PLAY THERAPY

WHAT IS PLAY THERAPY?

Play Therapy is the name that is given to a process which is used between a child and a qualified professional known as a ‘Play Therapist to help the child better understand themselves or a situation which they are in’.

Play Therapy is where a variety of play and creative arts techniques are used to help a child express their feelings. This helps them to better understand and deal with a range of psychological and emotional conditions, either consciously or sub-consciously, which otherwise may be causing them to experience behavioural problems or prevent them from realising their full potential.

Play has consistently been proven neurologically to promote a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and language development. When play is coupled with emotional support it can enable a child to explore and learn more about their thoughts and feelings. Play Therapy is usually non-directive and allowsallows the child freedom to decide what they want to do or say in each session.

Tools such as art, storytelling, puppets, drama or clay, are employed to facilitate expression without requiring the verbalisation of issues which a child may be unable to talk about, either due to an Anxiety Disorder or a lack of comprehension. The process is often a gradual one, advancing at the child’s own pace. It can sometimes last anywhere from between just a few sessions to several years.

WHAT DOES THE PLAY THERAPIST DO?

Although any parent or carer may be able to perform therapeutic play, a Play Therapist will have a background in Psychotherapy or Psychology. They will also have had extensive training in fields such as child development and attachment and experienced a lot of supervised clinical work before being allowed to work on their own with a child.

The Play Therapist uses their depth of experience and skills to form a medium term therapeutic bond with the child. This should follow guidelines first established by Virginia Axline in 1964 which include:

• Developing a warm, friendly relationship;
• Accepting the child as they are;
• Promoting a sense of comfort and safety which enablesenables free expression of feelings by the child;
• Recognising the feelings expressed and reflecting these back so that the child can gain insight into themselves;
• Not directing or hurrying the child;
• Linking what is shared by the child in therapy to the real world .

WHO DOES PLAY THERAPY HELP?

Many children have issues with Emotional Literacy. Play Therapy may be of benefitbenefit in situations where:

• The child has experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse, bereavement or another emotionally traumatic event;
• The child has been or is in the process of being fostered or adopted or where their parents are in the process of getting or are already divorced or separated;
• The child has been or is at risk of being excluded from school or where they are bullying or is being bullied;
• The child or a close family member is affected by an illness or a disability;
• The child suffers from frequent nightmares or disturbed sleep, anxiety, stress or phobias, social reclusion, withdrawal or just continued unhappiness;
• The child has a continuing inability to tell the difference between fantasy and reality or where they are exhibiting noticeable regression in development following an emotional trauma

It is very important to note that not all aspects of a child’s expression during play should be a cause for concern. Even strange or even occasionally macabre behaviour by adult standards during playtime, can be a perfectly natural part of a child’s development.

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Although the information we have provided here is meant to be helpful to you, Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss caused by any inaccuracy or reliance placed upon it. If you have any concerns about your child, you should seek professional educational or healthcare advice as soon as possible.