Play Therapy Means Serious Business For Children
When a person first hears the term Play therapy it can sound just a little odd. In most cultures, children play and learn naturally therefore it doesn’t seem to match the idea of therapy intended to help someone deal with psychological problems. However this type of therapeutic interaction works and it works best with children because they utilize play skills to solve problems and learn about the world.
This type of therapy is not just sitting down and letting a child do what they want. Unstructured Play is does have certain limitations to it but is meant to be a type of non-directive therapy. There is an opportunity for the young child to act out their conflicts in a natural manner within an organized framework.
The sessions are structured in so far as the time and place are set by the therapist. Children who are able to speak are encouraged to speak as they play and for those who are unable to speak; the therapist may reflect their actions back to them. Dolls of all ages, sizes and sexes are usually presented to the child as well as art supplies, clay and even toy guns and knives.
Very frequently this type of therapy can reveal conflicts and issues that the younger child may not have the ability to put into perspective or emotions which they feel unsafe verbalizing. Drawing pictures might be a way a child chooses to communicate these conflicts or interacting with dolls and then verbalizing recent lessons or traumas is another means of expression. Specially trained counselors or therapists may conduct these sessions with severely traumatized or non-verbal children.
The part of the therapist is usually that of a listener. They do not judge, moralize or correct, they are simply there to reflect and sometimes to listen while the real problem is revealed. Non-verbal children including children who suffer from disabilities seem to benefit from this rare opportunity to communicate in a natural way. This type of therapy has been used successfully with children with Autism.
Therapeutic play for adults is used in some situations. However, unlike the usual therapy involving children, adults sometimes need structured sessions with more direction. Many may have forgotten the creative playing skills that seem natural to children.
Watching kids interact with toys can be very revealing for even the untrained individual. Children very frequently use this in non-treatment situations as a safe way of venting emotions or processing disturbing or confusing events. Very often a child who has suffered a trauma may reveal the cause of the trauma during play therapy sessions.
While there are many types of therapy available for adults and many can work, for children the choices are fewer. Children do not usually possess the vocabulary or the experience to identify emotions. This type of therapy helps them voice them without having to name them and can help them work out issues for which they have no words or the feelings are too strange or complex to put into words.
Get inside information on reasons why play therapy is more than just fun now in our comprehensive overview of all you need to know about how and where to find the best play therapist .
