Exit interview questions

(1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

- What is the most effective technique to use when treating a troubled child using child play therapy?

- As I continued to research I came across an article on Mental Health America stating, in order for a child to have a good mental health he/she needs to receive unconditional love from their family. This led me to my third and best answer, Filial Therapy. Filial therapy is my best answer because it involves a parent or someone who is close to the child making it easier for the child to be treated the most effectively by receiving the sense that they are being supported throughout the whole process. Having someone supporting the child makes everything easier for the child this is my best answer because even though release and sand therapy techniques are being done with the therapist and it allows he/she to better know the child, the child still needs the support and love from a parent or caregiver. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

- During my senior year I was only researching techniques that were used but after going to the day care, where I completed my independent component hours, I realized the importance of having a parent. A parent is a child's first role model and someone they look up to and at first I thought "well not every child has a parent" making me stray away from filial play therapy to be my answer. I kept going off this mindset for a almost the whole year until a few months ago when I ran into an article that told me the process in order to begin a filial therapy including a parent or caregiver assessment making sure this person is fit to lead the play during the session. A parent and/or a care giver is important in a child's life because of the role they play in the child's life of teaching them and allowing them to have a sense of security and belonging, without this sense of security and belonging the child's development would be disrupted and be harder to successfully treat the child since they do not have those senses. Showing the importance of a parent or caregiver to be present during therapy to continue to demonstrate the senses of belonging and security. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

- One of the problems that I faced from the very beginning of my senior project was not being able to have hands on experience with my topic. The reason for this was confidentiality issues. Because of this I was very interested on what really went on inside a therapy room, so i began to research techniques and eventually came to my essential question. I also began talking to my mentor Stacy as much as possible whether it was before, after, or in between her sessions. Stacy helped me by giving me titles of books that she used throughout her college experience and she also answered many of my questions by using her own experiences in the time that she had been a licensed therapist. I also looked to work with children because I was unable to talk or converse with the clients unless it was setting up appointments, answering phone calls, or greeting them as they walked in. I was able to work with children at a daycare there I was able to play with them, help them with their homework, study for upcoming tests, and just have conversations with each and everyone of them. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

- One of my most important sources was an article I found titled "Fifteen Effective Play Therapy Techniques." by Schaefer, Charles E. In this article Charles explained in detail fifteen different techniques, it also included games or activities the child's family/caregivers can do at home to better the child. 

- My second most important source is my mentor Stacy Maggard. Even though I was unable to work hand in hand with her because of confidentiality issues I was allowed to talk to her in between, before, and after her therapy sessions with her clients. 

(5) What is your product and why?

As my product I learned to be patient and know how to handle children when they are misbehaving. I learned this during my time at the daycare where i was constantly interacting with te children wether it be halping the with their homework to simply playing with them. When I barely arrived I noticed I was very impatient with children when I was attempting to help them with their homework, in my head I would be thinking how is this too hard it's a simple addition problem. As I helped the children more and more I came to realize that each child doesn't learn the same and quickly adapted and learned from ever child. One of the girls there was very shy and did not like talking too much, even if she was struggling with her work she would refuse to get it. Later on she saw how I would interact with children around her and built up the courage to ask me for help I say down next to her and helped her with her English homework. Once she completed her work she went off and began to color on her own like she usually would. Before she left she came to me and gave me a folded paper and ran off to her mom when I opened it it was a drawing saying "thank-you very much" this is when I noticed that I was doing something right and I was finally being patient with the children.