{"id":25131,"date":"2023-06-13T14:16:11","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T11:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/art-therapy\/guatemalan-doll\/"},"modified":"2023-06-13T14:16:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T11:16:11","slug":"guatemalan-doll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/guatemalan-doll\/","title":{"rendered":"Guatemalan doll"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guatemala gives us an excellent method of puppet therapy – puppets in bags will help with anxiety.<\/p>\n

We made such dolls more than 10 years ago with psychologists on the course \u201cPuppet therapy in the work of a psychologist\u201d and, of course, I forgot about them, but the fruitful work on the methodology of the course \u201cPI – overcoming with a toy\u201d activated memories. I think that now it\u2019s good to make these dolls while working with children.<\/p>\n

Guatemalan worry dolls (or they are called comforter dolls) are small dolls that are used at night to calm the fears and worries of people, usually children, so that they can sleep peacefully. It is believed that these dolls go back to the Mayan tradition. The colorful dolls, which are usually 1 inch (2.54 cm) or less in length, usually come in a set of six or more in a box or bag. For the body of each doll, a small piece of wood is used, dressed in pieces of clothing. As a rule, they are very inexpensive or they are made at home.<\/p>\n

In the Guatemalan tradition, a person uses a set of dolls every night, telling one of them about the anxiety, which effectively passes on to the “listener”. The person then places the doll under their pillow at bedtime. The second doll from the set can be told about another concern the very next night, and this doll is also placed under the pillow. Sets can even be shared among family members, for example in a family with several children.<\/p>\n

These dolls are seen as a way to help with anxious thoughts, children have the opportunity to express fears to the dolls, which can help them sleep better. Some parents put the doll away at night, symbolizing that the anxiety has gone. This does not necessarily mean that the child will no longer have this anxiety. Parents who want the child to continue to deal with certain anxiety can skip the removal process and let the child know the doll is being anxiety-free so they can get a good night’s sleep.<\/p>\n

From a psychological point of view, using puppets for anxiety makes perfect sense. Anxiety is difficult for a child to control, and the format of belief in a transfer object playing a therapeutic role allows the child to get rid of anxiety. For children who have normal situational anxieties, the doll can give a more calm state.<\/p>\n

Creating worry puppets does not require special skills. Wooden clothespins can be used to make larger dolls and are great crafts for a child. You can stick pieces of fabric on the clothespin, and the child can draw a small face on it. Of course, more elaborate dolls can be made, but regardless of the craftsmanship of the homemade doll, the child involved in the process may feel even more connected to it, which can help achieve the goal of ridding the child of anxiety. Personally, I prefer to do it directly on sticks of the same size.<\/p>\n

I recommend that our puppet therapists try this technique or use our motanka puppets, but small, according to the same principle.<\/p>\n

\u00a9\ufe0fVictoria Nazarevich 2022<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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