What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is a therapeutic approach which stimulates the innate, creative, non-verbal capacities of children. The advantages of child-centred play therapy, is that it gives the child choices regarding how to share any concerns they may have, at a time(s) when they are ready to do so.

 

Play therapy is best suited for children aged 3 years to 10 years of age. However younger children, even infants, benefit from Play Therapy as a tool for early intervention. 

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Using play therapy, children can act out / role play their inner and real life experiences in a way that allows children to express, regulate, communicate, practice and master new skills and emotional responses. It is a developmentally appropriate, evidence-based therapeutic approach for working with children and young people. Therapeutic play builds on the developmental appropriateness of play and offers a structured approach to intervention for children’s problems. (Source: Australian Psychological Society).

 

Play therapy facilitates the exploration of a child's concerns / presenting issues, through a trusted relationship and creative play. Fundamental to success, is the creation of a warm, caring and accepting relationship between the child and therapist, to facilitate the child's expression of emotions, which in turn allows the therapist to gain insights and create a beneficial therapeutic intervention program for the child.

 

Play Therapy can be beneficial for children with:

• conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, etc.

• chronic illnesses or who are in palliative care

• other developmental delays or learning disabilities

• problematic or aggressive behaviours

• are victims of domestic violence, abuse or neglect

• anxiety or depression

• eating and toileting issues

• English as a second language.

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