As a play therapist my hope for our time together is to provide a creative, authentic, safe space for children to explore their inner world and how their experience in the outer world is impacting their functioning and overall well-being.

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    Play therapy is an approach specifically developed to help children (usually between the ages of 3 and 12). A play therapist works with a child to explore and resolve problems through the therapeutic use of play. 

 

    The use of a playroom, which is equipped with specially chosen toys helps to encourage the safe expression of feelings and support the development of healthier behaviours. A typical playroom contains a sandbox, figures (including people, animals, cars, puppets, dolls), a dollhouse with furniture, dress-up and props, art materials (for creating, drawing and painting), and games. 

 

    Play therapy often begins with a non-directive approach in which the child is invited to play in an open-ended manner. The child may play as he or she would like as long as it does not hurt anybody or anything. As treatment progresses, the play therapist may become more directive by encouraging the child to play with specific items or participate in certain activities to address the child’s presenting concern.

 

Benefits of Play Therapy:

• facilitates healing from past stressful or traumatic experiences

• allows the expression of feelings, thoughts, and problems

• encourages creative thoughts and ideas, news ways of thinking and behaving

• supports the development of healthy decision making skills

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*information obtained from Canadian Association for Play Therapy website (https://cacpt.com)