Learn About Play Therapy

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is a developmental intervention designed to help children to explore their feelings, to express themselves, and to make sense of their life experiences so they may grow up as happy and well-adjusted as possible. It involves the use of play as the child explores at their own pace and with their own agenda issues, past and current, conscious and unconscious, affecting the child’s life in the present. Often children are unable to express themselves with words. Through play, children’s natural medium of expression, they are able to express themselves in a way they are most comfortable.

What is play?

We can understand our children better if we understand their play. By watching children play we can learn about their…

  • thoughts
  • feelings
  • motivations
  • struggles.
  • When we understand our children’s play we can build an even stronger relationship with them. Play is a child’s natural form of communication. Emotions are often difficult for children to understand and even more difficult for them to express. Play provides a non-threatening way for children to express themselves.

    What do children learn in Play Therapy?

    Children learn…

  • to respect themselves
  • to identify their feelings
  • to identify that their feelings are acceptable
  • to maintain self control
  • to assume responsibility for themselves
  • to be creative in confronting their problems
  • self-direction
  • to accept themselves
  • to make choices
  • to be responsible for their choices.
  • How is play therapeutic?

    Play Therapy creates a safe environment where children can…

  • express themselves
  • try new things
  • learn about how the world works
  • learn social rules and limits
  • work through their problems.
  • Children can give expression to their experiences and emotions as they recreate through play the experiences that are part of their anger, fears, sadness, or frustrations that are influencing their behavior. Play Therapy provides toys and activities and the environment to help children express themselves, work on their problems, try different solutions, and learn effective coping skills.

    What happens in Play Therapy?

    There are many different types of Play Therapy. The common aspect of the therapists is that they systematically use play to communicate with the child. Specific activities may vary. Some therapists utilize a playroom with a wide range of carefully selected toys to help facilitate creative and emotional expression from children. The types of toys used can be played with in many ways and therefore allow for decision-making in children. There may be times the play therapist will choose to use a specific activity with a child because it will help the child understand things better or it will teach the child a skill they need to learn. Through the child’s expression the child’s play evolves until the child gains a sense of understanding and comfort over this situation. Children may be given the opportunity to express themselves through a variety of styles such as art play, sand play, dramatic play and fantasy play.

    How long does a child receive Play Therapy?

    The length of time a child participates in play therapy varies from child to child depending on the severity of the trauma, the developmental stage of the child, and the age of the child at the onset of the trauma. Therapy is usually shorter the more recent the events. The further back in the child’s development at the time of the event, the longer the length of therapy.

    What is the difference between Play Therapy and playing with my child at home?

    Play is a child’s natural way to rehearse life’s interactions. Play basically has three purposes…

  • for cognitive development
  • for motor development
  • for emotional resolutions.
  • When play is facilitated by a trained play therapist, the play becomes focused on emotional purposes. Play therapy uses the child’s natural expression of play to act out life situations, in the presence of a trained therapist. The therapist helps the child feel accepted and understood and gain a sense of control or understanding of difficult situations. This leads to re-establishment of balance in the child’s sense of well-being.

    How can Play Therapy help my child?

    In the process of growing up children often experience difficulty coping with life situations as…

  • divorce of their parents
  • trouble making friends
  • abuse
  • experienced loss
  • witnessed violence
  • children who are ill
  • adjusting to changes at school or home.
  • Some children need more help than others to get through these difficult times. Play Therapy is an effective treatment for helping children work through these difficult times and helping parents understand what their children are going through. Through the Play Therapy process children recreate their frustrations and then change the experience of the situation in their play. As a result, the children begin to enjoy more of their play experiences, therefore, more of life’s interactions. This leads to children’s…

  • higher self-esteem
  • more enjoyment with friends and family
  • more enjoyable parenting.
  • What is my role as a parent?

    Parents play an important role in the Play Therapy process. They can do much to enhance the work their child does in Play Therapy sessions. The therapist will meet with the parents…

  • to learn about what is happening in the child’s life
  • to share observations
  • to share suggestions on how parents can support their child’s therapy.
  • The play therapist will share general themes, helpful responses, and progress in therapy with the parent.

    How do I prepare my child for Play Therapy?

    You tell your child that they will be spending time in a “special playroom” where there is toys to play with. It is important that the child feel safe and secure when recreating emotionally stressful experiences in the playroom with the play therapist.

    How do I talk to my child about therapy after a session?

    It is important to understand that even though therapy was through play, children work very hard in therapy. Therefore, it is appropriate to say things like…

  • “You’ve been working hard, I bet you are tired.”
  • “Hi, we can go home now.”
  • “I see you painted. I see you used red and green. We can go home now.”
  • Please avoid asking your child questions about the session. Some children will be excited about the experience and will want to share, others maybe very quiet, and others may go about their lives as nothing happened. It is important that we accept the child and their reactions. We do not want to criticize the child or their work while at the same time we do not want to influence them through praise. It is most important that you accept your child as they are.