Since it's founding in 1997, the CYC-Net discussion group has been asked thousands of questions. These questions often generate many replies from people in all spheres of the Child and Youth Care profession and contain personal experiences, viewpoints, as well as recommended resources.
Below are some of the threads of discussions on varying Child and Youth Care related topics.
Questions and Responses have been reproduced verbatim.
Listen to thisHello! I am currently seeking information on the
benefits of using creative therapy such as dance, drama, and adventure based
counselling in residential treatment settings. If you can help me out with
useful websites, literature or your own personal experience, it would
greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Mandy Halabi
...
I am taking a class right now at the University of Minnesota in the Youth
Studies department which uses experiential Theatre activities as a vehicle
for learning about others, building trust, understanding, compassion, and
community with others.
We are reading some good books and there are some others too: Improvisation
for the Theatre – Viola Spolin (considered the bible on the subject) We are
reading excerpts from Theatre of The Oppressed by Augusto Boal and
he also wrote Games for Actors and Non-Actors and The Rainbow
of Desire.
You might also contact my Professor, Jan Mandell, who is writing a book on
the topic through the Department of Youth Studies at the University of
Minnesota: 612.624.3107. If that doesn't reach her, call information at
612.625.5000 and they will direct you.
Good Luck and have fun.
Peter DeLong
...
There are a few things that we have done at the centre I work with that may
fit into what you are looking for. We try to encourage listening to music,
singing with the music and dancing around in an impromptu type of way with
the young people. They tend to find it quite funny to watch "old people"
trying to get their groove on. This is also an opportunity to express
themselves through dance. We also encourage the young people to pick songs
that mean something to them and discuss them in life skills and in everyday
interactions. Music is a very big part of who they are as much music
watching can attest to.
There are also meditation exercises that can be used with the aid of
relaxation music (whether it is the sound of waves, or water running). This
can give young people and the staff the opportunity to learn how to relax
whether it is to calm down when becoming angry or trying to go to sleep at
night. This may sound a bit strange but the occasional facial is also done
by male and females alike. With this comes a sense of taking care of oneself
and taking ten minutes or a half and hour to pamper themselves. We also have
times of lip-syncing songs and acting out what we think the words mean or
just dances around. I really think if the staff can become enthusiastic
around whatever type of activity you choose the young people seem to catch
that enthusiasm. Hope this is a bit of help to you...
Donna Banks
...
We always use a drama teacher on the team, not to produce any theatre but to
do role plays with the youth on issues which they find difficult – facing a
school teacher over some issue, confronting someone, dealing with a parent
who is angry or intoxicated ... It has proved very helpful for kids in the
group to raise a problem, and for the drama teacher instead of "therapising"
to keep things practical and say "Let's do that and see how it might work."
A.F.
