Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce

Many children are referred for counseling to help them adjust to divorce. They typically feel vulnerable and overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. They may feel anxious about the therapeutic process and be reluctant to talk directly about the divorce. Activities that are creative and play based can engage children and help them to safely express their thoughts and feelings. This book provides practitioners with creative interventions to engage, assess, and treat children of divorce. A range of innovative activities are presented, including therapeutic games, art, puppets, and stories. The first section of this book, which contains guidelines for practitioners, lays the foundation for effective counseling with children of divorce. Section Two presents a theoretical overview on children of divorce and incorporates some of the latest literature on the topic. The third section provides material for use with parents including a social history questionnaire, and a reproducible handout. Sections five through seven provide creative activities to help children express feelings, deal with loyalty binds, disengage from parental conflict, address anger and self-blame, and learn coping strategies. In addition to activities for use in individual and family sessions, there is also a ten-week group curriculum. The Appendix includes a treatment plan as well as a sample letter for the practitioner to give to the child upon termination from therapy. This book is an innovative resource for practitioners seeking engaging tools to help children cope with separation and divorce.