Neal Brodsky on work with children - part of Institute of Core Energetics panel on how the transformative power of Core Energetics manifests in the world.
Neal offers outdoor sessions during warmer weather at his home office in Wilton, Connecticut and tele-sessions at other times on Zoom
I have my whole Play set up here on the patio. A deep sandbox, clay, chalk to draw on the slate. A mini-trampoline, boxing gloves, a padded shield, a yellow bat and pillows to hit. A hundred or more sand play figures – dragons, jungle animals, tigers, bears and figures from mythology.
Thoughts on therapeutic play with children ages 6-13 (from Neal’s upcoming book for Routledge/Taylor & Francis)
…Something prepared me to begin dialogues of invention with young people. As Howard Fast, the author of "Tony and the Wonderful Door” says: "Some men as they grow old, grow away from children; others, grow toward them."
…As a therapist I look to build “response-ability” in my young clients, beginning with body awareness, an essential building block for the emotional and relational capability they will need to thrive in a fast-paced and turbulent world.
Scenes from the world of Tele-sessions on Zoom (Names changed to protect identity)
- 12 -year-old Bree in Connecticut, a talented writer who’d always scribed stories for her friends, refused to write during the pandemic. Also, a budding musician, she hadn’t played in months. Screen sharing musical clips with her, I noticed a light in her eyes whenever I played some Beethoven, encouraged by the knowledge that Bree’s Australian sheep dog who sat dutifully at her side during most virtual sessions, carried the name Ludwig. Would Bree allow us to move into “narrative space” where story might pierce the veil of her self-imposed isolation from her peers and from her own creative heart? And so began “The Tales of Ludwig…”
- Eight-year-old Freddie in Manhattan wouldn’t sleep in his own bedroom. His mother admitted she took comfort from Freddie’s nocturnal presence in the parent’s bed. Dad didn't know what to do. I asked Dad if he would do some of his own therapeutic work. The “Fathers and Sons” project continues…
Issues where therapy can help:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Screen Addiction
- ADHD and other Attention Issues
- School refusal and other problems
- Oppositional-Defiance
- Night Terrors and Sleep Disorders
- Self-esteem and Confidence
- Family and Other Relationships
- Loneliness
- Grief and Sadness
- Autism and Neuro-diversity
- Parenting issues
- Sibling Rivalry
- Abuse in the Family System
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