Childhood Child Therapy Techniques

[Brenton]

My T does some therapy techniques they use with children, and it helps. She has a box of stuffed animals she wants me to hold when I'm twisting my fingers or really figetting. I said, "So, I'm like a disturbed 9 year old?" She said, "Some parts of you are." She's right... that broken boy is still in there.
Has anyone else had any similar experiences with therapy that could be for a child?

 

[expectingbetter]

I brought myself my favorite stuffed animal to a session three times.
It helped me feel safer when I needed the most. But that thing usually works for me, I am not sure it would for everyone.

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

Yes, I definitely have. My therapist has read to me, I read to her, colored or drawn with markers, played board games, completed a child's puzzle, and I bring my own stuffed animal for comfort in times like what you described. I think it really helps sometimes with relaxing and then being able to talk more.

 

[Friday]

None of my trauma is childhood (in fact I usually try to stay out of this forum all together)... But yes. There are therapies designed for children that plain and simple work for me. And work really well.

More? Raising children is in no small part of what helped me get very, very functional again after the first time I got symptomatic (several years). It was brought home to me recently how doing the things kids do -learning to interact with the world- is just freaking helpful with this disorder. Cognitively. Emotionally. Experientially.

 

[shimmerz]

Yes. I would go to my therapist and after the session, walking out the front door, would start to breathe like a child who had been crying too much....

I could not do this when I had not been triggered into that part. I also could not stop it until it had 'passed'.

I think what your doctor is doing is giving you an alternative method so that your body can work through its reaction to what it is you are feeling through those sessions. Somatics, if you want to look it up. My T would watch my body for signs and signals of distress. He taught me that anything I felt on the inside would be displayed on the outside, through physical actions. I have never forgotten that. Got me through a ton of shit.

 

[Ronin]

Yep, relating.

I got better sleeping with plushies /and/ machetes & knives.

So damned relieving. Happy time. Happy & protected... by a plushie, even. I needa more of them. Fort Plush it will be.

 

[Sideways]

Bronson, my support worker, is a 15cm teddy, soft as, that initially entered the picture as a thought diffusion tool years ago.

I rarely use him for thought diffusion these days because I can mostly keep it inside my head, so he's meant to be retired. But he still regularly accompanies me to therapy, both as a child comforter, but also as a grounding object for me to use (squeezable, colour, texture, shapes, brilliant)...and if I'm being completely honest, he still comes with me if I have to go to a shopping centre for any reason (one hand gripping the teddy in my handbag at all times - his head pokes out, but people who notice seem to think it's cooky and cute rather than weird scary crazy lady!).

Haven't come across a T that doesn't like me using Bronson...although he is adorable so what's not to like!?