What is Play Therapy?

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As adults, it may be difficult to remember a time when we had no worries, and our only job was to play, and learn about the world that surrounded us. Children do not have the communication constructs to process and express their thoughts and emotions verbally. For adults, the idea of traditional "talk therapy" makes sense, as we have learned to deal with our emotions in a cognitive way. However, children have a different mode of doing this, and that is through their play.

Children's play is a direct expression of their experiences and environment. It is very common for children to re-enact things they have experienced in real life, through their play. For example, a child that has experienced a traumatic event (loss of a parent, serious accident, physical or sexual abuse, etc.) may repeatedly re-enact this experience by utilizing toys and dolls. They are processing this event, and gaining a sense of control over it. In play therapy, they are in control of the ultimate outcome, giving them a sense of power, which is a direct contradiction to the powerlessness they felt during or after the traumatic experience. They are able to process and begin to heal from their trauma, all without needing to talk about it.

Play is one of the first ways children learn to socialize. Children learn how to interact with others through their play, including important social skills such as sharing, taking turns, manners, and boundaries. Children learn from an early age how to make and keep friends. These skills are crucial in early childhood development, and follow them into adolescence and adulthood. Play therapy can help children develop these necessary skills, and successfully learn to create lasting friendships.

Play is a great coping skill. Children will often act out their anger and frustration through play therapy. Children learn to cope with their emotions from a young age. They learn to either use positive or negative coping strategies to effectively manage their emotions. Play gives children an outlet to appropriately express them, and learn effective emotion regulation strategies that creates the foundation for their ability to appropriately cope with emotions later in life. It is very common for children to leave a play therapy session with a smile, and positive disposition, after having a safe outlet to express and cope with their emotions. It is a place where they feel understood, and that an adult is "on their level".

As a play therapist, it is my job to bridge the communication gap between child and parents. Children often say to me "you understand". I can help you better understand your child, and learn how to listen to what they may be trying to tell you.