Intro to Play Therapy

Whether you're a parent or guardian looking to find the right therapist for your child or someone who's looking for an alternative to talk therapy, you might be curious about what play therapy really is. How can play be therapeutic?

A core idea of play therapy is to communicate through play. Some people, particularly adults, may be more likely to have the capacity to express their feelings and experiences through specific vocabulary and expressions. Often times, children may not have this vocabulary yet.

Play therapy allows the therapist to explore emotions and experiences with a child. The therapist and child might use a sandbox, play with action figures, draw pictures, build towers, or play pretend. A child likely wouldn't have the ability and/or desire to express, "I'm feeling frustrated at school because I feel like I'm not good enough for my parents," but they may be able to express that frustration when a picture doesn't turn out the way they want it to. Through play, the therapist is able to recognize how the child might react to certain experiences.

Play therapy also allows the child to learn emotion regulation, boundary setting, problem-solving skills, and more. When one child hits another with a foam sword, the one hurt may not say, "Ouch, that hurt a lot. Please don't hurt me anymore or else I won't want to play sword with you." Instead, they might cry, call the other child names, or something else. The therapist would be able to model appropriate boundary-setting behavior and consequences.

Many parents and guardians worry that bringing their child to therapy might just feel like "babysitting for an hour." Play therapy is much more than play! If you have concerns or questions about how play therapy could work for you or your child, speak with your therapist and ask some questions about what play therapy might look like in their office.