| Rebecca Lueck, LCSW |
| Contact Rebecca: talkhelps@gmail.com 2607 Alcatraz Ave. Suite 2 Berkeley, CA 94705 (510) 684-4334 |
| Play Therapy for Children |
| What is Play Therapy? Play therapy provides a therapeutic counseling setting where spontaneous, experiential, creative activity provides a forum during sessions to promote self expression, change and healing. The clients are usually children; however, adolescents and adults can, and do, benefit from play therapy as well. People of all ages express themselves both verbally and non-verbally. In play therapy, the client selects toys for self reflections and exploration of personal growth issues. Through play, the client represents and processes their own unique inner world and the dissonance with the larger world. Therapeutic play includes, but is not limited to, activities such as drawing, using puppets, and dramatic or fantasy activities. The play therapist facilitates this experience by creating a safe and accepting environment for the client. Play therapists believe that this method allows the child to manipulate the world on a smaller scale, something that cannot be done in the child's everyday environment. By playing with specially selected materials, and with the guidance of a person who reacts in a positive and non-judgmental manner, the child plays out his/her feelings, bringing these hidden emotions to the surface where s/he can face them and cope with them. In it's most psychotherapeutic form, the therapist is unconditionally accepting of anything the child might say or do. The therapist never expresses shock, argues, teases, moralizes, or tells the child that his/her perceptions are incorrect. Yet, even though the atmosphere is permissive, certain limits may have to be imposed such as restrictions on destroying materials, attacking the therapist, or going beyond a set time limit. Who Benefits from Play Therapy? Play therapy is helpful for children in a wide range of situations. For example, children and adolescents who are coping with parental conflict, divorce, or who have witnessed domestic violence, can benefit from play therapy. Also, children who have experienced loss, such as illness or death of a loved one, or who have been traumatized by abuse, disasters or serious accidents may also find play therapy helpful. In play therapy, a child's anxiety about a traumatic event can be reduced, feelings are expressed, trust in self and others increases, and a sense of competence is enhanced. People of all ages can benefit from using a non-verbal form of expression, adding fun and spontaneity and previous stages of development to their sessions. |
