The literature, for example, Black and Stephens (1989), as well as Marchetti-Mercer (2009), emphasise that mental health professionals may be increasingly faced with the challenges linked to migration and expatriate life. There is also a paucity of information regarding expatriate adjustment in South African psychological literature, and to this end, the aim of this study was to examine how South African expatriate families adjust to a foreign environment like the Middle Eastern city of Dubai. In Dubai, many South African expatriates are employed in sectors such as hospitality, medicine, construction, education, including financial services and it is estimated that the number of South Africans living in Dubai are between 40 000 and 100 000 (The Homecoming Revolution, 2008:1). Expatriate families face the challenges of adjusting to different laws, climates, cultures, religions and social systems. They may experience lack of emotional support, grief, feelings of isolation and loneliness. Unfamiliar living conditions and a change of lifestyle may present as a crisis for certain families, manifesting in family conflict and financial hardship. Given the number of South African families living in Dubai, this study aimed to explore how these families adjusted to the living conditions of this region. A second aim of the study was to use the findings yielded from the data to formulate Gestalt therapeutic techniques, enabling family therapists to assist expatriate families with adjustment difficulties. A phenomenological system of enquiry was employed to study the experiences of six South African families and fifteen members of a focus group. Family members of the six family case studies were interviewed, their experiences audio-recorded, and then transcribed verbatim. Three children elected to provide drawings of their experiences. The focus group discussion was also audio-recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Upon analysis, six common themes emerged, namely, social support, personality factors, environmental conditions, acculturation, grief and disillusion. The findings of the study assisted the researcher in formulating five therapeutic Gestalt techniques that would facilitate and optimise communication amongst expatriate family members. Three of the therapeutic techniques were designed by the researcher, and two were adapted from existing Gestalt techniques. It is hoped that the findings in the present study will assist in amplifying the existing knowledge base regarding Gestalt therapy techniques for families and children, including the current research on expatriate adjustment and the psychological ramifications related to this phenomenon. / Social Work / D. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The world is dominated by digital media that have become central to many children’s lives. Children born in the last 30 years have become known as ‘digital natives’, as digital technology has always been part of their experiential field. The use of such media in play therapy could offer innovative ways of enhancing dialogue with those children in whose field they are included, as they have been to date unexplored in play therapy interventions, possibly resulting in missed therapeutic opportunities. This mixed methods research took the form of an email questionnaire sent out to play therapists in South Africa to ascertain whether digital technology is being used in therapy and, if so, which digital media are being used and how. Additionally, a focus group interview was conducted using the same questionnaire to ensure data triangulation. The data gathered were analysed qualitatively, and an understanding was gained regarding the current use of digital media in play therapy. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This qualitative study explored the use of Body Mapping as a tool to enhance dialogue with sentenced adolescent boys in a Special Youth Centre. Their scars and tattoos were regarded as the key to unlocking their life stories. Body maps and unstructured interviews formed the main body of data. The paradigms of both Gestalt- and occupational therapy formed the basis of the conceptual framework and a literature control was done as “theory after” as well as a method of data triangulation. Themes extracted pointed to broken bonds and familial trauma which lead the adolescents to search for belonging and mastery in deviant peer groups and street- and Numbergangs. The tattoos provide graphic affirmation of identification and belonging to these groups. The mapping of their lesions and scars provided the opportunity to relate traumatic experiences. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations could be made as a result of the study. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Een van die funksies van die Kerk is om vir sy lidmate te sorg. In die praktyk wil dit voorkom asof die Kerk se sorg meer gerig is op die adolessent en die volwassene. Vanwee verskeie faktore ontvang kinders baie min of geen sorg in die vorm van pastorate sorg of pastorate beraad nie. 'n Gespreksmetode van beraad slaag nie altyd as daar met kinders gewerk word nie. In die veld van die psigoterapie en maatskaplike werk word daar algemeen gebruik gemaak van spelterapie wanneer daar met kinders gewerk word. Laasgenoemde kan ook in die pastoraat met kinders gebruik word sonder om die unieke karakter van pastoraat verlore te laat gaan. Die Kerk kan langs hierdie weg ook sy pastorate verantwoordelikheid teenoor kinders nakom. / One of the functions of the Church is to care for people. The children, however, are often neglected with more attention being paid to the adolescent and adult. Moreover, the verbal approach used when pastors work with children who experience difficulties do not seem to address this fully. Play therapy, on the other hand, appears to be a useful means of addressing this deficiency. It is often used in psychotherapy and social work and can be used to good effect in the caring of the Church for children. Play therapy enables the pastor to fulfill the Church's obligation to care for children, without disregarding the unique character of pastoral care and pastoral counselling. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Gestalt Therapy emphasises the importance of relationships and according to the I-Thou philosophy of Buber, people who form part of a relationship must become aware of each other’s uniqueness and the differences between them in order to act honestly and sincerely towards each other. Gestalt Play Therapy strives to reach such a relationship during the therapeutic relationship. The aim of this study was to explore the utilisation of dyadic Gestalt Play Therapy in order to enhance an I-Thou relationship between the parent and the adolescent. As an application of the qualitative applied research approach, a case study was done whereby the parent became part of the therapistadolescent relationship. The integration of the conclusions from the literature study and the empirical study contributed to the exploration and description of the way dyadic Gestalt Play Therapy can be utilized to enhance an I-Thou relationship between the parent and adolescent. / Social Work / M.Diac (Play therapy)

