Mental health practice incorporates 'play' techniques
By Robbin L. Melton
August 1, 2006
 Hardly
three years have passed since Gayle Bevill-Dada became a full-time
licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), providing a wide range of
mental health services for individual children and adults, couples,
families and groups. Most recently, Bevill-Dada added play therapy
services to her area of expertise.
"Play therapy is used as a primary
intervention or an adjunct therapy for a multiple of mental
disorders," said Bevill-Dada, whose practice is Comprehensive
Behavioral Services, 3737 Lake Ave. "People have a misconception
about play therapy, but it's a theoretically based, structured
treatment for emotional resolution, cognitive and motor development,
and it can be directive or non-directive."
Play therapy, for example, can be
used to effectively treat conduct disorder, or to aid in academic
and physical development. It also can be used as a behavior
modification therapy, said Bevill-Dada.
"Play therapy is geared toward kids
ages three to 12, but it also can be used to treat teens and
adults," said Bevill-Dada. "For instance, a child with anxiety could
play with bubbles as their play therapy treatment."
Bevill-Dada explained that people who
experience anxiety or panic attacks typically breathe rapidly and
shallowly as a physiological reaction to their stress. Through play
therapy children, however, can learn how to control and slow down
their breathing by blowing bubbles, especially if Bevill-Dada can
coax them to blow the biggest bubble they can which requires the
child to exhale slowly and gently.
"The child can use that technique
during an attack, but my favorite is when kids 'have volcanos in
their tummies'," said Bevill-Dada. "Kids say they feel that way when
they're angry, so when they get mad, I have them jump up and down on
one foot. It makes them laugh, but they can't be mad and laughing at
the same time."
Those are just a few examples of
available play therapies. BevillDada said there are numerous types
of play therapy whose teachings are based on different schools of
psychology. Each play therapy treatment is specifically tailored to
meet an individual's needs, and can include teaching parents how to
be play therapists at home, said BevillDada.
"It's the most wonderful approach for
disruptive behavior and attachment disorder," said Bevill-Dada.
"Therapists use play therapy to help kids express themselves when
they don't have the verbal language to express themselves. You can't
do insight talk therapy with kids because they don't understand
their feelings and can't talk about them like adults do. Play is a
child's natural means of mastering their environment.
"It's also good for couples and
adults, especially those who've experienced trauma and are dealing
with it for the first time. Current research supports the use and
effective of play therapy."
Officially certified as a Registered
Play TherapistSupervisor (RPT-S) on May 15, Bevill-Dada underwent
5,000 hours of training, including 150 hours in specific play
therapy. Bevill-Dada also completed 35 to 50 hours of supervised
play therapy, making her qualified to supervise potential new
certified play therapists. BevillDada currently is the only RPT-S in
Fort Wayne and Allen County, and one of about 10 certified play
therapists in Indiana.
As the founder and president of
Comprehensive Behavioral Services LLC, Bevill-Dada is a Licensed
Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play TherapistSupervisor, and
Certified Relationship Specialist. A graduate of University of Saint
Francis, Bevill-Dada is a member of the American Counselors
Association, American Psychotherapy Association, Indiana Counseling
Association, and the American Association for Play Therapy.
For more information, visit
www.comprehensivebehavioralservices. com or call (260)
422-1680.
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