Play therapy provides significant therapeutic effects for a range of problems, including behavioral problems, depression, and anxiety.
Decades ago, no one would have thought that play could be a way to treat behavioral disorders in children, whether typical children or those with special needs. Now, play therapy is a form of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play to assess or treat psychological and social challenges.
Although play therapy can be used with adults, it is more common with children.
While play therapy may seem like just hours of fun, recent research suggests that play therapy is effective for children with mental health issues and behavioral disorders.
How does a child express his feelings through play?
Not everyone can express their needs and problems in words, and play can become a way for young children to express their sadness or anger. Some children unconsciously use play to describe the problems they are experiencing, such as acting, drawing, or using dolls to express their angry feelings. They may also create imaginary characters to share their thoughts.
Encourage children to play
Experts believe that children spending hours playing is not annoying. Rather, parents should encourage the child to play so that they can understand what is going on inside their mind that they cannot express in words.
Parents should respect these feelings and encourage the child to describe what he is going through by expressing what he wants, even if it means projecting it onto his doll. For example, the child might say that the doll is sad because its parents had a fight, or because its mother wouldn't let it go out.
Dolls can also be used to teach children general behaviors and daily skills. For example, a teddy bear can be used to teach a child how to use the bathroom, dispose of diapers, or the need to eat vegetables, which the child can then imitate later.
In contrast, play therapy is often used to help children process stressful life events such as moving, hospitalization, and trauma treatment after exposure to physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, natural disasters, and war.
Some of the most common problems addressed in play therapy are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), temper tantrums, autism spectrum disorder, depression, parental divorce, bereavement (death of parents or loved ones), and emerging physical disabilities.
Types of games
Many play therapists have a dedicated play therapy room filled with items that aid in the therapeutic process. Some common therapy toys include: cartoon characters, stuffed animals, puppets, musical toys, art tools, modeling tools such as play dough, sand toys, and cars.
Types of play therapy sessions
According to author Amy Morin in an article for VeryWellFamily , play therapy comes in two basic forms:
Non-directive approach: This means not directing the child to play, but rather observing him and allowing him to choose the appropriate game without intervention from the therapist.
The child can be offered more than one toy (two or three) and there is no need to distract him with more than one toy. Once a specific toy is chosen, the other toys are removed.
This approach is a type of psychodynamic therapy. The basic premise is that when children are allowed to do this, they will find solutions to their problems.
The entire session is usually unstructured; the therapist may quietly observe the child or may comment on what he or she is doing. The therapist may participate in the play if the child invites him or her to do so, but ultimately the choice is left to the child.
Directive Approach: In some cases, therapists may use directive strategies, meaning each session may have a specific theme or goal to achieve. A child may be told, "Today we will play with dolls, and this will be your doll," or the therapist may choose a specific game to play.
The therapist may also participate in the play to guide the story; for example, if a child is using puppets to portray a child being bullied, the therapist may intervene to help the puppet find ways to stand up to the bully.
Families are usually an important part of a child's treatment, however, the level of involvement is determined by the therapist.
Sometimes, parents may attend sessions with their child. If the goal is to work on family issues, parents may be directly involved in play therapy. In other circumstances, the child may attend sessions alone, and the therapist usually communicates with caregivers about treatment goals and progress.
Session duration
The length of play therapy sessions varies depending on the treatment goals and the child's needs and abilities. Most sessions last between 30 and 50 minutes, and appointments can be scheduled anywhere from once a month to twice a week.
On average, 20 play therapy sessions are necessary to resolve problems, but some children improve more quickly, while others may need more therapy sessions.
Is it really effective?
Studies have concluded that play therapy can be very effective for children and their families. Here are some examples of research studies on play therapy:
Reduced hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A 2012 study published in the journal Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder found that children diagnosed with ADHD showed significant reductions in hyperactivity after cognitive behavioral therapy.
After 8 group therapy sessions, the children showed improvement in reduced behavioral problems and improved academic performance.
In 2015, a study reviewed 52 other play therapy studies and concluded that play therapy provides significant therapeutic effects for a range of problems, including behavioral problems, depression, and anxiety. Children attended an average of 12 therapy sessions.
A 2017 study examined the impact of play therapy on children with behavioral concerns. The children, aged 6 to 9, received 20 therapy sessions (two 30-minute sessions per day for 10 days). The children demonstrated a reduction in behavioral problems, including aggression and rule-breaking.
If you think your child might benefit from play therapy, talk to your pediatrician, who can assess your child's needs and make a referral to a qualified mental health professional.
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