Play Therapy

Play therapy helps children work through difficult emotions.

Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach primarily used to help children ages 3 to 12 to freely express repressed thoughts and emotions through play. Therapeutic play takes place in a safe, comfortable play room where very few rules or limits are imposed upon the child, encouraging free expression and allowing the therapist to observe the child’s choices, decisions, and play style. Play therapists recognize that a child does not communicate in the same way an adult communicates. Children express themselves, and eventually heal, through the therapeutic process of play therapy.

 

Children’s play can be more fully appreciated when recognized as their natural medium of communication … for children ‘to play’ out their experiences and feelings is the most natural dynamic and self-healing process in which children can engage. Landreth

 

 

Play therapy is an evidence-based practice. Research has proven play therapy to be an effective means to helping children with social, interpersonal, and behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, grief and trauma.

Play therapy responds to the unique developmental needs of young children.  Children express themselves better through play activities than through verbal communication. The therapist utilizes play and other creative activities to communicate with the child and to observe how the child uses these activities to express thoughts and feelings.

Play therapy is appropriate for children experiencing or having experienced, stressful events in their lives. This includes, but is not limited to serious illness or hospitalization, trauma, abuse, domestic violence, loss of a family member, separation and divorce.

Play therapy has two approaches: nondirective and directive. Nondirective play therapy is based on the principle that children can resolve their own issues given the right conditions and the freedom to play with limited instruction and supervision. Directive play therapy requires input from the therapist to help move therapy along often at a quicker pace. Play therapists utilize both of these approaches depending on the circumstances.

Therapeutic play therapy helps children:

• Learn to experience and express emotion.
• Become more responsible for their behaviors
• Develop effective ways to cope with stressful situations.
• Develop new and creative solutions to problems.
• Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.
• Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
• Learn new social skills and relational skills with family.
• Develop self-efficacy and self-esteem.