Children don’t always have the words to express what they’re feeling but they do know how to play.

A therapist can enter a child’s world through their play which establishes relationship and builds trust. Play therapy encourages free expression and allows the child to work through difficult emotions or behaviors while finding healthier ways to express themselves. The goal is not necessarily for a child to verbalize their difficulties, but for the experience and self-discovery to translate into their daily world and environment through their development of self-awareness and healthy expression of emotion. We work with parents outside of the play therapy sessions to collaborate and provide feedback in ways you can support your child during this process.  The collaboration and working together allows the child to experience the consistency between therapy and home which encourage the positive changes and growth in the child and their environment. 

There are two predominant styles of play therapy, directive and non-directive. Non-directive play therapy allows the child to lead and the freedom to work toward their own solutions at their own pace and Directive play therapy incorporates more structure and direction during the play sessions. Both styles are evidenced based and goal oriented.  Our therapists, together with parents, customize an individual treatment plan for each child and outline goals for therapy.  Parent sessions are scheduled after every 4-5 sessions to collaborate, communicate progress and revise goals. 

To learn more about Play Therapy visit https://www.a4pt.org/default.aspx.