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"Birds fly, fish swim and children play." Garry Landreth (2002)
The significance of play in children's lives has been written about for centuries. Children are not little people. They are people in the dynamic process of development. They are growing cognitively, physically and emotionally. Play therapy was developed in the early part of this century to address the unique needs of the child client.
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Play Therapy is a therapeutic approach based on developmental principles. It is a process where the child chooses objects, symbols or types of play to express their inner concerns or work through particular problems. It is conducted with a trained child therapist skilled in interpreting the child's play. The child therapist helps promote growth and change in children.
Play is important to children's development because it provides them the opportunity to understand their world and rehearse for adult life roles. Play between parents and children promotes a sense of joining, security and attachment. In play therapy, the child therapist is trained to read the metaphors of the play and observe emerging patterns. The main goal of play therapy, regardless of the symptoms, is to help the child regain their former level of functioning, |
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Play therapy works well for children between ages 2 to 12. Older children may benefit if it fits where they are at developmentally.
Parents are important partners in the process of play therapy and may be asked to observe changes between sessions, to introduce new ideas to family members and others who come in contact with the child, to provide limits and to consult regularly with the child therapist.