Inpatient therapy sessions

In hospitals, Smile therapists work with seriously ill children undergoing treatment in supportive therapy programmes. Inpatient therapy sessions are important, since the children have to deal not only with their physical illness but also with the psychological conflicts that come with it: isolation, physical limitations, changes in the body and negative emotions. Our therapies primarily focus on helping them to reduce their level of stress so they can cope more easily with the challenges of their illness.

In different hospital departments, we work with children in groups (in a designated room) or individually (at the bedside) and with parents if required. The same therapists visit each department several times a week at predetermined times. We consider it important to work in collaboration with hospital professionals and be embedded in the daily practice of each department, according to local needs and protocols.

In hospitals, our therapists work with short therapy methods in most cases. The population of children often changes in the departments after a few days or weeks, so they must build up the sessions in a special way to help the healing of the children. Smile therapists are trained in different techniques such as play therapy, tale therapy, psychodrama, music therapy and fine art therapy, which they tailor to the age and the physical condition of patients.