Rhinebeck Child and Family Center, LLC-

Rhinebeck Child and Family Center, LLC Child Therapy Techniques - The Center for Practical Tools for Child and Adolescent Therapists Dr. David A. Crenshaw, Director	NEWS Upcoming Presentations (click)
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For certified translations in any of 8 languages, click here for details.	"Heartfelt Feelings" Coloring Card Strategy. Click here for details.
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Dr. Crenshaw's book Bereavement: Counseling the Grieving throughout the Life Cycle is so successful that it is now in its third printing and earned an average customer rating of from Amazon.com
*Read Dr. Crenshaw's articles in Play Therapy* magazine by clicking on title: "Should I Be Worried?" "Selective Mutism" "Preverbal Trauma" "No Time or Place for Child's Play" "Sounds of Silence" "Symbolism of Windows and Doors in Play Therapy"** with permission of Play Therapy Magazine.
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Home
Consultations
Presentations- Including Upcoming
Testimonials from Presentations
Books
Dr. Crenshaw's Publications
DVD on Grief
CHILD THERAPY TECHNIQUES:
...Heart Symbol Strategies
...Heartfelt Feelings Coloring Card Kit
...Party Hats on Monsters
...Anger Modulation Drawings
...The Ship Prepares for Voyage
...The Magic Key
...The Fair Trial
...The Tree at the Top of the Hill
...Falling Leaves
...Holiday Writing Exercises
...Three Doors
Articles for Parents and Teachers
Article: Empathic Healer
Article: The Fawns beneath the Gorilla Suits
Article: The Hidden Dimensions
Article: Sounds of Children's Silence
Article: Windows to the Child’s Soul
Article: Selective Mutism
Article: Sealing off the Fountain
Article: by Liana Lowenstein, MSW
Poetry... Musings of the Soul
...Multicultural Language of Healing a Child
About Dr. Crenshaw
Translations

Mailing Address P.O. Box 286 Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Office Address 23H East Market St. Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Phone: (845) 876-3400

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Holiday Writing Exercises

Developed by: Amanda Dixon

Affiliation: The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie

Goal: To facilitate and promote discussion through the use of metaphor.

Materials:

v Construction paper

v Markers (all colors)

v Scissors

v Tape

v Glue

Preparation:

v Depending on the time of year (Halloween, Christmas, Hanukah, Thanksgiving, etc…) cut out symbols related to those holidays

v Example: for Halloween out of construction paper cut out a bat, pumpkin, and ghost

Description of activity:

v At the beginning of the session show the individual the cut outs, preface the session with realizing it’s getting close to certain holiday and utilize the holiday as a means to get at that child/teenager’s feelings about that time of year

v Ask the child/teenager to decorate the symbol and explain that we will then work on writing a story surrounding the symbol

v Example: the child/teenager selects the bat cut out and continues to write a story about the bat, the bat being the main character in the story.

v If the child/teenager feels comfortable have them write the story on their own. Give them time and space to do so. If they need assistance provide it to them.

v Following the completion of their story writing, either you read the story or if the child/teenager is comfortable have the story read aloud.

v Once you or the child/teenager has read the story continue the activity by asking the child/teenager questions pertaining to the story. Take this a step further by asking them questions about things they did not write about in the story, but ask them things such as, “What do you think would happen if…”.

v Continue to work in the metaphor. If the child/teenager takes to this type of activity, continue it in following activities suggesting maybe that the child/teenager develops more of the characters from the original story.