Manchester: Play Therapy

Ah! I have had the most wonderful weekend! I couldn’t figure out how to work the internet in the hotel so I couldn’t write for the past few days! I left Saturday morning for Manchester, which was a terribly complicated little expedition. I had to walk from Libby’s to the Putney tube station. Then, I had to take that tube to Embankment then another tube to Euston train station. I got to Euston incredibly early because I knew it would be a confusing trip so I had time to eat and get some cookies for the train ride! People kept asking me for advice on their trains so at least I looked like I knew what I was doing- right? Once my train arrived, it was about an hour and a half trip to Crewe, where I picked up the next train. The train from Crewe to Manchester Airport Station was only about 30 minutes and then I picked up a taxi to the hotel. It was a pretty long day of traveling, but it really wasn’t too bad! I stayed at Stanneylands Hotel in Manchester, which was really nice. They hold weddings and all kinds of fancy things here- so if you are a foodie then this is the hotel for you! The staff was really friendly and accommodating and its location was only about a mile from the location of my conference!

The play therapy introduction course was held at Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate and given through the PTUK- which was absolutely beautiful! The grounds are magnificent and the buildings are fantastic! I had the most wonderful time at the course! I learned so many new things and it really sparked my interest in pursuing a certification in play therapy. At first, I was really nervous because we did a lot of activities and speaking in front of the group- which terrifies me- but it was very effective because the group became comfortable with each other very quickly. This comfortability made it much easier to open up and to communicate! To begin, there were hundreds of tiny toys covering several tables and we were told to “let two of the objects choose us.” We were then asked to relate these objects to our lives and who we are and what they mean to us. My two items were a seashell and a dolphin which I related back to my family and home. I told the group about summers at the beach and on the boat and how I am the farthest I have ever been away from my family. When they asked how homesick I was all I could think to say was “I just really miss my mommy” and suddenly I became the group’s baby and they all took me under their wing. Everyone wanted to hear about my summer and whenever they went on walks or anywhere, they asked me to come along. It made me feel that much more comfortable! Everyone remembered my name right from the very beginning and it made me feel very comfortable. The group had 19 women mainly between the ages of late 20s and early 40s.

After our introductions of ourselves, we were told to speak with the person next to us and then introduce them to the group! Let me tell you- I panic when I have to speak in front of people, but it really was so much fun! Next, we wrote two of our expectations and things we wanted to learn anonymously on a piece of paper, and then we read someone else’s! Next, to get better acquainted, we passed a doll around the room and said our name. Then, we switched and we said the person’s name who we were passing the doll to. Once they had two dolls going at the same time it started to get tricky! Each of these activities was tied back to a lesson from play therapy. After we finished these introductions, we were given a table full of crafts from wrapping paper to pencils to glue to paint and we were told to create a depiction of a childhood memory. For some reason, the one memory that came to my mind was driving around the neighborhood in my Barbie jeep! We had to present these to the group and tie it back to our childhood, answering the questions: What did the child want? Need? Have to say? What was the essence of the feelings?

There were many, many discussions in between activities but the next activity we did was to form a circle and sit on the ground. We then passed around a pen first and then a roll of duct tape and we had to make up a story about what the item really was. For me, the pen was the cane of a goblin who could tap the ground with it and answer any question and the duct tape was a magic portal in the ground that showed up when you most needed it and took you to a special world. It was pretty funny to hear everyone’s stories and then we analyzed what these different things may mean if said by a child. Next, we went around and each person added a sentence to a story and it just continued with the next person and the next person. The story ended up being hilarious but it taught a lot about the kind of people that each individual was and they taught us how to read into different stories. We had breaks and lunch in between and then we came back together and they tried to answer every question that we had about play therapy which was incredibly enlightening for the whole process.

