Play Therapy
Play therapy is a means by which children are empowered to
communicate with other people in their world.
When playing, children may feel safe to describe their experiences,
emotions and outlooks in a manner that comes natural to them. To many adults,
child’s play is nothing more than an unstructured collection of activities,
imaginations and pretenses that occupy children’s time. To the trained observer, the patterns,
concepts and structure of a child’s way of playing can be very telling and
coupled with appropriate interactions by a professional counselor may provide a
safe environment for children to “work through” any issues, experiences or outlooks
that have created a dysfunction in their world.
According to the Association for Play therapy, "play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communication and learning process of children." Play therapy is not the same play that children normally engage in; it is to children what counseling is to adults. The therapist is present throughout the play and helps guide the child to work through and resolve their own problems. Play therapy is offered at Counseling Network, Inc. in combination with parental support to assist the whole family in working through the presenting concerns of the child.
During a play therapy session, the child may play with dolls, puppets, sand, cars and trucks, or engage in art projects to help them express their thoughts and feelings and work through unresolved conflicts. The process often requires multiple sessions over a period of weeks or months in which time the child's pattern of play, or theme may become evident and then be addressed in a safe, helpful and therapeutic manner. In most cases, children learn to become empowered to navigate their world in appropriate ways. Play therapy has been shown to be effective to help children with a variety of struggles. Some of the issues that can benefit from play therapy include:
According to the Association for Play therapy, "play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communication and learning process of children." Play therapy is not the same play that children normally engage in; it is to children what counseling is to adults. The therapist is present throughout the play and helps guide the child to work through and resolve their own problems. Play therapy is offered at Counseling Network, Inc. in combination with parental support to assist the whole family in working through the presenting concerns of the child.
During a play therapy session, the child may play with dolls, puppets, sand, cars and trucks, or engage in art projects to help them express their thoughts and feelings and work through unresolved conflicts. The process often requires multiple sessions over a period of weeks or months in which time the child's pattern of play, or theme may become evident and then be addressed in a safe, helpful and therapeutic manner. In most cases, children learn to become empowered to navigate their world in appropriate ways. Play therapy has been shown to be effective to help children with a variety of struggles. Some of the issues that can benefit from play therapy include:
- Anger management
- Grief
- Divorce and other family concerns
- Crisis and trauma
- Academic and Social Development
- ADHD
- Conduct Disorders
Play therapy, as a method of experiential therapy can be very effective in helping children in a variety of ways. Play therapy can help children better understand their feelings, build self-confidence, aid in better expression of thoughts and ideas, develop or enhance problem solving skills, become more responsible, develop more appropriate coping skills and reduce problematic behaviors. We have the ability to offer play therapy to you, your children and your family. We invite you to contact us to obtain more information about how to take the steps to begin your journey.
For additional information, please see the following organizational website
by clicking on the name below:
Center for Play Therapy Association for Play Therapy
by clicking on the name below:
Center for Play Therapy Association for Play Therapy
