ABSTRACT
Play is the language of primary school counselling and psychotherapy. When seven-year-old Troy was running around the therapy room frantically tidying up and hiding the baby doll, it was not difficult for the therapist and supervisor to surmise that it was likely that the recent Social Care intervention, which culminated in the removal of one of his siblings, was being played out in the therapy room. Of course, play in therapy does not always equate with a recreation of experience elsewhere, for instance when children play with puppets where there are repeated fights, it does not necessarily mean that they are enacting a scene of domestic violence that they have witnessed. Nonetheless, without jumping to conclusions, the safeguarding therapist should be alert to all communications. When a child has come to the session with an unexplained bruise on their cheekbone and they are painting two volcanoes, one exploding and one dormant, the therapist should not only be wondering with the child about how to understand what they are bringing, they should also consider thinking things through with relevant school staff to afford the greatest possible insight into the child’s home circumstances. Safeguarding is the minefield in the 102consulting room, so how do we start to make sense of where the school therapist situates themselves in relation to safeguarding practice?
