What is Play Therapy?

You may be wondering what play therapy is and whether or not it could be helpful for your child? play therapy is a gentle, play-based intervention for children who may be experiencing a range of difficulties, including:

• Anxiety, depression or self esteem issues
• Separation or divorce
• Anger or aggression issues
• Attachment issues, adoption or foster care
• Medical trauma or chronic illness
• Trauma and complex trauma
• Difficulties settling at school or with peer relationships
• Mutism and selective mutism
• Loss and grief

Additionally, Play Therapy can be wonderfully supportive and affirming for children and their families for whom the following diagnoses cause social or emotional difficulties:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with or without a Pathological Demand Avoidance profile (PDA)
• Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Global Development Delay

In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth, 2002). Play therapy combines children’s natural need and drive to play, with the powers of therapeutic relationship. This positive relationship that develops between a therapist and child during play therapy sessions can provide a corrective emotional experience necessary for healing (Schaefer & Drewes, 2016). There are a number of therapeutic powers of play which address a range of needs within children but broadly cover the categories of facilitating communication, fostering emotional wellness, increasing personal strengths and enhancing social relationship (Schaefer & Drewes, 2016). 

The therapist is attuned to a child’s body language, their affect and which themes present over time. The therapist is alert to the feelings the child is expressing and reflects these back in a way that facilitates the child to gain insight into their behaviour and actions- this is a process called tracking  (Cochran et al, 2010). A therapist allows the child to lead and will gently follow and track a child's actions and behaviour in the playroom, to build a sense of confidence, responsibility and self-efficacy.

Being such a gentle process, children often remark to their parents or caregivers that they look forward to their play therapy sessions and parents or caregivers can often notice steady, positive change in their children as sessions progress.