Isn’t Play Therapy for Children?

Yes. Play Therapy is the fantastic model that we use when seeing children, and it does involve playing with the child using toys & games. Children communicate through play; instead of using words to explain how the feel, they show us, by acting it out, most clearly through their play. The underlying process is really about accepting the child unconditionally and developing a relationship with the child built on trust and understanding so that the child can express the difficult things (s)he experiences and begin to transform the difficulty into strength.

And, when we see adolescents, adults and couples, we hold to the same underlying process - accepting the individual for exactly who (s)he is without any conditions, including the condition of change. We develop a relationship and explore the presenting issues with an openness and intention to play with issue and discover the possibility for other choices and experiences.

How do you do Play Therapy with Adults?

Clearly we don’t expect adolescents, adults and couples to use toys to express themselves, because (unlike children) adults can communicate complex experiences and emotions through words. Yet, like play therapy with children, we use the same underlying process - we develop a relationship and explore the presenting issues with an openness and intention to play with the issue (as opposed to working really hard on the issue).

This departs from many psychotherapies, where working hard on yourself is the expectation. The belief is that by being hard on yourself - seeing your “flaws,” understanding how you “need to change”, discovering your “deficiencies” and fixing them, figuring out what you “should” do, realizing how you “ought” to be - you supposedly will become a better person, a happier person.

Right now you may be unhappy, dis-satisfied and struggling with yourself. You may be telling yourself those very things, “If only I could figure out why I am not as good as her and fix this one thing, because I know I really should do that because then I will be happy.” We get it. We know what it is like to think those things.

It may surprise you that we actually believe, it is actually only through accepting yourself fully, exactly how you are, right this second, that happiness is possible. We believe that playing with our difficulties, exploring them, understanding them and building a relationship with them is the path to acceptance. By accepting yourself as you are you become the person that you want to be.

Why Play?

Play is the child's language and in recent years a growing number of noted mental health professionals have observed that play is as important to human happiness and well being as love and work (Schaefer, 1993). Some of the greatest thinkers of all time, including Aristotle and Plato, have reflected on why play is so fundamental in our lives. The following are some of the many benefits of play that have been described by play theorists.

Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. It expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego (Landreth, 2002). In addition, play allows us to practice skills and roles needed for survival. Learning and development are best fostered through play (Russ, 2004). © 2009 Association for Play Therapy, Inc.

Why Play in Therapy?

Play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983). The curative powers inherent in play are used in many ways. Therapists strategically utilize play therapy to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991). In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth, 2002). Through play, therapists may help children learn more adaptive behaviors when there are emotional or social skills deficits (Pedro-Carroll & Reddy, 2005). The positive relationship that develops between therapist and child during play therapy sessions provides a corrective emotional experience necessary for healing (Moustakas, 1997). Play therapy may also be used to promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking in the child (O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983; Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005). © 2009 Association for Play Therapy, Inc.

What Is Play Therapy?

Initially developed in the turn of the 20th century, today play therapy refers to a large number of treatment methods, all applying the therapeutic benefits of play. Play therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children to address and resolve their own problems. Play therapy builds on the natural way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them (Axline, 1947; Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002). Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Play provides a safe psychological distance from their problems and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to their development. © 2009 Association for Play Therapy, Inc.

How Will Play Therapy Benefit My Child?

Play therapy is implemented as a treatment of choice in mental health, school, agency, developmental, hospital, residential, and recreational settings, with clients of all ages (Carmichael, 2006; Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005).

Play therapy treatment plans have been utilized as the primary intervention or as an adjunctive therapy for multiple mental health conditions and concerns (Gil & Drewes, 2004; Landreth, Sweeney, Ray, Homeyer & Glover, 2005), e.g. anger management, grief and loss, divorce and family dissolution, and crisis and trauma, and for modification of behavioral disorders (Landreth, 2002), e.g. anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), autism or pervasive developmental, academic and social developmental, physical and learning disabilities, and conduct disorders (Bratton, Ray & Rhine, 2005).

Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and learning problems, including: children whose problems are related to life stressors, such as divorce, death, relocation, hospitalization, chronic illness, assimilate stressful experiences, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters (Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005). Play therapy helps children:

1. •Become more responsible for behaviors and develop more successful strategies.
   

2. •Develop new and creative solutions to problems.
   

3. •Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.
   

4. •Learn to experience and express emotion.
   

5. •Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
   

6. •Learn new social skills and relational skills with family.
   

7. •Develop self-efficacy and thus a better assuredness about their abilities.
   

© 2009 Association for Play Therapy, Inc.