What is play therapy?
Similar to traditional talk therapy, play therapy is a relationship between a trained mental health professional and a child that helps facilitate resolution of the child's difficulties and helps get their progressive development back on track.
Often times, parents feel at a loss when trying to understand why their child is behaving a certain way (e.g., aggressive behavior, separation anxiety, moodiness, difficulty with making or keeping friends, fears of being alone, sudden or unexplained avoidance of familiar people or places) and are unsure about what they can do to help them.
Unlike adults whose cognitive development is more developed, children---and especially very young children---do not have the ability to use language to fully make sense of and communicate their inner experience. Additionally, children have a much different understanding of the world and their relationship to important people in it. For example, magical thinking causes children to believe that their angry feelings cause actual harm in the real world, so speaking directly about these feelings can feel very threatening. Hence, the toys and play provide some psychological distance. Additionally, children are typically more "action oriented"---i.e., they express their inner world via their behavior. Therefore, playing out their thoughts, ideas, feelings, wishes, fears and experiences is developmentally appropriate and natural for them. Often times, one of the therapeutic tasks of play therapy involves helping the child put these inner experiences into words, so that they no longer need to resort to action to express these inner experiences.
How about older children--is play therapy appropriate for them? I think my child just needs someone to talk to.
Most parents can think of a time when they were driving in the car and their child, seated behind them, expressed a worry, or asked a question that seemed both "out of the blue" and deeply meaningful. Somehow, the structure of being alone together, and not having to make direct eye contact allowed the child to spontaneously express what s/he was thinking and feeling.
In my experience, some older children benefit from playing symbolically (e.g., setting up scenes in the sand tray, drawing/art making, etc.) whereas others use games and art activities to create a "riding in the car" experience with me. While playing a game, we can explore the child's feelings, thoughts, worries, and wishes together in a relaxed manner. Also, the pleasure of playing together relieves some of the stress and anxiety associated with exploring difficult topics and feelings. Neither approach is superior; both are forms of expression that can be shared, heard, and understood together, providing the child both relief and more adaptive ways for managing his/her feelings. It is my approach to meet a child where s/he is developmentally; therefore, my approach depends on each individual child and the therapeutic relationship that we create together.
What role do parents typically play in the treatment process?
I believe that it is essential for parents to be involved in their child's treatment, and I view parents as part of the treatment team. Therefore, during the course of treatment, I typically meet with parent(s)/caregiver(s) regularly as part of the overall treatment structure.
The first appointment is typically a parent/caregiver meeting during which we'll discuss your child's developmental history, parents'/child's presenting concerns, and goals for treatment. During the next several sessions, I typically meet with the child individually as part of the assessment process. Typically, a follow-up meeting is scheduled with parents to discuss my observations and treatment recommendations.
In addition to those listed above, what other issues do you typically treat?
- Grief & loss
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Divorce & parental separations
- General difficulties with emotional regulation
- Attachment related concerns
Similar to traditional talk therapy, play therapy is a relationship between a trained mental health professional and a child that helps facilitate resolution of the child's difficulties and helps get their progressive development back on track.
Often times, parents feel at a loss when trying to understand why their child is behaving a certain way (e.g., aggressive behavior, separation anxiety, moodiness, difficulty with making or keeping friends, fears of being alone, sudden or unexplained avoidance of familiar people or places) and are unsure about what they can do to help them.
Unlike adults whose cognitive development is more developed, children---and especially very young children---do not have the ability to use language to fully make sense of and communicate their inner experience. Additionally, children have a much different understanding of the world and their relationship to important people in it. For example, magical thinking causes children to believe that their angry feelings cause actual harm in the real world, so speaking directly about these feelings can feel very threatening. Hence, the toys and play provide some psychological distance. Additionally, children are typically more "action oriented"---i.e., they express their inner world via their behavior. Therefore, playing out their thoughts, ideas, feelings, wishes, fears and experiences is developmentally appropriate and natural for them. Often times, one of the therapeutic tasks of play therapy involves helping the child put these inner experiences into words, so that they no longer need to resort to action to express these inner experiences.
How about older children--is play therapy appropriate for them? I think my child just needs someone to talk to.
Most parents can think of a time when they were driving in the car and their child, seated behind them, expressed a worry, or asked a question that seemed both "out of the blue" and deeply meaningful. Somehow, the structure of being alone together, and not having to make direct eye contact allowed the child to spontaneously express what s/he was thinking and feeling.
In my experience, some older children benefit from playing symbolically (e.g., setting up scenes in the sand tray, drawing/art making, etc.) whereas others use games and art activities to create a "riding in the car" experience with me. While playing a game, we can explore the child's feelings, thoughts, worries, and wishes together in a relaxed manner. Also, the pleasure of playing together relieves some of the stress and anxiety associated with exploring difficult topics and feelings. Neither approach is superior; both are forms of expression that can be shared, heard, and understood together, providing the child both relief and more adaptive ways for managing his/her feelings. It is my approach to meet a child where s/he is developmentally; therefore, my approach depends on each individual child and the therapeutic relationship that we create together.
What role do parents typically play in the treatment process?
I believe that it is essential for parents to be involved in their child's treatment, and I view parents as part of the treatment team. Therefore, during the course of treatment, I typically meet with parent(s)/caregiver(s) regularly as part of the overall treatment structure.
The first appointment is typically a parent/caregiver meeting during which we'll discuss your child's developmental history, parents'/child's presenting concerns, and goals for treatment. During the next several sessions, I typically meet with the child individually as part of the assessment process. Typically, a follow-up meeting is scheduled with parents to discuss my observations and treatment recommendations.
In addition to those listed above, what other issues do you typically treat?
- Grief & loss
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Divorce & parental separations
- General difficulties with emotional regulation
- Attachment related concerns