Play Therapy for Children
Children may have difficulty expressing exactly what is on their mind, or what they are a feeling about a specific situation. Adults dialogue with their therapist about their thoughts and feelings in regards to everyday conflicts or a specific problem. Children are often better able to express through the language of play in regards to what is troubling them when they cannot say their thoughts and feelings in words. Children often cannot conceptualize thoughts or feelings into words but can often “play out” their frustration, sadness, anger, loneliness, or myriad of emotions in the play therapy room. A child may have built up anxieties and fears from past experiences and people close to them (siblings, parents, guardians, etc.).
The therapist acts as an objective and accepting adult for the child. This creates a unique opportunity for the child to release the natural healing resources within and provide a corrective emotional experience.
Play therapy has been used successfully with children whose problems are related to life’s stressors such as divorce, relocation, hospitalization, chronic illness, physical/sexual abuse, domestic violence, natural disasters and death according to the Association for Play Therapy.
Therapy for sensitive children is integrated into counseling whenever and wherever the need arises.
I use the term “sensitive” to describe a child who has increased awareness to:
- others’ feelings
- noise – specific ones or too much
- space – lack of or too much of
- the need to be organized or for more time
- body sensations – numbing, dizziness, localized body sensation, etc.
- light
These are only some of the ways it may show up in your child. Sensitivity may make your child feel different. Please call if you believe your child is sensitive in particular areas and needs help. Sensitivity may present itself as a “problem” when in reality it might not be a problem at all, but a gift.
Schedule a play therapy session.
