Behind the playroom’s door: What is really happening in play therapy?
What is play therapy?
Play therapy offers a safe space for children to work through challenges they are experiencing in their world without the risk of real-life consequences. According to the Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines play therapy 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.” There are nine goals of play therapy: develop a more positive self-concept, assume greater self-responsibility, become more self-directing, become more self-reliant, engage in self-determined decision making, experience a feeling of control, become sensitive to the process of coping, and develop an internal source of evaluation.
Play therapy offers the four powers of play: facilitates communication, emotional wellness, enhances social relationships, and increases personal strengths. Play therapy is designed for kiddos ages 3 to 11 years old who are experiencing, but not limited to: developmental delays, relational problems, difficulty attaching with caregivers and adults, challenging behaviors in school, being bullied, process past trauma/abuse, and grief.
Quote in bold and large: “Play is a child’s natural means of communication (Landreth, 2002).”
Although there are many types of play therapy, and I am specialized in child centered play therapy, there are multiple approaches to support your child in a way that works best for their emotional and social wellness. Here are three examples of the models I regularly utilize in my office:
Child Centered Play Therapy - a child-led approach that is commonly used with children who have faced adverse childhood experiences in order to self-actualize their potential and growth
Adlerian Play Therapy - a semi-directive approach focused on building courage, connection, capability, and counting in their worlds
Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy - a directive model that uses play to evaluate thoughts in an effort to change feelings and behaviors while teaching skills to support growth
Expectations of Play Therapy
In the first play therapy session, I meet with the parents only (without the child) to share any of their concerns, strengths of the child, developmental delays, and overall well-being.
In the next play therapy session, I meet with the child for a total of 50 minutes. I ask the parent in the first 5 minutes of session of any concerns or changes in behavior you recognized since our initial session and will debrief themes from session, thoughts, and observations in last 5 minutes. During the session, I use a multitude of verbal responses to show the child I am interested and accepting of the child’s behaviors, validate and clarify the child’s perceptions of their experiences, help children become aware of emotions through reflecting feeling, facilitate decision making, encourage freedom of expression, and use esteem-building statements to help children experience themselves as capable (Ray, 2011).
