What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy refers to a large number of treatment methods, all applying the therapeutic benefits of play. Play therapy helps children to address and resolve their own problems and builds on the natural way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them.

What does Play Therapy help?

Play therapy helps children:

Become more responsible for their behaviors and develop more successful strategies

Develop new and creative solutions to problems

Develop respect and acceptance of self and others

Learn to experience and express emotion

Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others

Learn new social skills and relational skills with family

Develop self-efficacy and a better assuredness about their abilities

What Happens In The Session?

In the play therapy room, many tools support your child in increasing appropriate emotional expression, learning who they are, gaining confidence, learning skills to manage behavior and emotions, and strengthening trusting relationship.

Children work out their emotions in the play space. Use of imaginative play, drawing about their life/emotions, learning about emotions and thoughts, therapeutic game play, and story telling are some examples of what your child may experience.

As for my role… I get on the child’s level and we play. I believe that humor and joy and natural excitement have the place in the therapy room. It’s my duty to be my most authentic self as a therapist. I genuinely enjoy playing with children. I will follow your child’s lead in the beginning of our time, and move to more directive work as we get to know each other. I help them to accept the rejected parts of themselves. We slowly learn how to have compassion for yourself and how to recover from a mistake. We will practice expressing emotions without going out of control. I will support your child as they return to their natural state of balance and happiness.

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