Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this study is the development of a Gestalt therapeutic program for conscious, multisensory perception. The program is aimed at children in the age group between eight and twelve years. A qualitative research approach is used with grounded theory as research strategy. Applied research is used with incidental sampling. The objectives as the steps taken to attain the purpose were literature study of the main concepts, the development of the program, and the refinement of the program. A collective energy model is designed to conduct the program in a group of eight children. After the observation of the interaction in the group and feedback by the group members the program was refined in nine sessions. The research was done in the theoretical framework of gestalt play therapy. / Social work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The death of a parent is one of the most meaningful experiences in life. When the child in mourning is not given a proper chance to grieve, there could be complications later in life. In this study scrapbooking, as a tool in Gestalt group work, was utilised to assist three pre-adolescents after the death of a parent. The goal of this research was to determine whether scrapbooking could be successfully used with in the grieving stages after the death of a parent. The social caracter of scrapbooking makes this relevant to the pre-adolescent stage as the need to socialize is of great importance. From the results of this study, scrapbooking can be recommended to therapists to be used as a tool in assisting children during the grieving process. / Die dood van cn ouer blyk een van die mees betekenisvolle gebeure in die mens se lewe te wees. Wanneer die kind in ruil nie die geleentheid gegun word om op haar eie tyd en manier te rou nie, kan latere komplikasies na vore tree. In hierdie studie is scrapbooking as hulpmiddel in Gestalt-groepwerk met drie vroee adolessente benut om van hulp te wees na die afsterwe van 'n ouer. Die doel van die navorsing was om te bepaal of scrapbooking wel suksesvol op die wyse in die rou-proses gebruik kan word. Die sosiale komponent van scrapbooking behels die saamwees en saamwerk aan 'n scrapboek met 'n gemeenskaplike tema. Aangesien vroee adolessensie 'n ontwikkelingstadium is waar die sosiale komponent belangrik is, is die navorser van mening dat scrapbooking juis om die rede sal kan werk om verligting te bied na die afsterwe van 'n ouer. Scrapbooking word aanbeveel om tot hulp te wees om die rouproses te vergemaklik. / Social Work / MDIAC (Play Therapy)

This qualitative study aimed to explore how to handle aggression in therapy from a Gestalt perspective. In order to reach the aim of this study a conceptual framework was done exploring terms central to this project including aggression and Gestalt Play therapy. Unstructured, telephonic interviews were then conducted with seven Gestalt Play therapists working with children in the Western Cape exploring ways to handle and treat aggression in therapy. The data collected during these interviews were then analyzed and several themes were identified and explored by conducting a literature control. Guidelines were then formulated and written on how to handle aggression in therapy from a Gestalt perspective as part of the concluding chapter of this research report. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Many fields of interest, of which Pediatrics is one, exist in Occupational Therapy. In the field of Pediatrics there are also diversity fields of interest. Many diagnostic groups are treated in the field of Pediatric Occupational Therapy. The traditional Pediatric Occupational Therapy process aims at treating the child holistically with regards to his cognitive, perceptual, motor and emotional areas of development. It seems that there is a tendency to focus on the more tangible aspects of development rather than the less visible elements such as emotional needs and problems. The question that might be asked is whether Pediatric Occupational Therapists are in fact equipped to deal with emotional needs and problems. Due to the nature of their work, there is a strong possibility that Pediatric Occupational Therapists can encounter children who suffer from emotional problems. These children are more often than not seen by Occupational Therapists although the therapists might prefer to rather work on the more tangibly aspects of development. This research study was aimed at assessing the need amongst Pediatric Occupational Therapists to deal with emotional problems. After completing the study it was possible to make valuable conclusions and recommendations. Gestalt Play Therapy was also proposed as a possible approach in dealing with children's emotional needs and problems in the course of their Occupational Therapy intervention. OPSOMMING Arbeidsterapie omsluit `n breë spektrum van spesialiteitsrigtings, waarvan Pediatrie een is. Binne die veld van Pediatrie blyk daar egter verdere diversiteit te wees met betrekking tot die diagnostiese groepe wat binne hierdie veld hanteer word. Die tradisionele Pediatriese Arbeidsterapie proses het ten doel om die kind holisties te benader met verwysing na die kognitief -perseptuele, motoriese en emosionele ontwikkelingsareas van die kind. Dit blyk egter dat daar `n geneigdheid is, en moontlik ook groter gemak bestaan om eerder aan die meer sigbare aspekte soos byvoorbeeld perseptuele en motoriese ontwikkeling te werk. Die vraag kan dus gevra word of Arbeidsterapeute genoegaam toegerus is om ook aan die emosionele behoeftes en probeleme van die kind aandag te kan gee. Die moontlikheid dat Arbeidsterapeute vanwee die diversiteit met betrekking tot die diagnostiese groepe wat ter sprake is in kontak kan kom met kinders wat ook emosionele behoeftes en probleme het bestaan. Alhoewel hierdie kinders opgeneem word in die Arbeidsterapie proses, is behandeling dikwels net op die tasbare ontwikkelings areas gerig. Die navorsing was spesifiek daarop gerig om te bepaal of daar wel `n behoefte bestaan onder Arbeidsterapeute om kinders se emosionele behoeftes aan te spreek. Na afloop van die studie, en nadat alle toepaslike inligting geïntegreer is, is daar waardevolle afleidings gemaak en is hierdie behoefte onder Arbeidsterapeute bevestig. Gestalt Spelterapie is ook voorgestel as `n moontlike benadering wat geïntegreer kan word ten einde die Arbeidsterapeut instaat te stel om meer effektief te werk te gaan met die kind se emosionele behoeftes en probleme. / Social work / D.Phil.

