Play Therapy

 Play Therapy, what a Trained Professional Can Get out of Observing Play

Often times in our daily routine, it is easy to miss the subtleties that are around us. From getting tunnel vision passing the tenth sign on the side of the road, to ignoring the third commercial on television at night, its easy to miss the details and get “caught up” in our daily routines. You may be wondering, what does this have to do with play therapy and my child? Or for that matter, what is play therapy? Well I will get to that shortly, and there are many similarities between the two. Mainly, when our children play, we don’t always realize that they are often acting out their observations of the world, their feelings and their thoughts; it really isn’t just a game. We as parents assume that they are merely playing and the themes, outcomes, and actions of their play aren’t given attention (like the signs or the commercials we see). However, in reality…

“For children to “play out” their experiences and feelings is the most natural, dynamic, and self-healing process in which they can engage” (Landreth, 2012, p.13).

So What is Play Therapy and What is its Purpose?

Play therapy is an evidence-based therapy treatment approach that tends to be used with children 12 years old and younger. Within a counselling space, generally called ‘the playroom’, a trained mental health therapist engages in the therapeutic use of play to help explore and resolve concerns within the given child’s life. Some of the concerns that can be addressed in play therapy are behavioural problems (related to anger, grief & loss, trauma and parental divorce) and/or behavioural disorders (related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, and developmental delays).

As noted before, play therapy can be helpful for children as play is how they learn to understand the world and themselves; play is a child’s natural language and way of communicating. Their toys can be used to act out lived or imaginative experiences and/or express inner feelings of the child. For this reason, the playroom has a range of specially chosen toys to help with the safe expression of feelings; toys may include dolls and dollhouses, puppets, dress-up and make-believe clothing, play kitchens, arts and craft supplies, games, books, and a sand tray with miniature animals and people to name a few. Even though it may just look like play and it can feel like play to children, it is much more than that.

A therapist will likely go over informed consent with the family, gather some information about what has been happening, and create some therapeutic goals together on how best to help their child. When sessions begin, a therapist can facilitate in a variety of ways; they can be more directive/structured and encourage the child to engage in certain activities, become more non-directive/less structured and take the lead from the child or pendulum back-and-forth between the two directives throughout the session. The mental health therapist is constantly looking for verbal and non-verbal cues, tracking themes, and reflecting with the child. These observations help to note change and figure out future directions; the sessions continue forward in collaboration between the therapist, parents, and child.

If you are ever interested in exploring play therapy for your child or know someone who is, look for/ask for a Registered Play Therapist or a licensed mental health therapist with training in play therapy. There are many people out there who are available and willing to help. Within the Lethbridge area, there are organizations such as Family Ties Association, Family Centre, Lethbridge Family Services, Alberta Health Services, and other wonderful mental health professionals like myself, in private practice who are trained in play therapy (which their profiles can be found on Psychology Today’s website).

Through play, we can get through this together.

Written by: Rebecca Smith, MACP, Registered Psychologist, Counsellor, Family Ties Association 

References:

Landreth, G. L. (2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (3nd ed.). New York: Brunner-Routledge.

Psychology Today: Therapists and Psychologists in Lethbridge, AB - Psychology Today