My favorite part of the day was also the most challenging, frightening, and illuminating. They gave us the opportunity to work a little bit with sand therapy and role play as the therapist and also the child. Sand trays have very specific dimensions and children are able to work within this box, with the toys of their choice. The groups leaders taught us how to respond as the therapist and the whole point of sand therapy is to allow the child to explore without interfering at all, unless they are causing harm. The therapist is supposed to remain completely in the moment and to reflect on the experience once the child has left. It was fun to be the child- I played the aggressive child and smashed cars and airplanes and whipped sand out so that the therapist had to keep their cool and set boundaries. Being the therapist, however, was extremely difficult when I thought it would be pretty simple. The woman who played the “child” acted withdrawn and disengaged and it was hard to know what to say and do. The facilitator of the group told me that I did a really great job though and that I said all of the right things- so I was surprised! Lastly, we all sat in a circle and chose an instrument to work on the music aspect of play therapy. First, we played the instrument alone and then made eye contact with someone else so that they would start playing by themselves. Next, we played as an entire group. For all of these activities, they explained the importance for children to express themselves in whatever ways they could and how to make these activities effective for therapy.

I learned more than I thought was possible for one day and I met so many wonderful people! Play is vital for children, with trauma especially, because it allows them to express themselves, even if they don’t have the exact words to do so. Play therapy allows children to have a “safe-zone” and to be able to take risks, without worrying about failure. It is not about probing, being judgmental, or directive. It is allowing them the freedom of expression that they are not able to accomplish elsewhere. Unlike adults, children are able to fully open their mind and be creative and any object can become everything and every object can become anything. It is a beautiful thing! At the end they gave us a lot of insight into the career path as a play therapist and they gave us a certificate for attendance! One of my new friends from the course was even nice enough to give me a lift back to my hotel so that I didn’t have to take a taxi (which gave my dad a panic attack, of course)! Overall, this was one of my favorite experiences that I have ever had and I really hope to pursue it in the future!

Today I made the long trek back home and boy did it feel good to walk into the door of this flat! Phew, I practically ran home from the station. I came in, skyped my mom, and then went to see the Hangover II and it was hilarious- if you like stupid funny movies then definitely go see it! I just got off from skyping the whole family at my mom's and now I am going to go relax! Love and miss you all! Xxxxx

Stanneylands hotel room and my delicious breakfast in bed!

Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Estate!

We had to create a memory from our childhood so this is my Barbie jeep & my certificate!

London: Day Fourteen

Practically nothing to report today! Libby and I played hooky from the school and I slept in, which was lovely. We practiced taking the tube/train around London so that I would always know what I was doing- Still desperately need the station map though! I walked around a bit after I got home and found my new love- Top Shop! Their clothes are so fun & I got a pair of high waisted shorts, skirt, and a really cool lace tank top. I have a killer migraine so I will probably go to bed soon and I have an early train to Manchester in the morning for my play therapy course on Sunday! Can't wait! Xxxxx

London: Day Thirteen

Today was a great day at the school and my last day for a little over a week! Libby and I are playing hooky tomorrow and next week the school is closed for half-term break! Today I spent the day with a group that only had two children: One boy and one girl! It was great because I had one-on-one time with the children. The boy is autistic and also has ADHD and the girl was a premature baby and has some kind of chromosomal disorder. They are both so precious. The boy is one of the most beautiful children that I have ever seen- all olive skin and brown eyes and so so sweet. He parades around the classroom making noises and yelping and clapping his hands constantly. He also has a need to climb and climb and climb- on anything that he can find. He apparently has improved vastly since he first arrived at the school- He used to climb to the ceiling and could only sit down for less than a minute at a time. I absolutely adore him! He is so wonderful and lovely. The little girl is so sweet and smart as well. She reminds me of Velma from Scooby Doo, if she were a young child. She wears these huge glasses that make her look completely adorable. She carries around a training potty to all of her classrooms because she is only about four and not toilet trained completely yet.

It was really great to get to work on my own with each of them individually. In maths (they call it "maths" in England), I worked with the little boy on matching and counting. There were pictures on a peace of paper and he had to match the picture to objects in different bowls. Once he found the object, he would count how many there were in the bowl and, because he doesn't speak, he would pick off one of the velcro letters from 1 to 5. Every time he started counting he would stare at my face for support every time he pointed to each object. I worked with him again in the Vygotsky classroom and he worked on matching again and on the game of memory (where you turn over 2 cards at a time and have to remember where they are in order to find the matching pair). This is incredibly difficult, and requires great patience, for a child who does not know how to take turns or how to slow down and wait. I literally had to hold his arms to keep him from turning over more than 2 cards but he did such a great job. I was completely in awe because it would seem as though he wasn't really looking at each picture, but after seeing a picture only once- he would not forget it for the rest of the game. He would find it and match it every single time. It was amazing. He was also brilliant at the matching game we played. There was a sketch of a triangle, of a square, and of a circle and then there were pictures of daily objects from a tire to a pizza. He had to look at the real-life object and match it to its shape. He is an extremely sensory oriented child so he would be happy placing the object on top of the shape and feeling around the edges to be sure he was right. He really is brilliant- I was so proud of him.

