Patent Application
20140015195
The present invention relates to tools for therapeutic use. More particularly, the invention relates to customized therapeutic puzzles.
In today's fast paced society, people are often faced with stress overload due to work related pressures, family problems and other personal issues. As a population, we experience many significant changes and events throughout the course of life which impact on our health and well being. Many of us will directly or indirectly experience bullying, addictions, illness, bereavement, separation, divorce, abuse or other difficult issues.
In order to cope with stress and illness or resolve problems so as to be able to live a healthier lifestyle, we sometimes require assistance. This assistance may be in the form of self-help, therapy or counseling. Sometimes, various therapeutic aids or tools are utilized.
For example, DVD's, books, charts and other visual aids may be used for the purposes of conveying information and educating individuals or patients who are facing certain challenges in life or have certain illnesses or conditions.
Such tools are helpful to the extent that they allow patients and individuals to better understand what they are experiencing. However, since they are mainly intended to convey information and are not interactive, they are generally not very thought or feeling provoking. Thus, they often do very little to encourage open dialogue or to assist a patient or individual in working through a particular issue.
In order to make therapy or counseling sessions more interactive and productive, some counselors or therapists also use cue cards as a tool. However, in view of their impersonal and generic nature, they are also not always particularly effective in terms of facilitating discussion.
Various types of puzzles have also been used as tools for educational or therapeutic purposes. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,678 to Forbes, et al., which discloses a puzzle made of soft fabric with differing tactility for use by Alzheimer's and dementia patients. The puzzle is intended to be used as therapy for individuals with motor skills or cognitive impairment. The differing tactility is purported to be of therapeutic benefit to Alzheimer's and patients suffering from other types of dementia.
By way of further example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,187 to Haag discloses a puzzle with a picture section and a message section. The user must assemble the message section pieces in the correct order so as to reveal a message. Haag teaches the use of the puzzle as an educational tool. For example, to teach children how to spell their names.
It is desirable to use tools for the purposes of self-help, therapy and counseling. There is a need for a tool which is personalized in nature and designed to bring about a pre-determined therapeutic result such as reflection or discussion on specific issues arising out of a family break-up or reinforcement of familial names, faces and relationships in an Alzheimer's patient.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a customized therapeutic puzzle. The puzzle comprises a plurality of puzzle pieces. Each of the pieces has a top surface, a bottom surface and complimentary joints for detachably assembling the pieces together in a pre-determined pattern. The top surface of one or more of the pieces features a therapeutic message or a series of therapeutic messages designed to bring about a pre-determined therapeutic result when the pieces are assembled in the pre-determined pattern to form the puzzle.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a therapeutic device consisting of a plurality of pieces. Each of the pieces has a top surface, a bottom surface and side edges. The side edges comprise a series of protrusions and indentations. The protrusions and indentations of one of the plurality of pieces mate in a detachably complimentary fashion with the protrusions and indentations of another of the plurality of pieces so that the plurality of pieces can be detachably assembled in a pre-determined pattern so as to form a therapeutic message integrated on the top surface of the pieces.
The therapeutic message may be an image, a drawing or a photograph. It may also be written text. The therapeutic message may be personalized to the puzzle user.
Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application, and in which:
Similar reference numerals may have been used in different figures to denote similar components.
The therapeutic message (18) may be an image, a drawing, a photograph, written text or some other visual aid. The therapeutic message or series of therapeutic messages may focus on a number of different personal social, emotional, cognitive or health related issues. For example, the messages may focus on: divorce and separation; Alzheimer's; addictions; bereavement; abuse; bullying, Parkinson's; terminal illnesses or sexual orientation.
As shown in
Each part of the puzzle (10) can be reflected upon by the puzzle user or discussed between the puzzle user and a counselor, therapist or other individual until the puzzle user is ready to move on and process the next corresponding message to achieve a pre-determined therapeutic result. By gradually working through the puzzle (10), a puzzle user is able to work through the emotional issues relating to separation or divorce or another problem or issue. The puzzle pieces (12) may be assembled over a certain period of time or over a number of counseling or therapy sessions.
The message (24) which consists of a combination of written text, namely, “We thought we would grow old together” and a photograph, is intended to help a parent who has lost a loved one confront his or her feelings of anger, resentment and loss.
The puzzle (10) has been customized to show a photograph of the puzzler user (the child who is bullying). This enables the puzzle user to relate more to the therapeutic messages and process the messages on a much deeper level. The puzzle (10) may be worked on over a number of counseling or therapy sessions to assist individuals in coming to terms with why they bully, why they are connected with people who bully and what they can do to overcome it.
The therapeutic puzzle according to the present invention is similar to a jigsaw puzzle but combines personalization with therapeutic messages which are intended to bring about a predetermined therapeutic result. For example, family discussion on specific issues arising out of a family break-up or reinforcement of familial names, faces and relationships for Alzheimer's patients.
The message or series of messages conveyed by the therapeutic puzzle (10) according to the present invention may focus on any number of different conditions, problems or illnesses including, but not limited to: divorce, separation, Alzheimer's, addictions, bereavement, abuse, bullying, Parkinson's, terminal illnesses and sexual orientation.
The therapeutic puzzle (10) according to the present invention may be plastic, cardboard or even magnetic, so as to be more user-friendly. It may also include a flat puzzle assembly surface comprising a raised border (34), within which the puzzle pieces (12) may be assembled into a pre-determined pattern.
It will be understood that text within the therapeutic puzzle (10) according to the present invention may be written in any language.
Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be made. Therefore, the above discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive.
This application claims priority based on U.S. Patent Application 61/650,544 entitled “CUSTOMIZED THERAPEUTIC PUZZLES” filed May 23, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61650544 | May 2012 | US |
