By: Dr. Andrea SeldonridgeAs a therapist who works with children, I have often been asked by parents what play therapy is, what its purpose of it is, and how it works. So, I hope to convey a bit about what play therapy actually looks like and the reasons why we use it! “Toys are children’s words and play is their language”. This is a commonly shared quote by Garry Landreth, a prominent play therapist. Play therapy is a form of therapy that is commonly used with children (but even adults can engage in play therapy too!). In typical therapy with adults, adults can verbalize their experiences, emotions, and needs. Children of course are often unable to do so, especially very young children. As many children are unable to put into words their experiences or communicate their needs or pain, play therapy is a way that they can do so that fits their developmental stage. No talking is required since play is a thorough method of communication! Play therapy is different from normal play. As a therapist stays attuned to what is happening for the child in their play, it can help the child process their feelings and experiences. Rather than spending the session talking, we can work to help children resolve issues via play. There are so many different tools, toys, and play activities children can use in play therapy. Sometimes this can be playing with dolls or figurines, using a sand tray, making art, or other types of pretend play. The toys can resemble different themes or aspects of their lives, such as family relationships, safety, power, or interpersonal relationships. Play is a safe space where children can play out scary scenarios or painful experiences or emotions. Sometimes these experiences or issues would be too scary or overwhelming to face outside the therapy room. Through this play, they can process the events and practice resolving issues within the safe space, while also providing a sense of relief. It provides children a developmentally appropriate way to deal with depression, anxiety, and even trauma. Often, play therapy can be directive to help reach specific goals, while often it is very non-directive. When play is non-directive, it gives the child a chance to lead, develop confidence, and increase their sense of agency. Play gets to be organic. It is a chance for them to explore what they would like to in therapy. Many times when I have done play therapy, I will let the child know at the beginning of therapy “this is your play place. You can do anything you would like to. If there is something you can’t do, I will let you know”. After setting boundaries around safety, the children get to just take it from there! Play also helps children let their guard down and just be themselves. Play therapy does four major tasks.
Play therapy is a great way for children to process and resolve the issues they are facing in a safe and developmentally appropriate way. It is a unique take on therapy, reminding us that children have found their own way of communicating without the need for words. At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy via video sessions, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304. As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child or teen psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio. To stay in the loop on the services offered and to receive updated information about Thrive, please feel free to sign up for the newsletter through the following link: http://eepurl.com/dsgLNL. By: Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT Welcome to the final blog of my play therapy blog series! The series goes over how play therapy works with children, teens, and adults. Don’t forget to check out my previous posts on play therapy with children and teens! Play therapy with adults! Does that really exist? Why, yes it does. Although most adults think they have outgrown using play as a way to explore and experience the world, adults already engage in play on a daily basis. Do you dress up for themed parties? Or play sports? Sing along to music? Maybe even a game of poker? Play is always a part of our lives and it is a way for us relieve stress. There is actually a significant amount of research behind the neuroscience of play. Not only is play a helpful way to help adults learn and improve their overall well-being, play can help therapists get through to the deeper issues. I find that my clients tend to open up more when they are relaxed and can have fun while putting aside their rational and objective “adult” selves. In my practice, I use play therapy with adults to treat issues such as grief and loss, trauma, emotional development issues, social communication, and mood disorders. Some examples of play therapy activities I use with my adult clients are:
Like any other treatment methods, the most important thing about using play therapy is to be sure that it fits the client. These techniques are just examples of how I’ve used play with some of my adult clients. At Thrive, we always match our interventions and techniques to our client’s unique needs and goals.
