Early Childhood Intervention

This essay will begin by looking at trauma and what causes trauma, defining early intervention, and a discussion on Play Therapy as a means of Early Childhood Intervention.

A considerable number of children in society today are exposed to traumatic life events. According to the American Psychological Association (2015), a traumatic life event is one that threatens injury, death, or the physical integrity of self or others and also causes horror, terror, or helplessness at the time it occurs. Traumatic events include, sexual or physical abuse, domestic violence, suicides, terrorism, war, and other traumatic losses.

As some children may develop severe acute or ongoing psychological symptoms that bothers and interferes with their daily functioning,

Many Play Therapy sessions involve the use of toys, puppets, games, and role plays to help the child indentify and communicate about what has happened. It helps the child to recognise how they feel about certain experiences in their lives. In many situations a child will use a puppet to talk about things when they feel they cannot speak to anyone else. Through a combination of talk and play, play therapy encourages the child to better understand and manage their feelings and behaviours. One form of therapy used in conjunction with play therapy is sand play therapy. Sand play is a hands on psychological work, and is an adjunct to talk therapy. It is a powerful therapeutic method that facilitates the psyche's natural capacity for healing (Sandplay.org, 2015). Sand play therapy can be used for both children and adults and promotes a more in dept examination of the different issues present in their lives and works well for children who are unable to express themselves verbally due to past

there are also some criticisms regarding play therapy. According to Good Therapy website (2015), the approach of play therapy is still widely debated. Some experts believe that it is not possible to deliver any therapy through non-directive means. They believe that therapy, in general, is designed to be directive for the purpose of methodology, boundaries, and safety. Other experts believe the therapist should strive to be non-directive relative to interpretation, exploration, and solution. While many experts have different beliefs and opinions regarding play therapy it is important to understand that all children are receptive to various approaches to treatment and there is not one singular technique that will help every