Play Therapy

Play therapy is commonly done with children aged 3 through 11 and offers a way for them to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. As children’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others. This approach is common to young children. Play therapy is a method of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play to interconnect with and help people, especially children, to prevent or resolve psychosocial challenges. This is thought to help them towards better social integration, growth and development, emotional modulation, and trauma resolution.

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Categories of Play Therapy

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• Physical play.

• Expressive play.

• Manipulative play.

• Symbolic play.

• Dramatic play.

• Familiarization play.

• Games.

• Surrogate play.

 

Toys used in Play Therapy are selected to...

• Allow for exploration of real life experiences including cultural values, traditions and roles.

• Facilitate contact with the child by gaining the child's interest and attention

• Permit reality testing/limit setting

• Provide the opportunity for development of self-control

• Facilitate exploration of the self and others

• Allow children to express their needs symbolically (without any need for verbalization)

• Provide for expression of a wide range of feelings

• Provide opportunities for insight/self-understanding

• Allow for creative expression

• The toys used in play therapy ar durable, simple, and easy to operate.