A child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness such as cancer, and is hospitalized for extensive periods of time, is faced with innumerable stressful and traumatic circumstances. This emotionally challenging life situation can bring on much emotional distress such as anxiety. Thus, it has become imperative that the oncology child is assisted and supported, in his individual struggle to cope with the harshness of his strained reality. In this study the hospitalized oncology child was provided with a means of support and intervention through the use of Gestalt play therapy. Gestalt play therapy was conducted to assist the child to express and work through feelings of anxiety and related emotional distress associated with his present life experience. Gestalt play therapy was presented with six case studies. The researcher explored and described the experiences of each case study from which, the researcher drew conclusions and made recommendations. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

The purpose was to give a theoretical perspective on domestic violence in middle-childhood. The aim was therefor to explore and describe domestic violence in middle-childhood from a Gestalt perspective with guidelines for play therapists to utilise with middle-childhood children experiencing domestic violence. Due to the nature of qualitative research triangulation was used where firstly an in-depth literature study on middle-childhood, the Gestalt approach and domestic violence. Secondly semi-structured interviews in the empirical research in example a self-developed questionnaire. Together with this mediums and techniques of Gestalt play therapy for the main purpose of obtaining more information from the respondents. The literature was utilised from a explorative and descriptive nature of the research to refine concepts through semi-structured interviews with six children as respondents. This information is given graphically and applied for guidelines from Gestalt perspective to play therapists to assist these children. The objectives of the study have thus being achieved. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Diac.

This study was aimed at the description of how to support the emotional awareness of the primary school child through Gestalt Play Therapy. The research strategy enclosed case studies. A supportive literature study was done with regard to awareness, emotional awareness, emotional intelligence, emotional skills, social skills, self-esteem, the primary school child and Gestalt Play Therapy. In the implementation of the research study two case studies were described. The sampling method was based on a non-probability sampling technique. The criteria of the respondents were emotional and social inadequate functioning. Case study one functioned emotional and social inadequately as a result of the family moving. Case study two was involved in bullying activities at the school. Respectively ten and eleven therapeutic sessions of one hour each over a period of ten and eleven weeks were conducted. Both children did benefit from the Gestalt Play Therapeutic intervension. Their awareness with regard to themselves and their own experience brought them in contact with themselves, which is necessary for healthy child development. / Social Work / M.Diac.(Play Therapy) / Text in Afrikaans

The research was directed at setting up guidelines for an interdisciplinary team which deals with children suffering from nonverbal learning disorder in middle childhood. The primary motive for the study was to, in general, further greater awareness of nonverbal learning disorder with parents and the relevant professions, but in particular, the interdisciplinary team which therapeutically handles children with nonverbal learning disorder. For the purpose of this study Thomas and Rothman's Intervention Research Model was applied. Information from relevant literature and semi-structured interviews with expertise in the area of learning disabilities was combined in order to set up guidelines for nonverbal learning disorder in middle childhood.The researcher concludes that thorough background knowledge of child development should be a precondition before nonverbal learning disorder could be identified and diagnosed. Because areas of development function interdependantly of each other, the developmental defecits of the nonverbal learning disorder child can only be treated effectively in a therapeutic way through an interdisciplinary team approach. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Euro-centric (Western) therapeutic approaches in psychotherapy are criticized by several authors as being unsuitable in an African context. The reconciliation of the contrasting approach of world- and human views regarding individualism (Western) and collectivism (Africa) is being questioned. In this research a qualitative approach was used. The objectives were to explore, describe and to explain the use of gestalt play therapy with the adolescent who suffered trauma due to the loss of one or both parents, in a multicultural context. Case studies were done on three adolescents in eight therapeutic sessions of Gestalt play therapy. The finding and conclusion of this research showed that Gestalt play therapy could be used with the traumatised adolescent in a multicultural context. The child could be understood from a holistic point of view as the individual as well as a member of a cultural group. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)