Personal and interpersonal development is important for parents of young children, starting as early as six months. It can be difficult for parents to understand the different approaches to therapy and what may work best for their children.

One approach that has proven to be effective is play therapy. While this method isn't exactly common knowledge, it's promising to help the rising generation.

What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy developed to allow children to explore their interests and understand themselves more. It’s a form of psychotherapy that uses play for communication for young children as well as individuals with communication difficulties. The subject of the therapy can show their needs and even reveal their anxieties as a less invasive diagnostic tool.

Play therapy has been shown to help children with some of the following skills:

Sensorimotor development
Coping skills
Social integration
Trauma resolution
Empathy
Improving social skills
Decreasing aggressive behaviours

One example of play therapy is a therapist offering a child a doll and dollhouse to demonstrate difficulties they are experiencing at home or school. Puppets are another common tool. The freedom to act out their feelings can show the therapist what they struggle with in a lower-stress environment. Play therapy differs from normal playtime because of the data collection element that therapists use to understand their patients better.

Types of Play Therapy

There are two primary kinds of play therapy: directive and non-directive play. Non-directive play therapy is mostly unstructured. Children are given an open environment to explore with little direction from therapists, teachers, or others. Non-directive play therapy is used with children who have had traumatic experiences with adults, including abuse.

Directive therapy still allows the children choice and freedom but in a more controlled way. Instead of having endless options, children will be prompted to make choices and be guided by a therapist or parent. Both kinds of play therapy are effective for different reasons.

What is the Overall Goal of Play Therapy?

Play therapy can be used to help children understand their trauma, as well as learn to control their emotions and behaviours. From a psychodynamic perspective, children will play to work through internal anxieties.

With a less structured approach, children can grow to understand themselves through play rather than other methods, which can be more stressful. Play therapy can help therapists understand their patients and guide treatment or medication with this information.

What Play Equipment can support Play Therapy?

Role play areas can offer a good setting for play therapy; providing a space where children can act out their feelings in surroundings matching those of the outside world (pictured below). Tigerplay also create play spaces for reading and quiet time, often featuring cocoon-like dens which make children feel safe and secure (pictured above).

What Children can Benefit from Play Therapy?

Play therapy can be used with a variety of patients and for a variety of reasons. Children as young as three can benefit, but there are other indicators a child may benefit from play therapy, such as:

If they are struggling with anxiety or depression.
If they have recently experienced family conflict, including abuse or divorce.
If they have shown a propensity for anger issues.
If they appear to be worried or stressed at all times.
If they do not respond appropriately to social cues.
If they have demonstrated difficulty with peers (or even siblings).

If a child struggles with any of these issues, play therapy might be what they need. If you’d like to create a specialised play space, contact our team of indoor play experts today.