At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304. As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child or teen psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio. To stay in the loop on the services offered and to receive updated information about Thrive, please feel free to sign up for the newsletter through the following link: http://eepurl.com/cvGx5n. By: Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT Welcome to my blog series on play therapy! The series will go over how play therapy works with children, teens, and even adults. Don’t forget to check out my previous post on play therapy with young children and school-aged children! This week, we will focus on how play therapy works with tweens and teens. Recently, many parents who refer their teens to see me will see my Registered Play Therapist credential and wonder how this will work with their teen because their teen doesn’t “play” anymore. Well, our teens are not yet adults but are not children either. So, what does that mean when it comes to play therapy? Many of our tweens and teens are already going through so much with hormone changes, peer pressure, school pressure, and identity struggles, it can be difficult to expect them to just talk. Having a teen sit in a room with a professional and asking them to share or answer intrusive questions can be really intimidating. I find that my teens are more relaxed when they are engaged in an activity. Play therapy with teens is simply using activities or experiences that would be of interest to the teen while resolving their issues. It can be a way to engage them in something that might seem “boring” or “uncool”. I’ve actually completed a complicated Lego model with a teen once. We would work on it little by little in our sessions while the teen shared their struggles with me. The finished Lego project then became a symbol of healing. Some examples of play therapy with teens that I use in my practice are:
At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304. As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child or teen psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio. To stay in the loop on the services offered and to receive updated information about Thrive, please feel free to sign up for the newsletter through the following link: http://eepurl.com/cvGx5n. By: Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT Welcome to my blog series on play therapy! The series will go over how play therapy works with children, teens, and even adults! I often get many questions and concerns from parents regarding the use of play therapy and how it works. My hope is that this blog series can shed some light on some myths or concerns. There’s a common misconception that play therapy is simply playing, and as many parents would think, “Why would I pay for someone to play with my child?”. Play therapy is actually more than just play. It’s actually a recommended treatment for children of all ages. Children communicate through play. They play before they even acquire verbal language. Imagine a child who has witnessed violence and abuse in the home, their play would most likely reveal themes of aggression and violence with their toys. Therapists use play therapy to help children express their feelings when they might not have verbal language to do so, or when saying it out loud is difficult. The goal of play therapy is to help children express themselves through a comfortable medium, and learn effective ways to solve problems. What can I expect in play therapy for a young child or school-aged children? At our practice, parents and caregivers play an important role in the child’s treatment. I usually start with an intake interview with parent(s) to collect information about the child, and to discuss what they hope to see change. When it applies, I also like to include the child’s teacher, providers, or other caregivers to get a good overall look at the child’s environment. In the playroom, there are specific types of toys and games that encourage the child to express themselves such as dollhouses, instruments, or arts and crafts. Depending on the child, I would either let them express themselves without any direction from me (nondirective) or I would guide them with specific activities (directive). Play therapy sessions typically start at once a week and usually last 45 minutes. In my experience, nondirective therapy works best for my clients that have difficulty opening up or have had traumatic experiences as these clients need time and space to resolve their issues. Most clients that I see, however, fall under the directive category. This type of play therapy has more input from the therapist and includes teaching skills or asking direct questions to the child. Although directive play therapy resolves issues quicker, it is best for certain cases. During the intake, I discuss with parents what they can expect from play therapy and which direction I would be taking with their child. Below are some examples of what play therapy would look like. Play therapy with children ages 0-5 Play therapy with very young children (0-5) looks very different from play therapy with children who are more developed. Therapy with young children have high parental involvement and often is used in family therapy. I’ve worked with many parents and toddlers on building a connection or stronger emotional relationship, especially with those who have gone through a divorce, blended family, or separation. I introduce many activities that would promote eye contact, soothing touch and interaction. I’ve worked on reunifying some parents and toddlers who were separated at birth by helping them learn how to relate to one another. For children who have some language, some activities I use to help promote expressing and exploring their feelings include: using clay to make facial expression, drawing, and painting. To help explore what is going on in their lives or teaching them healthy communication skills through role playing, I might use stuffed animals, puppets, or a dollhouse. With some children this age, giving them nondirective play also allows me to see themes of how they might be feeling or are treated at home or school. What about school-aged children? Play therapy with older children who already have verbal language tend to be more directive in my office. Some examples include playing board games or card games to teach impulse control (not going out of turn, shouting out the answer, cheating), learning social skills through role playing, playing Candyland to express their feelings (ex. each color is a different emotion), creating fun ways to use relaxation skills, or drawing their support network. If you come by our office, you might catch me playing red light green light down the hallway to help my client learn how to control their body. All in all, play therapy is about creating a healthy working relationship with your child. Sometimes the feedback I get from children is that I’m one of the few adults they can trust to talk about difficult things with, and I also hear from parents that sometimes I say the same exact thing they have already said to their child but they happen to listen to me! As an adult, it can be very easy to sit opposite of your therapist and delve into the problems that brought you to treatment. But for children, they need a more fun and creative way to get their minds working and that’s really what play therapy is!
At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304. |
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