Play Therapy in Malaysia

Introduction to Play Therapy:

Play therapy for children is like counselling for adults. Due to children's limited cognitive function, they express emotions through creative play activities. They play out what bothers them inside, like we adults seek counselling to deal with our emotional hurts and wounds.

In early 1900, play therapy was first documented by S. Freud in his "Little Hans" case, in which a 5-yr-old boy had phobia for horse. He was being treated by Freud who instructed the father to have play time at home with the son. Apparently, the boy was "healed" later on through play therapy!

Since, play therapy has developed by Anna Freud and later by Axline to become Child-Centered Play Therapy in 1947, and spreaded through USA, and to the East. Malaysia has her humble beginning in 2000.

Along with play therapy and family therapy, there are Dr. L. Guerney's and Dr. R. VanFleet's Filial Therapy, Dr. G. Landreth's and Dr. S. Bratt's Child-Parent Relationship Training (CPRT), the teaching and training of parents to strengthen their parent-child relationship through play therapy techniques. Mr. Ng has learnt CPRT under Dr. Garry Landreth's supervision while studying at UNT.

Play Therapy Development in Malaysia 

In 2000, Mr. Andrew Ng after being trained by Dr. Garry Landreth, the founder and professor at the Center for Play, North Texas University in 1990, pioneered play and sandtray therapy in Malaysia and helped Agape set up the first play and sandtary therapy service in the country. Dr. Daniel Sweeney was among the honourable guest who officiated the opening of that department in 2001. It was through the effort of Mr. Andrew Ng and Ms. Lisa Sum, the Head of Sandtray and Play Department, who helped promote play and sandtray therapy throughout the country since 2000, and with the invaluable contribution of both Dr. D. Sweeney and Dr. Linda Homeyer who acted as catalyst in advocating play and sandtray therapy in Malaysia. They both visited Malaysia for a few occasions to provide training for our local mental health professionals.

Since 2003, Dr. L. Homeyer, who is the professor at the Texas State University - San Marcos, currently the second time elected president of Association for Play Therapy (APT), and advisor for Play & Expressive Arts, has been coming to Malaysia as regular trainer and supervisor for our Malaysian mental health professionals.

She has also assisted Mr Andrew Ng, Ms. Lisa Sum and the protem committee in drafting local standard and credentials required for the registration of a local play and expressive association since 2004. Mr.

First APT's Approved Provider

In January 2008, Mr Andrew Ng has been approved the liscense by the Association For Play Therapy, Inc. (APT) to become the first APT's Provider in Malaysia to conduct CE courses compatible to APT's professional standard.

Selagor Association of Play & Expressive Therapy(SAPET)

In mid April 2008, application for the formation of Selangor Association of Play & Expressive Therapy (SAPET) has finally been approved, after waiting for more than one year! The official ceremony will be held on May 8, 2008 at the offiice of The Registra of Society in Shah Alam.

Here, we would like to express our gratitude toward Dr. Linda Homyer, Dr. Daniel Sweeney, Mr. Alex Ng, and SAPET's protem committee, who have given their invaluable opinions and unceasing assistance in our application process.

SAPET will be meeting on April 27, 2008 to plan for accredited courses relevant to our fields of expertise, and to cater for different catergories of  membership application. So do look out for our up-coming training for play, sandplay, and expressive arts.

For more information please contact SAPET chair person Ms. Lisa Sum at 03 7785 4833 or SAPET consultant Mr. Andrew Ng at 012 361 8596.

Report From a Psysiotherpist - Annie

Here is a first hand sharing of a paticipant who in April 2008, attended Mr. Ng's play therapy training in Hong Kong.

" I am so glad to participate in your 6- day(40 hrs) workshop. It allowed me recognize what play therapy is and experience the magic & power of its treatment effect.
I felt myself changed quite a lot after attended the class. Although we just pretend to play,  I found I was empowered and learnt the way to express my own feeling.
Since graduated  from the university, I suspect myself has the emotion problem. It is because of stress from work and daily life. And I don't know how to handle these stress well.
As I remember you mentioned a case about an University graduated girl who faces the difficult to make her own decision . And I am facing the similar situation as her.
So interesting, I have the brave to make a quite big decision after attended your class. And feels more positive after that.
When I return to work, I applied some of the treatment skills (tracking and permissiveness) in my class. And I found my students are more calm and co-operated in doing exercise.
(P.S: I am a physiotherapist working in a hostel for blind residents who have multiple problems, e.g. totally blind/low vision, MR, physical deficit.)
Most of our students are blind/low vision and mental retarded. So it is difficult to apply play therapy for them.
However, I track their facial express, emotion, words while they are doing  exercise. And allow them have more permissiveness during the class. I found some of them have obvious changes. Especially students who are mild MR. They tends  to express their feeling and reduced the behavior problem (e.g: bite herself / yelling when angry)
So I would like to say thanks to you again. And hope there are chance to learn more in the future."

Words of Encouragement

From Dr. Garry Lendreth

"Thanks, for sharing Annie's letter.  Your workshop obviously touched her life very deeply and she was able to pass on to her students what she received from you.  I do believe that is God's intent that we give to others what we have received and that is the reason for receiving." (April 19, 2008)

From Dr. Linda Homeyer

" Andrew -- this is so exciting and encouraging for your work! To know that our training can have profound changes on those we will never see and know is quite humbling, is it not?!  It is also such a blessing to know that God is using us in such powerful and wonderful ways!"

From Dr. Daniel Sweeney

"Andrew,

Encouraging indeed! I pray that God continues to bless your work as both a counselor and a trainer. 

Grace & peace,

Daniel"

More Sharing From Annie

 Thanks a lot for your updated article which enclosed in you previous mail.

It is great to read your articles and I did learn a lot from your book《天天藍天》. Thanks

I am now reading the book "Dibs in search of Self". I am really touched by what Dr. Virginia M.Axline done to Dibs and the power of child centered play. It further enhanced my intreset to learn more and apply play therapy in my work.

However, there is a limitation that I am not a social worker or teacher in the center.

My post is a part time Physiotherapist and my main duty is to take care of resident's physical ability.

Therefore, I can't hold a play therapy session like you and I seldom have time to provide the individual treatment . I have 2 classes each morning and it entertains around 6-8 residents each time.

However, in my physical training exercise class, I integrated some of the play therapy techniques into the class. And I did feel the changes of the student and ourselves. We save more energy on controlling their behavior/emotion problems.

Did you ever applied play therapy techniques into the MR child/adolescent? I am thinking it will be also helpful for this group of people.Their age is mature but their mind stay in the child stage. And I am really interested to know more about their feeling.

I also agree with you that tactile toys will be helpful for them. And in the coming few months, our center is going to set up a multi-sensory room and either social worker or teachers will in charge that room. I will give them my opinion and hope they also can apply the technique into their class.