Play Therapy Techniques

It is well-established in clinical practice as a useful approach for children who have not yet developed the verbal skills needed to express their feelings, thoughts and behaviors articulately. There are many great play therapy techniques, using toys, games and storytelling. Ball Play — Toss a ball around, and when someone catches it, they have to tell the group something that makes them happy.

Baby Doll Play — Let a child play with a doll to see what their instincts are. Toy Telephone Play — Let the child and mentor each hold a toy phone. The adult can ask directed questions at the child, who feels less pressure when they can answer indirectly.

Let them know if they feel uncomfortable, they can hang up. Magic Wand Play — Give the child a pretend wand and tell them they can make three wishes. Listen to what their wishes are for a better understanding of issues they may be facing. Bubble Play — Blow bubbles and allow the child to run around and pop them. This is a great way to offer the child stress relief. Block Play — Help a child release anger by building a wooden block wall or tower and then allowing the child to throw a ball to knock them down.

Play Therapy Techniques & Activities to Try With Your Play Therapy Clients (Adults, Teens, Kids)

Destruction Play — Another anger-releasing exercise, give the child an old phone book, and allow them to rip pages out, crumple them and throw them away. Metaphor Play — Give the child a bin full of toys and ask them to pick out the ones that represent each family member. It can help to see what they think and feel about their family. Dollhouse Play — Allow the child to play with a dollhouse and some dolls. Ask them to act out different everyday scenarios, such as bedtime, meal time, play time, etc. Strategy Games — Games such as Chess or Checkers give a good insight into how a child deals with conflict.

It also helps them to develop self-control and the ability to think through consequences. Art can be a great way of helping young children and teens to communicate. With young kids, they often have a limited language, which stops them from being able to articulate their more complex thoughts and emotions. Similarly, teens can feel pressured to think a certain way or like their more difficult thoughts may have consequences.

Play Therapy Feelings Cookie Activity

Allowing them to express themselves through guided art therapy techniques will help kids communicate. Two major approaches are Non-directive play therapy and Directive play therapy. A skilled practitioner will adopt a mix of both approaches according to circumstances. Play Therapy UK has pioneered the development and use of a competency framework, as the foundation of a Profession Structure Model, to improve the understanding of exactly what a practitioner of therapeutic play does.

A list of competencies for Play Therapists provides further information.

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Introductory articles and papers explain how play works as a therapy. Facebook Twitter contact ptukorg. Using Play to Alleviate Children's Problems. Play therapy - Play therapy uses a variety of play and creative arts methods to alleviate children's problems.

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How does therapeutic play work? Evidence That Play Therapy Works. Measuring the effectiveness of play therapy by Play Therapy UK, the largest and most progressive organisation governing therapeutic play and play therapy in the United Kingdom. That much is common knowledge in the modern era, but fewer people may realize how play can function as a method of healing as well. Play therapy is defined as a method of counseling that utilizes play as a means of communication with children that attempts to resolve psychological challenges. It has been theorized that play therapy benefits social integrations, emotional modulation, and trauma recovery as well as standard growth and development.

Play therapy techniques are also frequently used as a diagnostic tool. If a child is being treated for antisocial behavior, the therapist will begin the sessions by letting a child play with toys that reflect real-life things or situations, such as dolls, stuffed animals, or play-houses.

Play Therapy Techniques: 30 Therapeutic Activities for Children

Toys can also be used by therapists as a mean to initiate difficult conversation by displacing the subject from the child to the toy. This method became so commonplace that it became the subject of several famous movie scenes, and later many parodies. Other forms of play therapy have professionals simply observing the way kids play in an free-form environment. The therapist will use this opportunity to identify problems and then work with the child to understand and resolve their issues.

Some of these exercises are intended to develop communication skills, ways to express feelings, and adjustments to typical responses and behaviors. Therapists often utilize two different types of play therapy. One is more hands-on, the other leaves room for the child to set the course. It is up to parents and professionals to decide which play therapy techniques are the most appropriate for the specific child being treated.