Play Therapy
Adults use words and language to express their inner world and process challenging situations and emotions, children use play. As a therapeutic technique, Child Centered Play Therapy taps into a child's natural expression, through toys and play.
In the unique conditions created in the play therapy playroom, and with the trained play therapist, children are able to express themselves freely, using toys, games, and role play. Play therapy builds on the child’s inner resources and strengths, which are supported by the therapeutic relationship, to bring about growth, development and healing in the child.
We work closely with parents and caregivers. You will be regularly updated on your child's progress and we will walk alongside you as you continue to support your child's healing process in their daily life at home with you.
What Children Learn in Play Therapy
Children learn to respect themselves
The play therapist maintains and communicates a constant regard and respect for children, regardless of their behaviour - whether they are playing passively, acting out aggression, or being whiny and dependently insisting on help with even the simplest of tasks. Children sense and experience the therapist's respect, feels respected, and, because an absence of evaluation and an ever-present acceptance exists, they internalise the respect and thus learn to respect themselves. Once children have respect for themselves, they learn to respect others.
Children learn that their feelings are acceptable
Through the process of playing out their feelings in the presence of an adult who understands and accepts even the intensity of the feelings, children learn that all of their feelings are acceptable. As children experience their feelings are acceptable, they begin to be more open in expressing their feelings.
Children learn to express their feelings responsibly
Once children's feelings have been openly expressed and accepted, they lose their intensity and can more easily be expressed appropriately. As children learn to responsibly express their feelings, they are no longer controlled by their feelings. This, then, is a freeing process for children to experience in that they are free to go beyond those feelings. They are no longer stuck.
Children learn to assume responsibility for themselves
In the play therapy relationship, the therapist believes in children's ability to be resourceful annd so resists doing anything that would deprive them of the opportunity to discover their own strength. As the therapist allows children to struggle to do things for themselves, children learn to assume responsibility for themselves and discover what that responsibility feels like.
Children learn to be creative and resourceful in confronting problems
When children are allowed to figure things out for themselves, to derive their own solutions to problems, to complete their own tasks, their own creative resources are released and developed. With increasing frequency, then, children will tackle their own problems, even those that were formerly overwhelming, and experience the satisfaction of doing things for themselves. Although a child may initially resist the opportunity to solve his own problems, the creative tendency of the self will come forth in response to the therapists persistent patience.
Children learn self-control and self-direction
In the playroom, the play therapist does not make decisions for children or try to control them either directly, or subtly. Limit's on children's behaviour in the playroom are verbalised in such a way that children are allowed to control their own behaviour. Because control is not applied externally, children learn self-control and self direction as they are allowed to make their own decisions.
Children gradually learn, at a feeling level, to accept themselves
As children experience being accepted just as they are with no conditional expectations from the therapist, they gradually, and in sometimes imperceptible ways, begin to accept themselves as worthwhile. This is both a direct and an indirect process of communication and learning about self. Acceptance is first felt by children and then becomes known to them as they experience being accepted non-judgementally for who they are, just as they are, with no desire that they be different. This increased self acceptance is a major contributing factor to the development of positive self-regard.
Children learn to make choices and to be responsible for their choices
Life entails a never-ending series of choices. But how can children learn how to make a choice or what making a choice feels like if they are not allowed to experience the process of making choices: the indecision, the struggle, wanting to avoid, feeling incapable, the anxiety, the apprehension that one's choices will be unacceptable to others? Therefore, the therapist avoids making even simple choices for children, such as which colour to use in a drawing or which toy to play with.
Adapted from 'Play Therapy the Art of Relationship,' Gary L Landreth