Children love to play. It is a form of expression. It defines who they are and what they are thinking or feeling in a given moment. Play offers a glimpse into the psyche of a child. A trained professional, play can help a child heal, progress, and improve. This is the goal of Play-therapy.
How play-therapy works
The therapist conducts the sessions in a specially designed room. The child is offered items to play with. As the child plays, the therapist observes how the child interacts with the items provided. There are two primary forms of play-therapy. These are non-directive play therapy and directive play therapy. 1. Non-directive play therapy is when the child is provided the items to interact with and is given no directions for using the items. The therapist simple observes how the items are being manipulated. The goal is to allow the child to determine the solution on the own. 2. Directive play therapy is when the therapist interacts more with the child. In a sense, the child is being helped in determining the outcome of the solution. This direction is provided by the actions of the child’s play.
Benefits of play-therapy
Children often do not have the emotional, verbal, or cognitive ability to communicate there distresses with words. Play-therapy elevates the needs of verbal communication. Play is a natural developmental process of childhood. Vital skills can only be developed through play. Play-therapy uses this innate ability in children to help them overcome behaviors, emotions, and traumas in their lives. Play-therapy allows the therapist the ability to help the child in a way that the child can understand on an emotional and cognitive level. Who can benefit from play-therapy Play-therapy can benefit children from ages 3 to 12. Some of the disorders that are often helped by play-therapy are:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Trauma
- ADHD
The team at Connection Wellness Group will be there to help you in any way during your time of need. Please contact us today!