By Children who have been abused or have experienced very stressful situations are those who benefit most from play therapy. It is a way of making them feel safe and connecting with them.
If you look back, it is likely that some of your most significant childhood moments were linked to playing. This symbolic interaction with the most unusual objects or materials generates highly relevant cognitive and emotional stimulation in the human brain. Based on this, it is not surprising that psychology has a powerful intervention tool in play therapy in the child and adolescent field.
Although it is also true that it is effective with adults, it is with the youngest children that a motivating environment is created to intervene in a wide range of needs. Let’s delve a little deeper into this topic.
What is play therapy?
Play therapy is an approach that allows the child to express and process emotions and internal conflicts through interaction with objects. The therapist is key in this intervention. This alliance is what will facilitate change and activate, little by little, appropriate psychological resources. It should be noted that playing is the main tool and speech is a secondary medium.
A paper published in Materia Socio-Medica highlights this strategy as fundamental for preventing and addressing problems in children . The trust that the psychologist creates in each session, as well as the emotional connection and modeling, shape these essential mechanisms for intervening in realities as complex as trauma.
Theoretical principles that support it
As experts Pamela Meersand and Karen J. Gilmore explain in their book Play Therapy: A Psychodynamic Primer for the Treatment of Young Children (2017), psychoanalysis was the first school of thought to see the potential of playing as an intervention tool for children. It is almost like opening a window to detect their anxieties, fears and fantasies, which is why games became established as therapy . Let’s now look at its theoretical principles.
Games as a means of expression
Children use play as their main means of communication. Through it, they express thoughts and feelings that they cannot verbalize. What this approach achieves is to offer them new mechanisms of expression through symbolism by interacting with puppets, drawings, clay, toy houses, construction elements, etc.
Playing is part of development
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky demonstrated that play is an indispensable means for the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills in children. These are resources that help them understand the world around them. For this reason, in the sessions, children are offered different materials so that they can show us how they process the reality that surrounds them.
Therapist-patient relationship
During consultations, the specialized psychologist acts as a facilitator, providing a safe environment at all times. It is important to understand that this bond, based on a healthy attachment, will always act as a primary positive factor for those children who are going through contextual, experiential or developmental difficulties.
Both the humanistic approach and psychoanalysis emphasized the creation of a safe and welcoming space for therapeutic work and success. If this is already crucial in adult therapy, it is even more so in child and adolescent therapy.
Play as a mechanism for resolving conflicts
Through play, children can represent and work through internal conflicts, desires, fears and worries. This psychological craft allows them to process and resolve these problems in a symbolic way. This principle is rooted in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and Melanie Klein’s ideas about play as a more than suitable way of expressing unconscious life.
What problems does this type of therapy address?
Play therapy is a very versatile and effective intervention that is used to address a wide variety of clinical realities. These can include a wide spectrum of realities ranging from emotional or behavioral needs to developmental problems. We analyze them in detail.
Emotional disorders
- Depression: Depressive disorders are very common among children and adolescents. This type of approach makes it easier to express feelings of sadness, hopelessness or lack of interest in activities that they used to enjoy.
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): dealing with harsh realities such as sexual abuse, violence in all its forms or any other traumatic event is very complex. However, play in therapy is a very useful tool in these cases.
- Anxiety: Children who experience anxiety, whether generalized, related to specific situations (such as social anxiety) or derived from specific fears (phobias), can benefit from games in sessions. For example, the International Journal of Nursing Education and Research describes their usefulness in the distress experienced by hospitalized children.
Behavioral problems
- Aggression: Playing can be a great way for children to work through their feelings of anger and frustration. It can also help them learn more appropriate ways to express these emotions.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Play therapy may help children with ADHD improve attention, concentration, and skills to manage impulsivity and hyperactivity.
- Disobedience or impulse control issues: Children and teens who have difficulty following rules or managing their impulses can benefit from structured play, which is great for building self-control and cooperation skills.
Social and family problems
- Social adaptation problems: adapting to new environments, such as a change of school or residence, can sometimes be traumatic for many children. This form of therapy acts as a great ally.
- Grief or loss: This model is a good way for children to process the loss of a loved one, such as a family member or pet. Therapists create an environment of safety, connection, and validation for children to express their grief, sadness, and possible fears.
