“Post-traumatic play – children speaking the unspeakable through play.”
There are often no words to describe the terrifying events, nor the words to express the deep sense of loss – the multitude of losses – that result from childhood trauma.
Through play, art, stories, sensorimotor and relational based therapies children can begin to express the inexpressible and move towards connection and healing.
Sharon’s presentation will examine post-traumatic play with children who have experienced complex trauma, or Type II trauma.
Trauma, abuse and neglect changes a child’s cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning – it changes their internal working model and perception of safety and relationships. Inevitably their worlds feel unsafe and out of control.
Post-traumatic play can support children to move towards restoring control over events that were beyond their control; and move towards safety, trust and recovery.
When the losses are acknowledged, memories are processed and regulation is restored then new narratives, ones filled with the child’s strengths and resilience, can be co-created through the play.
Sharon joins us on Saturday 6th May at the 2023 Creative Mental Health Forum to demonstrate the power of post-traumatic play through vignettes of children who have navigated the aftermath of abuse, neglect and trauma.
About Sharon Duthie
Sharon has over 24 years of experience providing therapeutic support to children, young people and families who have experienced trauma through abuse, violence and attachment disruption.
Sharon has worked in a range of roles in various sectors including victims of crime, out of home care, refugee and asylum seekers supports, bushfire recovery, family violence and private practice.
Sharon is passionate about working with children, young people and their families to re-establish safety in relationships through attuned connections and creative engagement that promotes their ongoing healing and recovery.
Sharon is also passionate about providing quality supervision and support to trauma therapists to make sense of their therapeutic experiences, as well as understanding the impacts of the work on them both professionally and personally. She practices and advocates for mindfulness and meditation as ways to care for self and heal collective trauma.
Sharon is currently a Team Leader at the Australian Childhood Foundation and she has worked at the Foundation since 2014.
Sharon has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy and a Masters in Counselling, plus training in other modalities such as Synergetic Play Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and EMDR.
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WE ARE THRILLED TO WELCOME SHARON
AS A PRESENTER AT THE
2023 CREATIVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM
AND SELF CARE RETREAT.
WE WELCOME
CREATIVE THERAPISTS,
ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
AND EDUCATORS WHO:
want to learn more about creative mental health,
be inspired by holistic and diverse workshops and presenters,
and “refill your well” with time in a beautiful nurturing environment and space for self care.
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