This study describes three case studies with three children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, the focus of the dissertation being the sensory processing issues that these children experience, the limited intervention regarding this subject, and the possible emotional connotations that may accompany these difficulties. In the study, three children partook in six Gestalt Play Therapy sessions, where sensory stimulants were utilised as a medium of expression. The data was analysed, with the emphasis on the children's responses to the sensory work and the emotions that could be linked to this experience. A detailed description of the sessions is provided. It was found that these children were able to make use of the Gestalt Play Therapy setting, along with the sensory work, as a means of emotional expression. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study was directed to explore the practicability of play therapy as a support system to primary schools in order to offer the child an optimal learning opportunity. A need exists to support primary schools, to establish therapeutic services which will be available to all children with emotional, behaviour and social problems. Gestalt play therapy can be used as a source of support within the context of the primary school. It is important that the therapist and teacher have sufficient knowledge around the different developmental phases of the child. In this study the focus was on the general characteristics, cognitive, social- and moral development of the primary school child. A qualitative approach and by utilizing semi-structured interviews, were used in order to collect the data concerning the study. Results from the empirical research indicated that there is a definite necessity for therapeutic services, as support systems at primary schools, in order to assist the child to reach his/her maximum potential. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Spelterapie)

The aim of the qualitative study was to explore and describe the utilisation of Gestalt Play Therapy in Occupational Therapy intervention with traumatised children. An applied study was conducted and the case study strategy was used with a flexible design. Objectives for the study included conducting literature reviews regarding the profile of the traumatised child and Occupational Therapy and Gestalt Play Therapy intervention with the traumatised child. The empirical study included data collection and analysis, with data gathered through semi-structured interviews. The gathered data was analysed with the use of Creswell's Data Analysis Spiral. The empirical data showed that Occupational Therapists do utilise Gestalt Play Therapy in their intervention with traumatised children by drawing on their combined knowledge base of Gestalt Play Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapists then conduct a holistic assessment and treatment aims are set according to the assessment with a focus on providing holistic intervention. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

The purpose of this study was to develop Gestalt guidelines for teachers working with refugee learners. These guidelines seek to assist teachers when facilitating refugee learners in their social adjustment to a new school environment. The researcher made use of the first four stages of the Design and Development model of intervention research. These stages included problem analysis and project planning, information gathering and synthesis, design, and the early development of the guidelines. For the purpose of this study, semi-structured focus groups were conducted with teachers working with refugee learners. The social adjustment process was then viewed in the context of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Existing literature on the social adjustment of refugee learners in the South-African school system and literature on the Gestalt philosophy was used together with functional elements of existing social adjustment models to develop guidelines for teachers when facilitating refugee learners in their social adjustment to a new school environment. Throughout this research study, the refugee learner has been referred to as “he”. This was done for practical reasons only and no gender discrimination was intended. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The aim of the study was to measure the presence of work engagement and wellbeing among Gestalt play therapists in South Africa. A literature study was undertaken to examine the concepts of work engagement and well-being, and a conceptual framework was given of the Gestalt play therapist and the work that they do with traumatized children within the South African context. This literature study forms the theoretical framework in which the study was done. After completion of the literature study, the empirical study was conducted. The researcher made use of a biographical questionnaire and four psychometric instruments to compile research data; it is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale and Scales of Psychological Well-being. The data obtained was quantatively analysed, research findings were discussed and recommendations were made. The empirical data indicated work engagement and well-being to be statistically significant present in Gestalt play therapists in South Africa. / M. Diac. (Play Therapy) / Social Work

The goal of the study was to determine whether there would be a significant improvement in preschool children’s emotional intelligence when a Gestalt intervention programme was implemented. The research was conducted according to the quantitative approach with a pre-test/post-test design. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (2nd edition) was completed and returned by a sample of 30 parents (N=30) from a crèche in the Gauteng area. The Joseph Picture Self-Concept Scale was used to test a sample of 30 preschool children (N=30) from the same crèche. The representative sample of preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years was divided into an experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) group. A Gestalt play therapy intervention programme, the Wise child programme, was conducted with the experimental group. The results indicated that there was a significant improvement of the preschool children’s emotional intelligence in terms of intra- and interpersonal skills after the implementation of a Gestalt intervention programme. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)