Play Therapy and its Benefits for Children

Why Play therapy?

Is your child experiencing problems with anger and maybe acting out at school or home? Does your child have problems expressing their feelings? Have they recently been through a life-changing experience or trauma? They may benefit from Play therapy which can help children to deal with many problems or issues that they experience in their daily lives. It is especially beneficial for children aged 3-12. By working with a play therapist, a trained mental health practitioner,  the child can be helped to resolve problems and better understand the surrounding world. Play therapy helps children to communicate through play when they are unable to verbalize what is troubling them. (Gil, 1991)

What is Play therapy?

Play Therapy, as its name implies, uses the natural medium of play and allows children to communicate in a way that is natural to them. Although in daily life playing allows children to learn skills and roles in a fun, enjoyable way it is not the same as Play therapy. Play therapy is a structured approach equivalent to counseling in adults and one that builds on the natural learning and communication processes of children (Carmichael, 2006). One can think of play as children’s language and the toys used as their words (Landreth, 2002). Toys are careful selected to ensure that children can effectively express themselves in an emotional or creative way in a comfortable and natural environment. Play therapy will allow the child to feel understood and accepted as they “play out” their reactions to situations with a skilled play therapist.

How does Play therapy work?

Play Therapy can aid in the appropriate expression of thoughts and feelings. It allows the child to develop skills in communication and problem solving as well as building self assurance and self esteem. Play therapy will allow children to take responsibility for their actions or inner conflicts and modify their behavior appropriately. It helps develop empathy, respect for others, and allows for the development of greater communication skills when relating to others.

How long does play therapy take?

Typically the play therapy session will last 30-50 minutes and research suggests that usually 20 sessions will resolve the problems. However, your child’s play therapist will be able to discuss how much time a child will spend in therapy as this can be dependant on the child’s personality, their perception of an event or trauma and the severity of the trauma. With a few exceptions, all information within a play therapy session is kept confidential in the same way an adults counseling session is not shared. However, the Play therapist will meet with the child’s parent or carer to review general progress and answer any questions you may have about the themes that emerge during therapy. For example, if you have specific concerns regarding your child such as worries about abuse, the Play therapy sessions will allow the therapist to develop a positive relationship with your child where they can observe or gather pertinent information that will support or contradict your assumptions.