Playing with Play-doh

Lately school has been all about the kids! Last Thursday and Friday I volunteered at a Child Advocacy Center conference here in Gainesville. I traded setting up video and audio equipment and introducing the speakers for being able to attend without paying the $85 registration fee. Awesome!!! I learned a lot about kids in therapy, especially about how they typically disclose things like abuse and the different risk factors to consider when you are working with children. I was definitely shell-shocked after two full days. I was nauseous/wanted to cry all day after hearing about some of the terrible things that people will do to kids. But, I guess it is necessary to know those things and to be prepared if it ever happens to one of my clients.

Today in class I had the most fun I have ever had in school! We had a woman who is a graduate of my program and a certified clay therapist (!) lecture us on play therapy. We got to practice playing with the play-doh and making different shapes like this snail:
Mine didn't look so good... He was slightly overweight and lopsided. We also got to make snotty-booger man with snot hanging out of his nose and into his mouth. I wish I had gotten a picture of all of us, professor included, playing with the play-doh! As we were doing it, the guest speaker was giving us examples of what she would do with a client. For example, one girl was getting aggravated with her snail not rolling out properly. The speaker pointed out that if she were a client, it would be a perfect opportunity to discuss what she is feeling and to identify it (frustration) and talk about what she does when she feels that way. So cool!