Play therapy

Play Therapy is a well-researched and effective therapeutic approach for children and toddlers ages 2 and up. When provided by an experienced, trained therapist, play therapy is proven to be a highly effective approach for helping children resolve distress and improve interpersonal relationships. Play therapy enables children to communicate their feelings, experiences and ideas through play, their natural medium of expression.

In order to achieve the necessary results, our therapists work closely with a child’s parents in order to help reinforce positive changes at home.

What is the rationale behind Play Therapy?

Play therapy is one form of psychotherapy with children. This is a method in which professional psychotherapists, who may be psychologists or clinical social workers, help children overcome emotional and behavioral difficulties through different forms of ‘play’ or activities. Play therapy allows children to express and process feelings, thoughts, and experiences through their natural desire to play.

Therapeutic play empowers the child to overcome challenges without demanding words, explanations, or adult reasoning. Play therapy can be used to help children deal with traumas, family issues, emotions, and developmental challenges.

A typical play therapy session lasts for about 30-50 minutes depending on the age of the child. Specialized play therapy approaches can be used with infants and toddlers to restore or develop parent-child attachment. Play therapy with preschoolers and school age children may focus on parent-child attachment, trauma resolution or preparation for challenging events such as surgeries, chronic illness, or changes in family dynamics.