How Play Therapy Can Help Your Child

Children can be so sensitive to changes and conflicts that they can get easily stressed out and act unnaturally. Because their young minds can't fully understand why certain things happen or what could be the source of their unhappiness, play therapy is used to deal with troubled children who suffer from abuse, slow development, family problems, or any imaginable conflict.

Benefits of play therapy

Play therapy is held in a special room or office of the therapist where the child can play with toys or games that are appropriate for his or her age. It may take a while before the child can be comfortable with the therapist, but after some time, the therapist will find ways to earn his or her trust. As they play, the therapist will take notes and use the toys and games to learn more about the child's personality, thoughts, and feelings. Based on these, the therapist will analyze the child's behavior and conduct informal interviews as they play, encouraging the child to express him or herself, depending on the goal of the therapy. For those suffering from traumatic experiences, the play therapy is used to build a trusting relationship with the therapist and help uncover untold feelings and thoughts so they can be guided.

The play therapy may include embodiment play, projective play, and role play. In embodiment play, the common tools used is clay or paint. Painting with clay or drawing with paint help the child use his or her senses and discover the world around him or her. For projective play, story-making is often a part of the game. This is used to help process the trauma and see through the child's perspectives. Finally, role playing is used to present certain situations and see how the child will react. It is used to address certain issues or inappropriate manners that can be discussed and corrected. The success of play therapy also relies on the cooperation of the parents and teachers for reinforcements and continuous monitoring of the child's development.