Therapy Continuing Education: Play, Art And Group Sessions

After they've earned some experience in a variety of areas, many therapists are eager to expand their knowledge base and apply different methodologies into their work. Therapy continuing education is a great way to gain specialist information and begin to form the basis for a private practice. Not only is it mandatory to keep your license in many states, but also it is vital if you wish to remain competitive and continually evolving within the professional world. There are many different types of therapeutic exercises and instructions including play, art, and group that can help you reach out to your clients and offer them the best assistance possible.

Play:
Therapists who are interested in specializing with children can benefit from understanding more about play techniques. Playing with children is a method for therapists to easily interact and break down walls with their clients in a natural way. Exercises are most commonly used on the three to eleven age groups, and can be the basis for diagnosing, opening communication, gaining trust or gathering information on clients. An example of a typical exercise would be sand play (which has also be used successfully on some adult patients). A sandbox is used along with several small figures, buildings, and other objects that can be placed within the area. Through building and interacting with the objects, a client may reveal hidden feelings, open up to talk about an experience, or simply display behaviors for further assessment.

Art:
Many therapists specialize in the field of art, which allows clients the freedom to express themselves creatively and communicate more openly. It is the therapists' job to help the client, through the art creation, to lead a more improved and overall healthier and more productive lifestyle. Therapists do not have to be artists to be able to assist their clients, but therapy continuing education classes on the subject can help with the process. It is beneficial for the therapist to be familiar with several different forms of artistic expression so that they may have adequate supplies and be able to provide some assistance as necessary. There are also several exercises that can be therapeutic for clients to perform during their course of treatment.

Group:
One of the greatest benefits of group sessions is that it is more beneficial for many people within the community. One on one treatment is expensive, and therefore many people cannot afford a visit. Whereas group rates are reduced, meaning a greater outreach which is a reason why many therapists join their fields in the first place. Therapy continuing education can help you expand your practice to include more group sessions, which is not only good for your business but many clients find the environment more supportive and less intimidating. Group sessions help relieve isolation or feelings of alienation among certain populations. It can also help provide practice and experience for those with social anxiety disorders or similar problems that keep them from communicating with others on a regular basis.