In literacy the teacher was out so there was a substitute and I worked with the girl on practicing taking off and putting on clothes. This is a sore spot for her mother because she literally won't put on a coat or take off a coat on her own. She did a wonderful job though by the end of the class and got a reward when she finally took her shoe off all by herself. The best part of the day for the children though was cooking in the Social Development classroom. These two specific children are very sensory and understand things better when they can touch and feel it. They had the chance to pour different items into the bowl to make cereal bars: rice krispies, raisins, seeds, honey etc. Then they got to taste each of the individual items. Then they got to mix all of the items together with their hands. They were both so happy, we couldn't keep their hands out of their mouths. Ah, they are both so precious!

Also, I talked to my grandparents and my cousin, Nicholas last night on Skype and I wanted to clarify something about the seizures that many of the children at the school have. These are not the convulsive seizures where a person collapses on the ground and their muscles go crazy. The seizures the children have are epileptic seizures where the children remain completely conscious, with eyes open, and simply fall out of complete consciousness of their surroundings. It is mainly discovered when the child loses concentration and spaces out in class and you cannot discover why. One of the little girls at the school has seizures like this all day long and a lot of them have it frequently. These seizures affect about 0.5%-1% of the population. It is really quite scary. If you would like to learn more about them, you can click the link above! Love you all lots! Xxxxx

London: Day Twelve

Not too much to report today. I went into work this morning and I spent the day helping Libby in her office so I didn't see the kiddies. An inspector is coming to the school tomorrow for a practice inspection, so I was helping organize paperwork on the computer. I don't think I have used excel since high school but it was cool to get back into it. At 3:30 we rushed home because Libby had a webinar that ended up being so boring she couldn't even watch it- lame! A little later, we went to Libby's friend Annie's house and I got to meet her family and they were so wonderful! They were really nice and funny people and it was great to meet them! Then we stopped by a little Italian restaurant on the walk home and had a bite to eat. Libby had some kind of ravioli and I had gnocchi with tomatoes and smoked ricotta cheese. It was pretty good! Now we are home relaxing and life is good! Hopefully I'll have more to write tomorrow! Xxxxx

Random Day of Adventures

Today was one of my favorite days of all time! Libby and I went into school this morning and had a great day! Nothing too crazy happened, which is always good. The kids are so funny and wonderful and I just adore them all. I am learning a lot about how to work with children who have special needs and how to teach different subjects to them. It is hard when the children have behavioral issues and start to act out and become rough, but it usually calms down. I am really having the time of my life with these children!

After work, Libby and I took a rail and a tube to the area where the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben etc. are all located. It was all so beautiful! We skipped over these areas all rather quickly because there were so many police officers around due to the visit of Obama in the UK right now and potential threats. It is so magnificent to see, even quickly! Then we walked on over to the Tate Britain Art Museum and we went into the Watercolour Exhibit that they have here through August! It was all amazing, absolutely beautiful, and you can search the rooms and painting with the link to the exhibit! We spent awhile searching the rooms and marveling at peoples' talents! Some of the works dated back to the 1600s or before and were in amazing condition.

After we left, we were meant to find a pier and hop on a boat to take back to the Putney Pier by Libby's flat. Between the two of us, though, it took about an hour and a half or more to locate a pier and we were basically just walking aimlessly around. In a fun new country though, this is absolutely fine, and I was having the time of my life! By the time we finally found a pier, our feet were killing us and we could barely walk and we were so delirious we couldn't stop laughing. We had to wait about 25 minutes for a boat to take us home so we sat on some bags of salt and relaxed in the sun. The boat was filled with businessmen and women in their suits on their way home from work. I, however, was the tacky tourist who thought I had to take a picture of every little thing. I got a few weird little looks- let me tell you. When we got off the boat, we stopped in for dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby and it was so nice to be inside with a drink and food!

