Play Therapy for Children and Families:

Think about the last time you watched your child get caught up in unstructured, free play.

What did you see?

 

Play can take many forms - embodied play, dress up and role playing; play with toys, figures or building materials; board and card games; activities like art and music are playtime, as is physically active play such as running, jumping, climbing and tumbling.

 

Children at play are using a broad spectrum of skills. They are reducing stress, learning how to cope with tension and learning how to manage their own arousal levels. They are exercising creative thinking and problem solving, creating stories, learning cause and effect, and reinforcing planning and sequencing skills. They are reflecting on their experience and learning to draw conclusions, practicing perspective taking, and building their ability to recognize the feelings of others. They are using their fine and gross motor skills, building better awareness of their own bodies and how to use them.

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Individual play therapy gives children the space to explore the complexity of their life in a safe place, with a supportive adult. In these sessions, the therapist provides a supportive witness to the child's experience. Dyadic play therapy (play with parent and child together) supports parents in building a stronger and more  positive relationship with their child.  Here, the therapist acts as coach, supporter and sometimes referee, to help parents and chidlren express themselves to each other in ways that feel safe and validating.

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