What to Do When Children Clam Up in Psychotherapy

Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC, LPAT, REAT, is a psychologist andexpressive arts therapistspecializing in trauma recovery. Since the 1990s, Dr. Malchiodi has worked with traumatized children, adolescents, adults, and families, expanding the range of understanding of nonverbal, sensory-based concepts and methods. Founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Dr. Malchiodi has given over 700 invited keynotes, lectures, and workshops around the world, and has assisted more than 500 organizations and institutions in developing trauma-informed, expressive arts, and disaster relief programming. Her books include Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy, Understanding Children’s Drawings, and Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, Second Edition. Dr. Malchiodi is a contributing writer forPsychology Today, an active visual artist, and an aspiring musician.David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, is Clinical Director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, New York, and Adjunct Faculty at Marist College. He has taught graduate courses in play therapy at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University and has published widely on child and adolescent therapy, child abuse and trauma, and resilience in children. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of its Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Dr. Crenshaw has received lifetime achievement awards from the New York Association for Play Therapy and the Hudson Valley Psychological Association. He is a past chair of the board of directors of the Coalition against Sexual and Domestic Abuse and a member of the professional advisory board of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation and of the Dutchess County Task Force against Human Trafficking.

• I. General Principles to Guide Practice1. Why Children Clam Up in Therapy, Cathy A. Malchiodi & David A. Crenshaw2. Resistance in Child Psychotherapy: Playing Hide-and-Seek, David A. Crenshaw3. A Neurosequential Therapeutics Approach to Guided Play, Play Therapy, and Activities for Children Who Won't Talk, Richard L. Gaskill & Bruce D. PerryII. Master Clinician Approaches4. The Sound of Silence in Play Therapy, Anne L. Stewart & Lennis G. Echterling5. Play Therapy with Children Who Don't Want to Talk: "Sometimes We Talk, and Sometimes We Play,"Nancy Boyd Webb6. Polyvagal Informed Dance/Movement Therapy with Children Who Shut Down: Restoring Core Rhythmicity, Amber Elizabeth Gray & Stephen Porges7. Play Therapy through the Lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology: Up and over theMountain, Theresa Kestly8. Treating Adolescent Attachment Trauma: Ten Ways to Co-Regulate and Stay Connected, Martha B. Straus9. Silencing and the Culture of Sexual Violence: The “Shadow Abuser,"Sarah Caprioli & David A. Crenshaw10. Art Therapy Approaches to Facilitate Verbal Expression: Getting Past the Impasse, Cathy A. Malchiodi11. Animal Assisted Play Therapy with Reticent Children: With a Little Help from Friends, Risë VanFleet & Tracie Faa-ThompsonIndex

"This is one of those rare clinical books that not only will occupy a prominent place on the therapist's bookshelf, but also will be reached for time and time again between sessions. It is destined to be a cherished resource for child and adolescent therapists. Like having a cadre of expert supervisors at one's side, the volume successfully guides readers through one of the most common yet challenging types of treatment impasse, while expanding ideas of what therapy can look like. Innovators in the field offer sure-fire ways of engaging even the most reticent young people."--Craig Haen, PhD, private practice, White Plains, New York"Psychotherapy with children can be an arduous and challenging process. Malchiodi and Crenshaw have provided an important, informative resource for child therapists. Regardless of the reader's therapeutic orientation, this book offers a wealth of cutting-edge ideas and strategies. Whether you are an experienced clinician or still in training, this unique volume is a valuable guide."--Sam Goldstein, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine; Clinical Director, Neurology, Learning, and Behavior Center, Salt Lake City"This is the best current book on a familiar treatment issue in child therapy. Honest, clear, and informative, the chapters offer multiple perspectives on how to facilitate children's communication in creative and insightful ways. Each chapter contains detailed hands-on applications. As a graduate educator in play therapy and expressive art therapy for more than 36 years, I am refreshed to find a book that provides even the neophyte therapist with such usable, inviting intervention strategies."--Julia Byers, EdD, Division of Expressive Therapies (Emerita), Lesley University"The title immediately lets the reader know that this is a practical, accessible book. Malchiodi and Crenshaw have assembled leading experts to take us on a journey of discovering the impact of maturation, brain development, trauma, and culture on children’s communication styles. The volume presents models that highlight the primacy of creativity and relationship when counseling children. I recommend this book to counselors and therapists who wish to enter the world of children in the most effective ways, and as a complementary text for any course on child and adolescent counseling."--Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, Director, Center for Play Therapy, and Professor, Counseling Program, University of North Texas -Each chapter concludes with a list of best practices to guide the therapist through implementing the recommended approaches. Clinical educators and supervisors will find this book to be a valuable text to introduce trainees and supervisees to the principles and processes of child psychotherapy. Therapists new to working with children will appreciate the blend of theory and specific suggestions illustrated by engaging clinical examples to promote their understanding of both the content and process of dealing with silence in sessions. The book will also provide experienced therapists with the opportunity to update their knowledge of current best practices in assessing and treating silenced child clients.--American Journal of Play, 1/26/2018