Posted by Emily Scott
The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.”
Are you still with us after that definition? Maybe? If you are and are looking for a more approachable way to explain this to your friends and family, stick with me (and please ask questions and provide feedback in the comment section!)
Simply put, play is the language of children. As adults we are likely to call up our close friend or family member after a tough day and “talk it out”. As kids, we “played it out”. Unfortunately, a lot of us lose touch with that universal form of language as we get older and sometimes as adults we unintentionally cut our kids off, interrupting their play (aka their speech), and just generally forget how to listen and engage in this “foreign language” that once came to us so naturally. Good news though, with some careful attention, it is possible to re-learn this important skill.
How does play therapy work?
Within play therapy, there isn’t really a universal approach. The underlying belief of all play therapists is pretty basic in that play is the language of children and toys are considered their “words”. Within play therapy, just like in psychotherapy with adults, there are several different approaches and theories. Just like with traditional psychotherapy, it’s not always interesting or necessary to know every detail of theory that your therapist relies on, but it can make a big difference to have a basic understanding of why they might do what they do and to just know that not every therapist would use the same approach. (re: if you’ve had a negative experience in therapy, please know that isn’t universal. Consider looking up what that therapist’s underlying theory was and try to find a therapist who will use a different lens, or at least describe your past experience to your next therapist should you decide to make that brave step and try again).
Sorry, got a little side-tracked there. Back to play therapy! Simply put, there are two basic “camps” among play-therapists. There’s a non-directive approach (look up Gary Landreth if you’re wanting to know more), and a more directive approach. In a directive approach, the therapist may choose an activity designed to help a child deal with a specific problem. In non-directive play therapy a child would choose the activities and the therapist would reflect back using words everything the child is doing. Of course this is sort of a spectrum and most therapists fall somewhere in-between. Personally, the approach I use depends a lot on the initial assessment phase and what the child’s presenting problems are. Within this practice, we all rely on attachment theory to inform our work, which generally means we fall a little more on the directive side and we LOVE having parents involved!
Who is play therapy for?
Considering that “play” is a universal language, play therapy is appropriate for just about any presenting problem in childhood. While completing play therapy training, most classes and interventions are best suited for children ages 3-12, however, there are definitely times that teens benefit, parents, single adults, seniors, even infants and toddlers. Outside of childhood, play therapy would most commonly be used when addressing past childhood traumas.
Play Therapy Appointments
Unstructured play time at home is FANTASTIC! I would definitely encourage all families to incorporate play time to their daily routines. A lot of what we do in session seems like (and really is) a lot of fun! We like to encourage you and your children to have fun together. However, sometimes things that look like a lot of fun are really difficult and not fun at all for the child. Please don’t prompt your child to “have fun” or to “be good” in session. We want them to be accepted exactly as they are without any pressure to act or feel a certain way. Sometimes we do have to set limits on behaviors, but we will address that as a team should the need arise.
We always report any safety concerns to parents. We encourage parents to be involved in session, but if we decide for whatever reason that therapy will be done individually, we may not give specific details of everything we did, to provide a safe space for the child to process. We may summarize themes or offer suggestions, but otherwise, just like you should expect in your own therapy, we want to respect your child’s confidentiality.
Want more info?
Great!! Give us a call at (816) 607-1775, or email admin@attachmentandtraumatherapy.com. You can also leave a comment below for us. And be sure to check out this super short cute video that the association for play therapy (a4pt.org) made to introduce play therapy! https://youtu.be/reJpo-GaopM