Play Therapy
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach used to help children (ages 3-12) express their emotions, thoughts, and experiences through play. It is based on the premise that children naturally communicate and make sense of their world through play. In play therapy, a trained therapist provides a safe and supportive environment where children can freely explore their feelings, thoughts, and experiences using various toys, art materials, and activities.
Here's how play therapy can help young children with emotional and behavioural issues:
Emotional Expression: Children may find it challenging to express their emotions verbally, but through play, they can symbolically represent their feelings. This helps them process and understand their emotions better.
Communication: Play therapy encourages children to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences indirectly through play actions and narratives. This can improve their verbal communication skills over time.
Problem-Solving: Through play, children can explore different scenarios and practice problem-solving skills in a safe environment. This can help them develop coping strategies and resilience.
Building Trust and Rapport: Play therapy allows children to build a trusting relationship with the therapist, which is essential for effective therapy. The therapist provides empathy, understanding, and acceptance, creating a secure attachment for the child.
Behavioural Regulation: Play therapy can help children learn self-regulation skills and manage their behaviors more effectively by exploring alternative ways of responding to situations.
Play therapy differs from regular play in several ways:
Structured Environment: Play therapy sessions are conducted in a structured environment by a trained therapist, whereas regular play may occur in any setting without therapeutic intent.
Therapeutic Goals: In play therapy, the therapist guides the play towards specific therapeutic goals, such as emotional expression or impulse control, while regular play may have no specific therapeutic goals.
Therapeutic Techniques: Play therapy utilizes specific therapeutic techniques tailored to the child's needs, such as art, sand tray, or role-playing, to address emotional and behavioural issues.
The role of the play therapist includes:
Assessment: The therapist assesses the child's developmental needs through observation and interaction.
Facilitation: The therapist facilitates the child's play, providing support, guidance, and interpretation as needed to help the child explore and express themselves.
Interventions and Exercises: The therapist will provide individualized recommendations of interventions and exercises that your child can practice at home or at school to improve their mood, self-esteem, relationships, and overall functioning.
The role of the parent or guardian in play therapy may include:
Supporting the Process: Parents or guardians may be involved in the therapy process by providing information about the child's history during the evaluation, attending parent sessions, and supporting the child's progress outside of therapy.
Implementing Strategies: Parents may learn strategies from the therapist to support their child's development at home.
The number of sessions needed in play therapy can vary depending on the child's individual needs, the severity of their issues, and the therapeutic goals. Some children may benefit from a few sessions, while others may require longer-term therapy.
Meet Michelle Yung, trained in play therapy: https://www.present-mind.ca/michelle-yung
Investment: $170 for a 50-60 minute session. You will receive a detailed receipt for insurance reimbursement based on your mental health benefits.
Play therapy can be a valuable intervention for young children struggling with emotional and behavioral issues, providing them with a safe and supportive space to explore and express themselves.
Request an appointment to get started with Play Therapy: https://www.present-mind.ca/get-started