Play Therapy is a method of therapy that uses play to uncover and deal with psychological issues. It can be used on its own, especially with children, or along with other strategies or interventions. Jean Piaget (born 1896) was the first to make a systematic study of how children learn and make sense of their world.
In children, play is a necessary vehicle for normal physical, social, and cognitive development. Individually, children’s play develops in stages that correspond to a child’s social and cognitive development. Initially, a child’s play is solitary in nature, then, they engage in parallel play where they are in each other’s company but playing independently. Socially, the final stage of play is when children engage in cooperative play. Cooperative play consists of organized activities characterized by social roles.
Psychologists and professional counselors often use play therapy techniques and strategies to work with children.
Play interventions allow us to learn how children express their emotions, communicate their feelings, and solve problems. It capitalizes on children’s innate ability to communicate through play. Interventions using play therapy often employ the use of various media, including storytelling, puppet play, drama, music, dance, sand play, painting and drawing, and board games.
Play Therapy is most appropriate for children between the ages of 4-12 years old or with families with children that age.
At Psychological Assessment and Treatment Services, we routinely utilize Play Therapy interventions and strategies to work with young children.
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