parts of our lives, our behaviour, job, relationships, home circumstances, or consider challenging ourselves to reach a goal.
Our professional counsellors can help those struggling to make sense out of the disorder that is occurring in their lives. Our counsellors guide and facilitate the resolution of issues through the following programs:
Expressive Play Therapy (Outreach/Waitlist) +
Expressive Play Therapy helps children and youth, along with their caregivers, to explore and express their feelings and experiences in a non-verbal manner.
This type of therapy is especially beneficial for children under twelve years of age because they do not have the full developmental capacity to process their experiences and emotions verbally.
Expressive Therapy:
- Helps children deal with difficult emotions
- Promotes self-acceptance
- Provides opportunities to explore alternative ways of thinking about challenges
- Recognizes children’s strengths and healthy coping behaviours
ENGAGING THE SENSES
In Expressive Therapy, children and youth use a variety of art materials and toys that are selected to evoke emotions and memories, as well as to engage their senses and thought processes.
Children are invited to play and create in the presence of an observant, non-judgmental, and strength-based therapist who reflects their experiences, affirms their strengths, provides encouragement, models adaptive thinking and behaviour, and creates a fun, positive and emotionally safe experience.
Through the use of Play Therapy, feelings and inner conflicts can be projected into visual form. In the creative act, conflict may be re-experienced, resolved and integrated.
Trauma Informed Clinical One-On-One Therapy (Village) +
Provided to children at the Village and youth in our transition to adulthood programs.
Mental Health Support (Village) +
Provided to children at the Village and youth in our transition to adulthood programs.
COUNSELLING TO PROMOTE RESILIENCE
Individuals typically attend sessions for one hour a week for a maximum of one year. On a case-by-case basis, depending on everyone’s unique situation, additional time can be granted to deal with their issues.
While therapy sessions are largely client directed, the therapist will also introduce directives that can foster the expression and discussion of the issues that brought them to therapy. Sometimes, children will attend sessions together with their caregivers to work on their challenges.
Therapists work with parents, guardians and caregivers to promote and maintain resilience, security, and growth. The effectiveness of therapy is monitored through an outcome rating tool that tracks progress in four domains: Personal, Social, Family and Overall Well-being.
PROGRAM LOCATION
Therapy sessions take place at our Village for the children and youth who live there, and at our office location for those in the outreach side of the program:
302 – 14225 57th Avenue, Surrey, BC
PROGRAM FUNDING
- Individual, corporate, and foundation donors
- Private funding
Generously funded by a Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Healthy Community Grant
