I gotta wear shades...

I've officially been accepted into the Play Therapy Certification program at my school. Play therapy (click me to read more) is a lot more than just "playing". It entails reading into what kids are doing and saying while they're at play. It's a theoretical interpretation of play to forge a bond with a child to help them cope with the struggles in their life.

I was going to start this quarter but with surgery coming up in the next few weeks I decided to wait until next. It will definitely make me more marketable as a counselor and open up different jobs for me in the field instead of limiting me to work within the school system (in case I cannot find a job in the school system). It is funny how much a person can change with just a few experiences. I used to be terrified of working with younger students. It's not because I'm not good with them, but because I am entirely too fond of them and was worried I could not discipline them. It turns out that I can and I will if need be. I've also found that I absolutely adore working with the younger students. I love listening to them and seeing how they view the world. It's beautiful how idealistic kids are about the world. It reminds me of me and how, at 28 years old, I still view the world but they do it without any jaded judgment. I also love how real they are. They're not afraid to ask how old you are (I don't mind telling), tell you exactly what is going on at home (much to their parent's dismay), or inform you of their opinions.

However, there are those kids who are not as vocal. They are, despite their age, very hurt and jaded by the harsh realities of their world. It's those kids that I look forward to helping with play therapy. It's those kids that I cannot wait to play puppets with and find out exactly what is going on just by getting on their level and being with them in the moment. This new certification is going to be a great journey into an exciting, ever developing field and I cannot wait to jump in and learn everything that I can!