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Play Therapy
Play is the language of children. Children use play to express themselves in the way that adults use words. In the playroom, the therapist assists the child in using the toys to express themselves. The relationship between the child and the therapist is essential, as it allows the child to feel safe enough to play out their difficult feelings or stressful experiences.
Why do children go to therapy?
Sometimes things happen to kids that can be hard for them to understand by themselves. Kids might need a “special grown-up” (therapist) to help them with their feelings.
What will children do in the play therapy room?
In the playroom, the child gets to choose what to do. The therapist makes sure that the child is safe. The child might play with toys like cars, puppets, and dolls. The child might also want to use paper, markers, and crayons to draw or do other art. At times the therapist might play with the child, and other times the therapist might watch the child play. The therapist gains insight and understanding about the child’s worries and thoughts by this observation.
How can play therapy be helpful to children?
It is usually hard for a child to use
words to tell a story or share their feelings. The child can use toys to
help express themselves in this form of therapy. The child is allowed to
play, talk, laugh, cry or yell in play therapy. Doing these things with
the play therapist makes kids feel better. After a while, the child may
not have as many worries and scary feelings, or maybe they won’t feel so
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