What is play therapy?
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children,
play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
~Fred Rogers
Communicating through play
If you’ve ever tried to get your children to communicate their feelings, experiences, motivations, and deepest thoughts by talking with them, you may have ended up frustrated and confused.
Children don’t have the same ability to talk about things like adults do. Instead, children learn about their world, process life experiences, and communicate through their play.
Play is a child’s first language, and toys are the words they use to communicate.
What is play therapy and how does it work?
Play therapy uses art, pretend play, games, toys, dolls, books, and sensory tools to provide children opportunities to express themselves.
Through play, they learn to make sense of their world, themselves, and their experiences.
While in a supportive environment with a trained play therapist, they work through challenges, learn about their emotions, and develop coping skills at their own pace.
Why play therapy?
“Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child’s natural medium of self-expression. It is an opportunity which is given to the child to ‘play out’ his feelings and problems just as, in certain types of adult therapy, an individual ‘talks out’ his difficulties.” ~Virginia Axline
What does play therapy look like?
In the simplest sense, it looks like play. But there’s a lot going on under the surface.
In play therapy, children explore and experiment, use their imagination, engage in creativity, repetition and novelty.
Sometimes aggressive play and very serious and complex play themes can be observed, as children are provided a safe place to work out aggression or scary things they’ve seen or experienced.
My role in play therapy
My first goal is to create a safe and accepting space for your children to be exactly who they are.
I join your child in their world, follow their lead, and support them as they express themselves. I’m here to assess and understand their play, and then use their language of play to interact with them.
My responsibility is to support your child in making sense of and expressing hard or confusing things, while discovering new ways of being that encourage their unique potential.
Although it may look like “just play,” it actually is a powerful way for children to heal, learn, and grow.
Benefits of play therapy
Through play therapy, children learn and practice strategies to manage stress and anxiety.
They develop problem-solving skills and build self-esteem, confidence, and competence.
Relationships with parents, other caregivers, siblings, and peers are strengthened and improved.
The child learns to develop empathy and respect for others’ feelings and boundaries.
They develop healthy communication skills and learn about how to experience and express their feelings.
Aggression and challenging behaviors are decreased.
Past hurts are healed.
To learn more…
Call me at (951) 599-8383 to find out how to restore joy, harmony, and connection that may just be a faint memory. Make your life and that of your children a more positive experience.