Then- to top off a wonderful day- when I got home, my kids from the CDCLR at home skyped me and I got to see all of their beautiful little faces, along with all of my friends from work! It was so fun. They were freaked out/shy by my face popping up on the computer but I got to talk to each of them individually and it was the highlight of my week! I sang a song with them and then calmed down! I'm so happy I got to tell them all I love and miss them! Then I skyped my mom and now I am sitting here watching Libby squirm and scream at the TV every time something scary happens. Loving life! Xxxxx

Big Ben!

Houses of Parliament!

Better view!

Tate Britain!

Futuristic looking town, in my opinion!

My favorite- the old telephone booths!

My absolute favorite thing in London- the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park!

Our little ferry home!

View of a bridge!

Titanic, anyone?

Putney Bridge from the water!

London: Day Ten

Just another manic Monday... School was busy but fun today. I was with a new group of 3 children that I haven't been with yet and that was fun. I learned some sign language this morning so that I could use it during lessons so that was pretty exciting! Best news of the day: Libby got me into a course to take an introductory class on play therapy! I am so excited! I literally cannot think of anything to write about today, my mind is a blank slate apparently. I will try to think of more tomorrow if anything exciting happens! Love you all! Xxxxx

Baby chicks from the school!

Had to put this up for my family- all Italian foods!

The inside!

The fantastic bag that Libby got for me today in a vintage shop! In love with it!

Lazy Sunday

Not much to post today. I woke up at about 1 PM- needed sleep I guess? Woops. Then Libby and I went to the movies to see Something Borrowed. I would definitely recommend it! I read the book like 4 years ago and loved it and I really enjoyed the movie! It was very cute. I ate so much popcorn and candy that I am surprised I didn't just explode but that's okay! We went into a bookshop and grabbed some books to read- I got Water for Elephants so I can read it before I see the movie! Then Libby, who did not eat every ounce of popcorn in London, was hungry so we went to a small Lebanese restaurant by her house called Mezza Restaurant. I could not begin to tell you what Libby ate besides hummus and pita, but I had the best calamari ever so I was happy! That's about it for today- back to work tomorrow! Xxxxx

Libby had me take a picture with a pirate at the movie theatre and a photo of our delicious dinner!

Portobello Road

I love love love Saturday. Libby and I slept in, which is so marvelous after a long week, and then we went shopping on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. Each Saturday, merchants fill the streets to sell antiques, clothing, jewelry, fresh fruit etc. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We started by going into Hummingbird Bakery, where they are known for their delicious cupcakes: I had a vanilla cupcake and Libby had carrot. Then we walked down and stopped into various shops and stands along the way, many of which were absolutely divine. One of the girls from work recommended I go into a vintage shop called One of a Kind where they sell crazy and interesting pieces of clothing, hats, shoes, jewelry etc. Kate Moss and other famous people shop there and have a special section in a hidden area of the shop. It was very cool but there were so many people it was hard to look around. If you walk further down the market, at the end there is a more vintage and unique section of clothing outside and I adored everything. I ended up with three shirts that I am obsessed with and I will post a picture of them! Some of the merchants make their own clothes or headbands or jewelry (one of the shirts I bought was screen printed by the girl selling).

After our feet were killing us, we decided to go grab a bite to eat. We ended up at The Portobello Organic Kitchen which turned out to be Italian food. Our lunch was delicious: All of the ingredients were extremely fresh from the cheese to the tomatoes to the bread. I would definitely recommend stopping in here for a light lunch- they are known for their fish and chips as well. On the way out of Notting Hill, we saw the Travel Bookshop that was in the film and I was way too excited! My mom and I love that movie! For dinner tonight Libby taught me how to make french omelets and they were so delicious! She also made fresh chips again (french fries)! Yum! Now we are just relaxing and it feels great! Xxxxx

The Hummingbird bakery!

Fruit market and a street side performer!

One of a Kind vintage shop and their door for the famous!

Kate and William souvenirs!

The Portobello Organic Kitchen!

Cute little shop: Books for Cooks- only sells

cooking books!

In front of the Travel Bookshop from the movie Notting Hill!

Libby cooking

our dinner-

omelet and chips!

My purchases from the day that I am obsessed with!

T.G.I.F.

