What is play Therapy?

“Toys are children’s words and play is their language” -Garry Landreth

Simply put, play therapy is psychotherapy offered in a child’s natural language—the language of play. While talk therapy is the go-to mode of therapy for adults, children’s verbal reasoning and ability to thoroughly communicate through talk is still developing. Play, however, is a more natural and developmentally accessible way to communicate.

Sometimes children will be exposed to really hard life events. When there are no words for what has happened, there is play! Play directly accesses the right side of the brain where sensory experiences are stored. For children who have experienced trauma, the hardest memories are stored in a non-verbal portion of the brain. Play therapy is a conduit for accessing that sensory-based, right brain content, integrating it with words so that over time the overwhelming nature of those past experiences become an integrated whole while simultaneously lessening the emotional potency of the trauma.

Many adults wonder how play therapy can work because it looks so fun—and it is! The natural appeal of play readily brings children into the therapeutic process and disarms kids in a way that traditional talk therapy does not. While play therapy is fun, it is also purposeful. While there are lots of cool toys in the playroom, the toys are carefully selected for their ability to help children express themselves in therapy sessions. Deep relationships are built during attuned play and it is Sarah’s firm belief that is impossible to feel bad while playing!

Play therapy can include dramatic play, movement play, puppets and story telling, bibliotherapy with books, art and creative play, sand tray, and board games.

To find more about play therapy, visit www.a4pt.org