Re: Puppet therapy update

Dear Mr. Bermudez:

I am a Creative Arts Therapist who volunteers time at a large hospital in NYC, Montefiore Medical Center, in their Child Life Program. I am a puppeteer by profession and am a grandmother already, so I know how children react or behave under most conditions. I do puppetry as an educational entertainment for cultural institutions as a way to supplement my income, but my main love is doing creative art therapy with children who are ill in a hospital--or who have mental or psychological problems due to some form of abuse. My puppets are the keys, the source of being able to communicate with them. Puppetry also provides an opportunity to use music, which is also another way of connecting and healing and a form of improvising or making up fantasies that can reveal a lot of what is hidden in the patient's state of mind. As I am bilingual, I can reach the children or even elderly patients in Spanish as well. I am quite interested in learning more about your experiences and comments, as in this country puppetry is still not used or thought of aaas a tool for adults or older children.

I use any kind of puppets--hand, rod, stick, marionettes, etc., and I have had excellent results with the children, medical staff and parents as well as the puppets are received as friends, not an intruder and the child/patient will definitely talk or relate to the puppet more easily than with another human being. For instance, on one day I might bring "Pet Puppets" (perritos, gatos,conejitos, etc.) that a child might have as a pet as real pets are not allowed in this particular hospital although real annimals are trained and used in some hospitals. Using the theme of Pet Day I can find out a lot of what the child likes, needs, wishes,etc., or if he/she is feeling lonely, etc., or angry (by punching or hitting the puppet) etc. There are so many possibilities with puppets that I do not have time to do all the themes I would like to, but I definitely believe that puppetry is a great tool for therapy, communication, education as well as entertainment.

If you have any time, could you send me a comment--it could be in Spanish if that would be your preference. Gracias.

Nilda L. Garces
nildagarces@netzero.net
Bronx, NYC

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