After a long, hard, amazing week at the school, I am so thrilled that it is finally the weekend! Today was a fun Friday with the kids- we hatched 10 chicks today which made me miss the CDCLR! We had a birthday celebration with cake and candles for one of the kids and all of the kids just adored our new playground equipment! The little girl that I have been following was having a rough morning and needed to be taken out of two of her morning classes for screaming at the top of her lungs. I tried walking around the hall with her but it did not help to calm her down so we went in and the occupational therapist did some jumping exercises but still she would not stop screaming upon entering the classroom. Then it seemed like screaming was an excuse for not doing work so I brought her into a classroom and went through lessons with just the two of us. It was pretty cool to work one-on-one with one of the children although she was pretty zoned out. I also was a huge clumsy ogre today and I was running at full speed after a child and my apron got caught on a doorknob and I completely wiped out on the floor. In front of a man from another school who was checking up on one of the kiddies. Embarrassing. I am pretty sure my face turned the color of a tomato and my apron literally tore in half. Then to make matters worse, one of the chicks pooped strange colors all over the bottom of my apron. I think this was a worse day for the apron then for me, though! We had a staff meeting when work ended and then Libby and I came home!

I felt like walking around London so while Libby went out to see a friend, I took a stroll to the mall and to a couple of shops around the corner. I found one little shop in the mall that looked like a teeny tiny card store but I walked in and it had some cool jewelry and clothes and vintage-y furniture. The other shops were not really anything special but I stopped at a little cafe and had a cinnamon-apple muffin and juice and people-watched. Then I walked down the street and found this store that I completely adored: Oliver Bonas. The clothes and jewelry and gifts were to die for! By the time I left there, it was past 6 and a lot of the shops I wanted to see were closing so I came home. That was when I realized that the theme-song for my weekend will be "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars- "Today I don't feel like doing anything, I just wanna lay in my bed!" So I am getting into my PJs and crawling into bed for a Glee-filled night of relaxation. Xxxxx

London: Day Six

Well, today was eventful, to say the least. It must have been a full moon because I swear the children must have been out of their minds. As crazy as it was, truthfully, it was also rather exciting. I am surprised I don't have a black and blue face from all of the slaps and punches I took to my face this morning from one of the little boys. He has behavioral issues, if you hadn't guessed. There was a lot of hair pulling, yelling, punching, spitting, fighting, etc. filling the halls of the school today. My heart really went out to one little girl who stopped what she was doing, grabbed a teacher, and said "having a seizure" because she gets them at all times of the day, everyday. Could you even imagine? I feel so blessed for the health and wellness of my friends and family when I see these children and what they have to go through. It is extremely powerful stuff. Working with children with special needs must be the most selfless and difficult job there is in the world. It is tiring on a level that is much deeper than anything I have ever experienced. It is physically, emotionally, psychologically, everything tiring. It wears you out. It drains you. And for me, I really feel every ounce of these children's pain as if it were my own. But truthfully, I really am loving it. It is challenging, but I don't find it frustrating and I feel like I am doing something to actually help children. I am learning more than I ever imagined I could. It is a beautiful thing!

After work Libby and I went to buy new equipment for the garden at the school from "teepees" to sand and water media tables. This should really help engage the children while outside but not give in to sensory overload. Then we went shopping at a store called River Island which was really awesome. I got a nice pair of brown shoes that remind me of horseback riding and seem to be popular in London. I am excited to wear them! Then we went grocery shopping and had a Lexie-style dinner of celery with peanut butter, home-made french fries, corn on the cob, and a chocolate roulade cake which was all to die for! How Libby is putting up with me I'll never know! I am having an amazing time and looking into traveling which should be very exciting! Off to relax! Addio!

London: Day Five

Today we went on a field trip to the Deen City Farm! We had to take the train and tram and do a lot of walking with children who are surely not used to the effort. Seeing all of the different animals was very exciting for the children though and it was overall a great day. The stress of being in a new environment and having so much physical exertion was a stressor for a lot of the children and there were several breakdowns and a lot of screaming. It is hard when the children have these moments because they have to be physically constrained for their own safety. I also saw my first seizure today when one of the little girls had a seizure for about five seconds in front of us at the school. It is incredibly sad that these children have to live with these ailments in everyday life. The farm was exciting though- from giant rabbits to alpacas to horses and the kids were thrilled! I am completely exhausted from today so I am watching a movie and going to sleep early- write more tomorrow! Addio!

Pictures from the farm: