Children and Youth

Tele-Play Therapy/ Tele-Therapy

What Is Tele-Play Therapy?

Tele-Play Therapy is a form of Tele-health traditionally used to provide medical services to those in remote geographical locations. Tele-Play Therapy is conducted by a trained Child and Play Therapist who uses play-based interventions with children by way of on-line video sessions. The sessions are live, developmentally focussed and highly interactive. Children are provided a private space in their home settings and the Tele-Play Therapist plans and manages the sessions. The same ethical responsibility is afforded to a child regarding privacy and confidentiality for Tele-Play Therapy as if she/he attends a face-to-face Play Therapy session.

What Is Tele-Therapy?

Tele-Therapy for youth is similar to Tele-Play Therapy in that the practitioner may use art and projective materials to assist young people to express feelings, thoughts and needs. Tele-therapy is most appropriate for 11-year-olds and older. Tele-Therapy is conducted by a trained Therapist. Again, the sessions are live, and youth are provided a private space in their home settings and the Tele- Therapist plans and manages the sessions

What Are Family Law Child/Youth Meetings?

Tele-Play Therapy and Tele-Therapy principles and processes are also utilized for Child Consultations and Meetings with a child/youth in family law processes. This includes short-term interventions for child inclusion related to including children’s input/voices in Meditation, Parenting Coordination and for Voice of the Child Court Orders. Typically, children/youth meet with the practitioner two times.

The Tele-services for children/youth are similar to the online adult therapeutic service offered by Dr. Yasenik. However, there are some considerations as to how to assist your child/youth.

Previous Consent

As legal guardians/caregivers/parents we acknowledge the original consent for treatment agreement to provide counselling services to our child(ren). We further agree that our child(ren) can participate in Tele-Play therapy or Tele-Therapy when/if it is required and based on our child’s(ren) age(s) and abilities.

What Will Children Need?

  • A private room where they can be without interruption
  • A computer or a tablet with a camera (Tablets are better because they are more portable)
  • A noise-cancelling headset or earphones (if you have wireless headphones your child can be more mobile)
  • Your child will need a hard surface like a table, floor or desk on which to play
For Tele-Play Therapy (4 to 10 year olds)
  • Drawing paper, Crayons and Markers
  • Two stuffed animals (stuffies)
  • Play Dough
  • 10-15 miniatures (i.e., playmobile characters, small vehicles, trees, princess, prince, wizard,toy soldiers, plastic animals, dinosaurs,
    objects from nature such as stones or shells)
  • Bubbles- if you have them
  • Building blocks or Lego
  • Favourite book or books
  • Tissues and a damp face-cloth/hand-wipes
For Tele-Therapy (11 years plus)
  • Drawing paper
  • Crayons and Markers
  • Pen/Pencil
  • 30 miniatures (i.e., playmobile characters, small vehicles, trees, princess, prince, wizard, toy soldiers, plastic animals, dinosaurs, objects from nature such as stones or shells)
  • Shoe box with about 2 inches of rice on the bottom
  • Small White Board with dry-erase coloured markers
  • Tissues and a damp face-cloth/handwipes

 

For Family Law Child Meetings (5 to 10 year-olds)
  • Drawing paper
  • Mini/Small White Board with coloured dry-erase markers
  • Crayons and Markers
  • Play Dough
  • 30 miniatures (i.e., playmobile characters, small vehicles, trees, princess, wizard, plastic animals, dinosaurs, objects from nature such as stones, shells, leaves)
  • Bubbles- if you have them
  • Building blocks or Lego
  • Favourite book or books
  • Two stuffed animals
  • Tissues and a damp face-cloth/hand-wipes
For Family Law Youth Meetings (11years plus)
  • Drawing paper
  • Crayons and Markers
  • Pen/Pencil
  • 30 miniatures (i.e., playmobile characters, small vehicles, trees, princess, prince, wizard, toy soldiers, plastic animals, dinosaurs, objects from nature such as stones or shells)
  • Mini/Small White Board with coloured dry-erase markers
  • Tissues and a damp face-cloth/handwipes

 

 

 

For children/youth involved in 2 meetings for gaining their input in family law circumstances:

  • Drawing paper
  • Crayons and markers
  • Play Dough
  • 30 miniatures (i.e., playmobile characters, small vehicles, trees, princess, wizard, plastic animals, dinosaurs, objects from nature such as stones or shells)

Parent/Caregiver Responsibility

As the parent caregiver:

  1. You will need to assist your child until he/she is on-line, and the connection is clear
  2. You will need to be available in case the connection is interrupted, and your child needs you to help to trouble-shoot a lost connection
  3. You will ensure your child has privacy, which includes ensuring he/she has privacy from others in the household for example others do not know about your child attending therapy
  4. You will ensure your child has sound privacy in the space. White noise outside of the room is helpful. Many children have sound machines to help them sleep which could be situated outside the door
  5. You will ensure no one will come into the child’s space during the session time
  6. You will help the child make a “Private Folder” for art products. This can be two pieces of cardboard stock stapled all the way around leaving the top open to make a big envelope (or a special bag to keep things in)
  7. Caregivers agree to not question their children about their Tele-Play Therapy sessions or ask the child to discuss any product during the session
  8. Caregivers in collaboration with the therapist will establish how they will be involved before, during or after a session

Tele-Play Therapist Responsibility

Dr. Yasenik as the Tele-Play Therapist will:

  1. Send the invitation to the parent to set up the session
  2. Adhere to any privacy issues re: family home as the therapist will be in one or more rooms of the family’s choice

  3. Engage in a check-in with parent and child together prior to beginning the private session 5-10 minutes. Together we will address confidentiality – children will be given permission to tell their parents that their time is private (but not secret)

  4.  Plan and manage the session with the child for 30-45 minutes

  5. If the child has an iPad, the Tele-Play Therapist may ask the child to do a 360 degree turn of the room from time to time to ensure privacy for the child and the therapy process

  6. Help the child end the session and put any products away into their private folder/bag

  7. Send the parent a brief email note after the session has been completed so that the child does not experience parents having one-to-one meetings with the Tele-Play Therapist right after the child’s session. The note will provide the parent with short summary as to how the session generally went and if the child was engaged. As per the original Consent for Treatment Agreement, there will be no formal reports provided after Tele-Play Therapy sessions unless identified/outlined in the initial Consent for Treatment Agreement.

For children of Separation and Divorce who are involved in a child inclusive process, feedback to parents and third parties may occur in one of the following ways:

  • A Structured Feedback Session with both parents (either together or individually)
  • A formal Report that is provided to the Court (Voice of the Chid Report)
  • A written report as requested by an Arbitrator
  • Oral report provided to an Arbitrator

  Please use this form when you are involved in more than one service – such as both adult services and child services. It is also for those involved in Parenting Coordination, Family Mediation, or “Voice of the Child” service

Please use this form when you are providing consent for children’s services on-line