Why Play Therapy?

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When you think of ‘therapy’, you might think in terms of a dialogue - one person talking and one person listening.  While this can work well for adults and some adolescents, it is generally not how children operate.

Toys, puppets, art, games, music, and imaginative play provide children a safe way to express thoughts and feelings, process issues, and master new skills.

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Benefits of play in therapy:

• Creates a non-threatening environment 
• Allows the child power and control 
• Slows the nervous system
• Meets the child where they are at
• Creates trust and safety
• Children often use metaphor to demonstrate their perception events and to process their experience
• Allows a space to practice new skills and ideas
• Problem-solving happens continuously throughout play
• Creates opportunities for children to gain a sense of mastery
• Taking on different roles in pretend play can increase child's empathy

For more information on play therapy, please visit the Association for Play Therapy website, and check out the videos below.

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