- Difficulties with interpersonal relationships: Childhood and adolescence are often difficult. Problems with making friends, sharing, or understanding social norms may improve in an individual therapeutic setting or in play therapy groups.
- Divorce or separation of parents: this is certainly a very common reality. There are many children who deal with the divorce or separation of their parents in a stressful way. Playing can be beneficial to get rid of sadness, confusion or anger and also to better understand the situation.
Development-related needs
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): This model is also used to help children with ASD improve their social, communication, and symbolic play skills, as well as to address repetitive or restrictive behaviors.
- Developmental delays: Problems with speech development, motor skills, or cognitive development benefit from play therapy. Specialists tailor the intervention to the patient’s needs.
- Other psychological problems: The population of children with developmental problems or psychological needs, such as children with Down syndrome, is large and has very specific needs. As pointed out by Wright State University, play therapy is useful in the treatment of mental illnesses and behavioral problems.
Adults with internal conflicts
Although it is true that we always associate play therapy with children and adolescents, it is worth noting that it also benefits adults. In these cases, it becomes an effective approach to access emotions and thoughts that are difficult to express verbally.
Through doll therapy , role play, or sandbox play, adults safely and symbolically explore their internal conflicts, traumas, and desires.
What benefits does it bring?
There is a small nuance that should be clarified. Games in therapy are not just a simple activity to entertain patients. We are dealing with a structured modality, supported by science and with a series of purposes. Knowing how to distinguish what is not is always useful. We will now specify what its benefits and stipulated goals are:
- Strengthening ties.
- Building self-esteem.
- Reduce problem behaviors.
- Development of social skills.
- Improve emotional self-regulation.
- Mediate in the resolution of internal conflicts.
- Promote adequate emotional expression.
- Promote creativity and cognitive flexibility.
How is this therapeutic model applied?
The use of play in therapy follows a structured process that varies depending on the approach, the needs of the child, and the treatment goals. However, there are some general steps that are followed in most cases. The first step is to carry out an appropriate assessment. The following aspects are then taken into account.
Time and organization
A typical session can last between half an hour and 45 minutes. It will always depend on the needs/characteristics of the person. Parents or guardians also play a key role. So much so that it is essential to schedule several sessions with the therapist.
On the other hand, during shared time, an attempt is made to create a warm, close and safe environment, so that the child or adolescent feels comfortable to play. In these scenarios, various methodologies or alternatives are used.
Resources
- Litter box .
- Board games.
- LEGO games.
- Card games.
- Playing with dolls.
- The doll’s house.
- Building blocks .
- Puppet theatre play
- Art: drawings, painting and more
- Tea Party Play
- Strategy games like chess or checkers
Typologies
Non-directive or child-centered therapy
Developed by Virginia Axline, it is also known as client-centered play therapy. In this approach, the child is given complete freedom to play without any guidance or interference from the therapist.
Directive play therapy
This methodology is more structured and is directed at all times by the psychologist. It is the professional who chooses the specific games or activities that will address the specific problems or stipulated objectives.
Filial therapy
In filial therapy, parents or caregivers are involved, training them to actively participate in sessions with children. The goal is to strengthen the parent-child bond, improve communication and resolve family problems through this methodology.
Gestalt play therapy
As an interesting fact, you might like to know that we currently have a model based on Gestalt . It is Gestalt Play Therapy , developed by psychologist Violet Solomon Oaklander. In this approach, the child is guided to integrate and improve their perception of themselves and their traumatic experiences.
Play is a channel to orient the child’s mind towards the here and now and reduce the anguish of the child’s psyche. Therapists trained in Gestalt therapy always try to go beyond the child’s symptoms or disorder, to treat the child as a whole, as a holistic entity. Below is a list of the objectives sought:
- Work on self-reflection.
- Promote self-care.
- Integrate self-compassion in the child.
- Somatic intervention (body expression).
Play therapy is a versatile tool
At this point, we must once again stress that this therapeutic model does not consist only of giving a child or adult some crayons or a sandbox with dolls. Play therapy is a powerful and versatile tool that allows individuals of all ages (especially the youngest ones) to explore and solve problems in a safe environment.
If you are thinking of resorting to it for any personal problem, always look for specialists in this model. Through a structured process guided by a professional, good results can be achieved. With time and the support of those around you, you will achieve those therapeutic goals that are so necessary at every stage of life.