A Play Therapy Friend

I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Dr. David Crenshaw.  I first met him a number of years ago when he was our speaker for the Kentucky Association for Play Therapy annual conference.  I have such respect for his decades of clinical experience as a play therapist and psychologist.  He has written numerous articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of many books.  You can read more about him here.

He is such a down-to-earth guy with a keen sense of humor.  One of the things I love best about him is the reverence he holds for children, especially the ones who have been abused or neglected or are hurting in some way.  He has a creative side to him as can be seen in his poetry.  The following poem you can find translated in 5 languages on his website:

The Multicultural Language of Healing a Child

©David A. Crenshaw, all rights reserved, 2010 

Listening attentively with the heart to what the child can’t say but deeply feels,

Sometimes enabling the child to shed a long overdue tear

Goes a long way towards helping a wounded child heal

The child is no longer alone or the pain too much to bear. 

I don’t want to know how many degrees you’ve been awarded,

What you know matters less to a child than how much you care.

In the thick textbooks on therapy it is rarely recorded

Sometimes a child just needs us to be there. 

Across cultures and the great oceans

The language of healing is wholehearted caring.

Perhaps more potent than any of the pharmaceutical potions,

The healing elements are sensitive attunement, empathic listening, and heartfelt sharing.   

I hope he will inspire you as he does me.  I will continue to share with you from time to time, some of the "big wigs" in the play therapy field as I affectionately call them.

Here's hoping you have a playful weekend.