Play Therapy

Play therapy is an approach to counseling children in which trained counselors integrate play into their therapeutic approach as a way to prevent or resolve difficulties. Because many children do not have the cognitive development to participate in traditional talk therapy to verbalize and analyze their problems, they can use play, art, music, games, and other playful media to communicate in a way that is meaningful to them. Play is considered the language of children, and the toys are the words to express their experiences. Play allows children the space to distance themselves from troubling events and project their thoughts and feelings onto the toys. Children can re-create and reenact events in ways that allow them to change the outcome and thus gain mastery of ...