What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach primarily used to help children aged 2 to 14 explore their lives and freely express repressed thoughts and emotions through play. Children, unlike adults, often find it challenging to articulate their experiences verbally. As a result, talking therapies may not be the most effective approach for this age group.
Therefore, play therapy uses the child’s language of play to communicate and understand the child’s world. Play therapists are highly trained in child development, attachment theory, mental health, disability and trauma and social and emotional wellbeing. This allows therapists to assess and understand key play themes so that they can support each child.
The therapist provides a safe and accepting environment where the child is free to express themselves without fear of judgement. Therapists use a range of creative equipment and toys and the client’s well-being is always central to the work itself!
Play therapy supports children with a wide range of needs such as, anxiety or depression, loss and separation, attachment disorders, processing trauma, special educational needs such as ASD, ADHD etc, processing difficult emotions, bullying or low self-esteem, problem solving, difficulties with social integration, or academic challenges and emotional regulation.
Overall, play therapy respects the child's pace and allows them to heal, grow, and learn in a supportive environment that recognises play as an essential part of their language and learning.
Seeking support can feel scary!
It’s always hard to know when your child might need a little extra support and sometimes it can feel really difficult to seek that out. Some parents may not know where to go or even worry about how their child’s presentation reflects on them.
Our world is met with so many daily challenges, and sometimes these can have a profound impact on our children. As parents, you cannot always be expected to shield your child from the world as there are always so many external factors that are out of our hands!
Play therapists will often work with children and families alike, to provide different perspectives and to support the system around the child. Although the sessions are confidential, play therapists will endeavour to be emotionally available adults for parents as well.