Play Therapy
Raising children is not an easy task…
…especially when the child is having difficulties and you don’t know how to help.
These difficulties may be dropping school grades, not wanting to go to school, frequent crying, angry outbursts, sadness, worrying, or trying to hurt others.
Utilizing play therapy will help us understand what problems your child may be having.
Chad was a 7-year-old boy who drew a picture of a child hanging from the rod in a closet.
This was the only way Chad could express how sad and afraid he was. At 7 years old, Chad was suicidal and did not want to live.
Many days he tried to refuse to go to school, but his mom insisted. Chad later revealed that he was touched inappropriately and was bullied on the school bus.
Jamie, an 8-year-old girl, did not like talking to others.
After several play therapy sessions, the therapist asked Jamie, “How can I help you?”
Jamie replied,“Make my mom and dad stop arguing so much.”
If you’re seeing behaviors in your child that you’re concerned about, please allow us to utilize our skills and the magic of play therapy to help.
Traditional therapy can feel intimidating for children and all people.
But play therapy allows children to sort through their own feelings and use play for communication without feeling interrogated or threatened.
Allowing the child control during a play therapy session can lead to them feeling more in control of how much they reveal about themselves.
Play therapy allows clients to play during the sessions rather than sit and talk with a therapist. It can be both nondirective and directive.
With nondirective play, the client will choose what they want to do and whether they want the therapist involved. With directive play the client may be asked to draw a picture or tell a story.
According to Drs. Byron and Carol Norton, play is the natural language of children.
When adults have a problem, they vent to friends and family, talk to coworkers, or they might even seek professional help through the form of talk therapy.
When children have a problem, they usually do not have the verbal skills needed to openly talk with someone about their problem.
Often, children do not even have the cognitive ability to verbalize that they have a problem. Children can express their problems through their play, which they do every day.
Play Therapy has been proven to benefit children with a variety of issues.
Typical concerns include behavior problems, anger, defiance and arguing, sibling and peer/social difficulties, academic concerns and learning disabilities, and separation from parents (divorce, foster care, adoption).
Additional issues could be attention deficit disorders, depression, anxiety, bullying, trauma, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, domestic violence, or grief and loss.
Those best served by play therapy are children ages 5-12.
We provide the perfect environment for play therapy.
Before your child is seen for the first time, the therapist will meet with you, the parent, to gather information about your concerns.
You’ll be introduced to the play room where your child will be working with the therapist. The play room is a designated place that is comfortable, safe, and inviting to children.
“Child’s Play” is magical…
…and it’s often the best way to get to the bottom of a child’s fear, unhappiness, or sadness.
If you have a child who has issues described above, and you have not been allowed into their world, you’re not alone.
Allow us to offer you a FREE 20-minute initial consultation by phone, (850) 371-5325, to explain more.
