My Blanco in Therapeutic
Practice
Blanco, how can I
possibly explain how beneficial this little creature has been to my clients?
The following are just a few examples of how Blanco has working in the lives of
my young clients. (Different names used to protect their identity)
The first client
that worked with Blanco had abuse issues. Her father had sexually abused her
when she was around two years of age. Once mom realized what was occurring, she
removed the little girl from his care. Yet, the court insisted on visitation.
It took a forensic counselor to stop this situation from continuing. Although
the interaction with her father had stopped, the damage was done. Stephanie was
ten when she first came in for counseling and she was a very outgoing child
until it was time to talk about her father. At that point she would shut down. After
several months of trying to get Stephanie to open up, to no avail, Blanco was
introduced into her life. It was then that Stephanie began to let out her
frustration and anger. She would draw all over Blanco and the pictures would
vary in their intensity. Stephanie would throw Blanco across the room and yell
and scream at him. Finally after several months, Stephanie was able to talk
about what happened and her healing began. It was at that point that she was
able to say that she was done with Blanco and thanked him for his help in her
recovery.
Stephanie’s stabbed monkey has stab wounds
“You are the worst
ever” disclosure written
The second client
that benefited from Blanco was four year old Matthew. He was brought in by his
father. Matthew’s father was very concerned about his son because he would
return from visits with his mother and state strange things. Dad stated that
one time he came home and stated that his mother gave him beer and that he
preferred juice. After several sessions Matthew began to talk about “flame”. He
would state that “flame” was mean to him and that “flame” would hurt him. At
that point Blanco came in to the picture. Matthew would fight Blanco at first
and he would always name him “flame.” Eventually Matthew would begin to draw
“owies” on Blanco. After he would draw and owie, Matthew would want me to put a
Band-Aid on it. I would draw a Band-Aid, and he would continue to draw the
“owies”. One day Matthew came in and stated that his mommy had kicked him in
the head. He then showed me the welt on his head. After several calls to the
child protective services agency, for this incident and several others, nothing
happened. Dad went back to court and the judge would do nothing to protect this
little boy. Dad contacted the police and a detective was to interview Matthew.
I suggested that Dad take Blanco with him and he did. The detective began the
interview by talking and having Matthew draw, she was unable to get him to open
up at all. The detective then decided to bring Blanco out. Matthew began to
draw. As he drew he told the detective all the things that his mother had done
and showed her where his mother and her boyfriend had been hitting him. He also
confirmed that “flame” was the boyfriend. Blanco gave this little boy a voice
and that voice aided in removing him from an abusive situation.
Matthew’s Blanco with his “owies” and
Band-Aids 
Blanco
with his “owies” and Band-Aids
Blanco as Matthew healed
Blanco has also
been helpful in working with a young girl that has Neurofibromatosis. It has
given her a way to express the feelings she does not understand and is afraid
of. (below)
A picture from a little girl that has
behavior issues and is doing well.
Finally, I am
working with a young boy that is going through a very difficult divorce
situation. Nate is five and his parents divorced approximately two years ago.
His father is very angry with the situation and tends to put Nate in the
middle. Nate uses Blanco to express his anger. He will throw him around the
room and then draw blood on him. Nate will then resurrect him and give him
muscles and then throw him around the room again. At times Nate will ask that I
will fight him with Blanco so that he can beat him up. Blanco has been a great
help with Nate in expressing and releasing the anger that he feels at what he
is going through.
Article by Dawn
Beatty, MC, LPC
(Blanco photographs
are actual client art. Variations in the Blanco dolls are due to the fact they
are pre-release prototypes)
Happy 3rd Birthday Blanco!!
My Blanco™ – Express Yourself SM!
©March 2009, Teri V. Krull, LCSW, LLC
Introduction:
my Blanco™ is a stuffed, washable, white monkey designed as a “blank slate” for children of all ages to artistically express their feelings. This therapy tool comes with washable markers so that whenever the client desires, Blanco™ can be washed clean of the emotions and the individual can “start again” with his or her creative emotional expression.
Rationale:
This therapy tool was designed by Renate Allen after speaking to a parent of an abused child. The story, as understood by Ms. Allen, was that the alleged abuser was never brought to justice and the identified child had unresolved concerns without an outlet for expression. Since there was no conviction, free community services were not available and therapy monies soon were exhausted. The child’s mother was left feeling powerless to help her daughter with her care and from this place; Ms. Allen developed the first Blanco™ as a way for the child to express emotions regarding her alleged abuser. The mother accepted the tool with gratitude and later reported that her child enthusiastically marked, colored, and expressed her sadness, rage, terror, etc. on Blanco™. Blanco™ accepted and held these emotions until the child was ready to move on – at this point the monkey was washed. Over time, the child’s worries declined and her sense of empowerment increased. Ms. Allen, noting this child’s improvements, felt a desire to share this resource with play therapists for use in their child practices.
This tool can be used to:
Informally assess your client
Informally gather client history
Provide opportunities for client emotional development and mastery
Provide opportunities for client emotional release for otherwise forbidden thoughts and impulses
Provide a photographable chronology of the client’s progress
Provide photographable evidence for forensic investigation(s)
Population:
While this tool was developed for children, its usefulness is ageless. It can be used for individuals aged 3 to 93.
Items needed:
My Blanco™
Washable Markers
Washing Machine and soap
Instruction:
The child client is presented with my Blanco™. my Blanco™ or Blanco™is the name of the tool – the children are encouraged to name the item according to their needs/desires. Once Blanco™ is renamed, the child is given washable markers and told they can draw, write, and create anything they would like on the item that would let the therapist understand more about their feelings. If this is a small child, the therapist may need to assist in developing a short list of emotion possibilities. (Examples: Mad, Sad, Glad) The child then designs whatever is needed on the item and at the end of their creation is encouraged to share (although not required) their experience or explain the art on the Blanco™. An example question might be: “Is there anything you can tell me about what you’ve created on Blanco™ (or the new name the child has given the tool)? The therapist listens to the child’s responses and therapeutically determines if additional inquires are helpful. At the end of the experience the therapist asks if the child would like the item washed so as to have a clean start for next time; if the child would like the item left as is to add more at another time or to have it remain unchanged.
Additional Uses:
Transitional object when a child leaves therapy – this could be the item a child takes away from treatment and uses like a personal journal.
Family therapy tool –in session folks communicate on the item with markers to facilitate direct expression.
General play travel toy – for use in the car when traveling to assist in preventing or resolving sibling conflicts.
The potential uses of my Blanco™ are endless!
was born on August 28, 2006 to be a therapeutic outlet for an abused child. The Play Therapist who administered found the child to be engaged in safe anger expression that the child had previously avoided when using other techniques. This outlet served to be a catalyst for the child to express the anger inside and to help begin the healing process that was so desperately needed.
is a versatile and non-suggestive 3-dimensional canvas for expressive artistry. Order yours today and...
...Express Yourself SM
For more information, send us a request on our Contact Us page, or call
(480) 225-5568
