Play Therapy: What is it and Why is it Useful?
Play is a natural human experience that allows individuals to connect to one another on a deeper and more meaningful level, but play also encourages individuals to process trauma, pain, and other forms of suffering in safe and supportive ways. Think about this question for a minute – what do we gain when we play? Do we laugh.. do we smile .. do we feel the stress of the day melt away as we allow ourselves to be fully immersed in whatever activity or hobby we have come to enjoy? Let’s ask ourselves a similar question – what do we gain when we resist play? When we resist doing something that is good for our mind and soul, perhaps even our physical wellbeing, do we feel better about ourselves and the situation at hand, or do we double down on the harsh and frustrating symptoms we may be experiencing at the time? If you have answered yes to either one of these questions, you may be able to begin appreciating the importance of play in everyday life and how it can be used as a therapeutic tool.
The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a therapeutic model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to prevent or resolve psychological difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.” In essence, play therapy encourages clients to use play to process past and current thoughts and emotions about what they have experienced in their lives. Through the use of play, these individuals are given a supportive and open-ended environment to explore their emotions and make connections about how past experiences have the potential to impact their current and future lives. Play therapy is more targeted for children, given that most adolescents and adults are more interested in traditional talk therapy, however, there has been evidence to suggest that play therapy can also be beneficial to older individuals attempting to engage with the model. This article, however, will focus on the use and benefits of play therapy with children.
Children do not always have the ability to verbally express themselves about what is troubling them; therefore, play therapists use the curative power of play to encourage expression and develop a language for the child. Toys and puppets can become the child’s words; games can become their way to develop healthy frustration tolerance skills; sand art and other creative art therapies can become their way to process trauma and develop a narrative otherwise left unsaid. During play therapy, therapists assist children in learning how to identify and implement more adaptive behaviors where there may be emotional and/or social deficits. Additionally, play therapy may be used to promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking in the child. Children learn to communicate with others, express emotions, modify behavior, develop problem solving and conflict resolution skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others, including how they view themselves and others in the world. Ultimately, the positive therapeutic relationship that develops between the therapist and the child can provide a corrective emotional experience for them necessary for healing.
As stated previously in the article, anyone can benefit from play, although research has shown that play therapy is most appropriate for children ages three through twelve years old. In more recent years, variations of play therapy techniques have been applied to infants and toddlers with successful outcomes. Now it is important to discuss some of the therapeutic issues play therapy can be beneficial for and how children ultimately improve their overall wellbeing through the use of play.
Play therapy has been used as a primary intervention treatment and/or as an adjunctive therapy for children diagnosed with social, emotional, and/or behavioral disorders. For example, these children may be experiencing some of the following issues and/or disorders: anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, ADHD with hyperactivity, autism spectrum disorder, oppositional defiance and conduct disorders, anger management, crisis and trauma, grief and loss, divorce and family dissolution, academic and social development issues, as well as physical and learning disabilities, to name a few. According to Ray et al. (2015), play therapy has a moderate to high positive impact on children across all ages, genders, and presenting problems with the following benefits: (1) become more responsible for behaviors and develop more successful strategies, (2) develop new and creative strategies to problems, (3) develop acceptance and respect of self and others, (4) learn to experience and express emotions in a healthy manner, (5) cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and emotions of others, (6) learn new social skills and relational skills with family, and (7) develop self-efficacy and thus more confidence in their own abilities. Through this use of therapy, children are given an opportunity to delve deeper into themselves and create the version of themselves that they want the world to see.
Although the relationship with the therapist is quite important for the child to feel safe and heal during therapy, the relationship with the family and family play are dually as important for successful growth and healing. Sometimes children exhibit problems as a way of signaling issues within the family unit. Other times, disruptive behaviors exist as a way for the child to reach out for help from their families. Regardless of which situation is occurring, children and families heal faster when there is a collaborative effort. Whether the therapist provides updates on the child’s progress before and/or after session, or whether the therapist encourages the parent, legal guardian, or other family member to engage directly in the play with the child, the power of play still exists and ultimately has the chance to not only heal the wounds, but develop brighter futures.
Written by Becky Cicalese, LMFT
