Play Therapy
Play is a child’s first language.
What is play therapy?
In almost every intake session, we ask parents the question, “How much do you know about Play Therapy?” More often than not, the answer is, “Nothing,” so we’ve worked hard on perfecting our Play Therapy 101 elevator pitch. Since one of our goals is to spread awareness of the flexibility and effectiveness of this approach, we want to make sure families truly understand the process of play therapy and how it can be the primary focus of therapy, or a great complement to any therapeutic approach.
The Association for Play Therapy defines it as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained Play Therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.” While we love and accept this definition, we would be out of breath if we used it every time we talked about play! We like to break it down into smaller pieces with parents so that you can truly understand what is happening in therapy with your child. So let’s dive in and talk about what play therapy is.
Play therapy is…
An interpersonal relationship
As with any form of counseling, creating a safe, trusting relationship is the primary goal of play therapy. Counseling can be scary, vulnerable, and overwhelming at times, so a positive relationship with the therapist is key. Your therapist will make building trust and rapport their first priority so that your child feels safe and in control in the playroom. Through the counseling relationship, children can learn valuable social skills such as communicating wants and needs, setting and respecting boundaries, and exploring emotional intelligence and empathy.
Backed by research
Play therapy can be used as either a primary treatment approach or an additional service to treat many mental, emotional, and behavioral health concerns. Research shows that play therapy is an effective treatment modality for children between the ages of 3–12, and a great add-on option for the treatment of teens and adults (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, 2005; LeBlanc & Ritchie, 2001; Lin & Bratton, 2015; Ray, Armstrong, Balkin, & Jayne, 2015; Reddy, Files-Hall, & Schaefer, 2005). Therapists use play to address a wide variety of presenting concerns including, anger management, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum, conduct disorders, depression, divorce, and more.
Developmentally appropriate
We know that children lead very complex and profound emotional lives, and unfortunately they don’t always possess the ability to verbally express their experiences. Even adults don’t always have the words to describe emotions related to difficult life situations. Play therapy helps children to process life’s difficulties in a way that follows normal developmental patterns. According to Gary Landreth, a prominent researcher in the field, play is a child’s first language. Landreth states that “toys are the child’s words, and play is the language.”
How children communicate through play
Have you ever sat and listened to the stories your child tells as they play? Often, children tend to re-enact important life events, make sense of confusing circumstances, or relive things that were exciting through play. In a therapy session, children are able to:
Say things they may not feel comfortable saying aloud
Explore wants/wishes/fantasies
Try out new roles
Challenge fear/discomfort
Creatively solve problems
Develop responsibility for behaviors
Cultivate empathy for the emotions of others
This definition barely scrapes the surface of what play therapy is and what it is capable of. We absolutely love talking about the power of play, so if you have additional questions, give us a call!
