PLAY THERAPY: What is Play Therapy and How Does it Help?
Play therapy is one of the many therapeutic services that the Phoenix Center provides to children and adolescents with mental health needs, such as survivors of abuse, neglect and trauma.
Play therapy utilizes play, children's natural medium of expression, to help them express their feelings more easily through toys and art instead of words.
One of the leading experts on play therapy notes "Play therapy is to children what talk therapy is to adults. Play is the child's way of communicating just as talking is the adult's natural way of communicating. In the playroom, toys are used like words and play is the child's language. Children are provided special toys in play therapy to enable them to say with the toys what they have difficulty saying with words...they can use dolls, puppets, paints, or other toys to say what they think or how they feel."
Play therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children to address and resolve emotional or behavioral issues. Play therapy builds on the natural way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them. Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior and develop problem-solving skills.
The majority of the children who receive play therapy services at the Phoenix Center are survivors of abuse, neglect and/or trauma. Many of our young clients are experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If a child has survived abuse, play therapy provides a safe psychological distance from the traumatic experience, and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to the child's age and development.
Play Therapy International lists some of the "tools" commonly used in play therapy:
Therapeutic Storytelling
Creative Visualization (Relaxation Techniques)
Puppets and Masks
Drama & Role Play
Therapeutic Toys and Dolls
Sand & Clay
Art
Music
Play therapy has been used to help children since 1919. In that time, research has shown its effectiveness in being beneficial to children and families.
For more information please visit:
Association for Play Therapy: http://www.a4pt.org/ps.index.cfm
Play Therapy International: http://www.playtherapy.org/playhowdoestpwork.html
UNT Center for Play Therapy: http://cpt.unt.edu/about-play-therapy/what-is-play-therapy
Play therapy is one of the many therapeutic services that the Phoenix Center provides to children and adolescents with mental health needs, such as survivors of abuse, neglect and trauma.
Play therapy utilizes play, children's natural medium of expression, to help them express their feelings more easily through toys and art instead of words.
One of the leading experts on play therapy notes "Play therapy is to children what talk therapy is to adults. Play is the child's way of communicating just as talking is the adult's natural way of communicating. In the playroom, toys are used like words and play is the child's language. Children are provided special toys in play therapy to enable them to say with the toys what they have difficulty saying with words...they can use dolls, puppets, paints, or other toys to say what they think or how they feel."
Play therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children to address and resolve emotional or behavioral issues. Play therapy builds on the natural way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them. Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior and develop problem-solving skills.
The majority of the children who receive play therapy services at the Phoenix Center are survivors of abuse, neglect and/or trauma. Many of our young clients are experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If a child has survived abuse, play therapy provides a safe psychological distance from the traumatic experience, and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to the child's age and development.
Play Therapy International lists some of the "tools" commonly used in play therapy:
Therapeutic Storytelling
Creative Visualization (Relaxation Techniques)
Puppets and Masks
Drama & Role Play
Therapeutic Toys and Dolls
Sand & Clay
Art
Music
Play therapy has been used to help children since 1919. In that time, research has shown its effectiveness in being beneficial to children and families.
For more information please visit:
Association for Play Therapy: http://www.a4pt.org/ps.index.cfm
Play Therapy International: http://www.playtherapy.org/playhowdoestpwork.html
UNT Center for Play Therapy: http://cpt.unt.edu/about-play-therapy/what-is-play-therapy
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