Why Play Therapy?
“Toys are children’s words and play is their language”
Play Therapy is developmentally and culturally sensitive to childhood
Children are not little adults. Where adults can reflect and talk about their difficulties or concerns, children’s brains have not yet developed the cognitive processing and language skills required to ‘talk it out’.
For children, play is both a natural and essential part of their development and one of the most powerful ways they communicate and learn. Play Therapy is based on the understanding that play is a child's primary mode of exploration, self-expression and discovery and leverages play and its powers to create changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
In play therapy, children can literally and/or symbolically ‘play it out’ and experiment with different scenarios and outcomes, helping them to develop insight, problem-solving skills and resilience.
Play Therapy
activates the therapeutic qualities of play
The play used during play therapy differs from typical ‘play activities' by being therapeutic in nature and approach. The play therapist is essential to this process, creating the conditions for optimal growth and development through their training and skills in child development, therapeutic relationship and in harnessing the “therapeutic powers of play”.
Video Reference: Parson, J., & Renshaw, K. (playandfilialtherapy). (2017, September 27). Therapeutic Powers of Play [Video]. YouTube.
Play Therapy is
evidence-based
Play Therapy is an effective, evidence-based intervention that can help children and families with a wide range of issues, including social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Research conducted into Play Therapy shows just how powerful this approach is for bringing about change and that it is one of the most effective forms of treatment for most childhood conditions. For more information on research into the effectiveness of Play Therapy click here.
To learn more about who Play Therapy is for click here.