What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is to children what counseling is to adults.  Play is the child's natural way of communicating just as talking is the adult's natural way of communicating.  In the playroom, toys are used like words and play is the child's language.  Children are provided special toys in play therapy to enable them to say with the toys what they have difficulty saying with words.  When children can communicate or play out how they feel to a trained play therapist who understands, they feel better because the feelings have been released.  As a parent, you have probably experienced the same thing when you were bothered or worried about something and told someone who really cared about you and understood; you felt better and could then handle the problem.  Play therapy is like that for children.  They can use the dolls, puppets, paints, or other toys to say what they think or how they feel.

Does My Child Need Play Therapy?

In the process of growing up, most children experience difficulty coping at some time (at home, at school, with divorce and separation, with other children, etc.), or they exhibit behaviors which concern their parents or teacher.  Some children may need more help than others in some areas.  Generally, if you, your child's teacher, or pediatrician is concerned about your child's behavior or difficulty adjusting, play therapy is the recommended approach to help your child.

What to Tell Your Child About Play Therapy...

You may tell your child that s/he will be coming to be in a special playroom with a helper named Lara every week where there are lots of toys.  If your child wants to know why s/he is going to the playroom, you may say something like, "When things are hard for you at home (or at school), sometimes it helps to have a special place to play."