Not only are the flowers starting to pop up everywhere, fresh & new & exciting ideas have been popping into my mind endlessly. I don't believe this is just coincidence. I truly believe God is placing them there. I am trusting Him to show me the work I am to do in our community and I believe He has! Because of this, I am starting several homeschool therapy groups. These groups won't be like what you are imagining either. A fresh idea has come to mind, something that hasn't been done before (at least around these parts anyway)!! I came up with the idea while I was doing a research paper on groups for children a few years ago. I knew back then I had a great thought and I was reminded of it last week. What is it that makes it so great you ask? Sand tray therapy and group work mixed together! As we speak my wood carpenter is diligently making 5 small sand trays to be used by each member of the group. Thank-you Jack! One of the most popular things in my therapy room is my sand tray. Kids of all ages love digging their hands in it. I could go on for endless pages listing all the benefits of sand tray therapy and at some point I probably will, but you have to trust me when I say it works and kids love it! This led me to the idea of incorporating sand tray into group therapy. The combination is going to be epic! Not only is sand tray great in so many ways, so is group therapy. Groups create universality (they learn they aren't the only ones with problems), sharing (they learn to share their feelings and give feedback to their peers appropriately), relationships (they create supportive bonds with others in a safe and structured environment), social skills (they learn and model positive communication skills through social interaction), improved self-esteem (they learn to help others which enhances self-worth), and increased coping skills (they learn ways to deal with their emotions from their peers and therapist). If your child is struggling with anxiety, depression, socialization, a life change or just needs a little extra help dealing with emotions...he/she may greatly benefit from group therapy, especially this one with sand tray therapy as an added bonus! My plan is to have these groups (Mon. at 11:00 Boys ages 9-12) and (Tues. at 11:00 Girls ages 9-12) up and running in the next few weeks! Group sessions will last for 90 minutes. Cost is $100 for 8 sessions if paid in full upfront or $120 for 8 sessions if paid weekly. Stay tuned for more information! If interested contact me so I can reserve your child's spot as they are limited to 4 per group. This is going to be so good, I can't wait to begin!
1 Comment
Jenn
4/5/2017 06:28:09 am
This is an excellent idea! Any plans to do this for younger ages? My daughter will be five, we're new to homeschooling, and my biggest fear is not being able to help her with her social interaction struggles. THIS is exactly what she needs and I've not seen something like that at a co-op! Please let me know!
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Stacey Lewis, MAFamily Therapist. Wife. Archives
August 2019
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