Play Therapy FAQ
What is Play Therapy and Why choose Play Therapy?
Play Therapy is a specialized approach that is sensitive to the developmental needs and capacity of the child. Children learn how to play before they learn how to speak, it is a natural skill for them and meets their need for movement and processing through non-verbals means--even for the verbally precocious child. Play engages a genetically and neurologically established system. Additionally, a child’s language development takes longer than their cognitive and emotional development making play a more natural means of processing and learning compared to talk-based therapy which assumes that the child is developmentally older than they truly are and assumes they can process at an adult level.
In Play Therapy, toys are to a child what words are to adults and PLAY is their language. You may ask yourself, “What does that mean exactly?”
Liana Lowenstien, an expert in the field, provides a tangible explanation in describing Play Therapy to parents: Now imagine, you are feeling extremely angry, you feel your body getting hot and tense, then right before you are going to tell your therapist or close friend what is going on, the one word that you need to say in order for the other person to fully understand your experience is right on the tip of your tongue and you can’t get it to come out and you can’t find another word that truly fits and your stuck mid-sentence with all the emotion building in your body. This is what it is like for children when they need to express themselves, and are limited to verbal language--they are stuck. So, in Play Therapy the toys represent their words and the play is their language, how they communicate. When children do not have a means of safe expression, oftentimes, they will express their pain in confusing ways that are difficult to respond to or understand such as sleep issues, frequent “bad” color days at school, behavioral problems (hitting, throwing, saying mean things), emotional outbursts anxiety (clinginess, stomach aches), or bathroom problems--to name a few.
In Play Therapy the toys become their words and play is their means of expression. They communicate their awareness of the world, their feelings, challenging experiences, view of their relationships, and view of themselves through play, and in a safe therapeutic relationship processing and healing occurs. In Play Therapy the symbolic representation that occurs through the toys is important. Play and the play materials allow a child the safe emotional distance from the experiences and feelings that they are playing out, allowing a child to show what is occurring on the inside on the outside.
How does Play Therapy help?
It is a developmentally appropriate, evidenced-based approach that allows for expression and growth, and does not require the child to be verbal, meeting them at their developmental level
The therapeutic relationship which is accepting, warm, and safe creates a low risk environment which leads to expression and a felt-sense of change without a sense of shame or overwhelm. It allows the therapist to experience, in a personal and interactive way, the inner dimensions of the child’s world. This therapeutic relationship is what provides dynamic growth and healing for the child.
“A major function of play in Play Therapy is the changing of what may be unmanageable in reality to manageable situations through symbolic representation, which provides children opportunities for learning to cope outside of play”
Allows for problem solving, exploration of different outcomes, and rehearsal/mastery of new results.
Children learn and understand their emotions and experiences. They experience and practice adaptive coping skills, increase social skills, emotion identification, emotional expression, self-control, and self-understanding
Play allows children to expand their language, autobiographical story, and body-based memories--strengthening integration of left and right brain
Axline, a predominant expert in the field, viewed this process as one in which the child plays out feelings, bringing them to the surface, getting them out in the open, facing them, and either learning to control them or abandon them.
What can Play Therapy help with?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Anxiety or Depression
Academic challenges and Learning disorders
Frequent tantrums and anger outbursts
Low self-esteem and negative self-talk
Behavioral problems at home & school
Challenges in making and maintaining social relationships
Social skills challenges
Self-control and impulsiveness
Boundary Issues
Self-awareness
Ability to identify and express emotions
Perfectionism
Divorce, separation, life transitions
Child-parent relationship strain
Grief/loss
Resolving trauma including sexual, emotional, neglect, & physical abuse
What does the Play Therapist do to help my child in a play session?
Developing a personalized treatment plan for your child and family
Creating a safe, accepting, child-led environment where they can feel safe to express themselves.
Fostering social, coping, and communication skills
Empowering your child to feel more confident, connected, and capable
Aiding your child in processing the stressful experiences and/or traumatic event they experienced
Aiding your child in developing healthy ways to express themselves, relate to others, and mange symptoms
Being active during the session by observing and reflecting emotion, intention, behaviors, challenges, solutions, and needs that are expressed and demonstrated
Participating in the play in a manner that communicates acceptance, openness, support, trust in the child, and safety which foster growth
Setting limits in a manner that allows the child to choose self-control and facilitates the child’s sense of self competence and empowerment over challenges both in and outside of therapy
Integrates other techniques and coaching to aid in child’s healthy development
How does the play therapist assist the parent(s) in the process?
Ongoing parent only consultation during treatment typically after every 3-4 play sessions
Assessing for biological and developmental roots for areas of struggle such as sensory processing issues and temperament mismatches
Strengthening your relationship with your child
Aiding in in feeling self-empowerment as a parent
Gaining insights into your child’s world and uncovering ways to strengthen your relationship at home, based on your child’s treatment
Parent coaching and support through the process
Collaborating and providing you with the knowledge to empower you with an understanding of how the ADHD, distress, family changes, and difficulties manifest in the behaviors/emotions your child engages in and expresses
Reconnecting with your inner child to help you connect with your child
Healing and grieving the expectations vs. reality of parenthood
Explore your emotional experiences and expression to aid your child's growth
Utilizing and/or beginning Child-Parent Relationship Therapy
How long does Play Therapy take?
Like therapy with adults, Play Therapy with children is a process. Each child enters Play Therapy at a unique starting point, and progresses at different paces. Some therapy sessions the child will leave feeling relieved, and other times may leave feeling stressed or down, similar to adult therapy. At minimum Play Therapy can last for 12 sessions, however it is difficult to give an exact time frame because some children change quickly while others may change over a longer period of time. Other factors influence the length of Play Therapy such as if a new struggle is introduced to a child's life, ongoing life transitions, or lack of support from outside resources.
How can I help my child during the Play Therapy process?
Your support is vital to the Play Therapy process. The following points really help:
Please make every effort for the child to attend every Play Therapy appointment.
Avoid asking your child to tell you in detail about the session – they may not be able to put their play into words.
Please don’t worry about your child behaving well or tell them to be ‘good.’ Play Therapy is a place where ‘bad’ feelings can be let out and the child mustn’t feel they should keep them in or not be able to show the whole of who they are.
It’s best not to suggest what your child should talk about, (but if there is something you want the therapist to know tell them at another time or provide that information on the weekly caregiver report, or schedule a check-in).
Be aware that your child’s behaviour could get worse before it gets better as they may be exploring some difficult feelings. This doesn’t mean the Play Therapy isn’t working, but that complex suppressed emotions may be coming to the surface.
Do tell the therapist if you have concerns or questions along the way as they will be able to offer advice and practical strategies to help manage a difficult time. It is often helpful to tell children, it is ok to have more than one feeling at once.
Credit: This is information is adapted from Play Therapy materials created by Gary Landreth, Virgina Axline, Cary Hamilton, Liana Lowenstien, Association for Play Therapy, Martina Roggerio, and CCPT Training Materials