Play Therapy

Garry Landreth and Sue Barroton

Prepared by Hira Abbasi
BSN (G), Semester V
Subject: Pediatric Health Nursing

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 Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
Rational for Play Therapy ................................................................................... 3
The Process of Play Therapy ............................................................................... 4
Assessment: .......................................................................................................... 4
Toys and Material ................................................................................................ 5
Play Therapy Research and Results ................................................................... 7
Professional Training........................................................................................... 7
Future Trends in Play Therapy .......................................................................... 8
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 8

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Introduction
Communication Gap: Adults do not understand what the children are feeling or
want to communicate. This creates a communication gap between adults and
children and they are comfortable that children adopt that means of expressions
commonly used by adults.
In this situation, an approach is required to understand the problems of children. Play
Therapy is the dynamic approach to dynamic inner structure of the child.
In the beginning, it is important to know what Play Therapy is.
Play Therapy: It is a medium for expressing feelings, exploring relationships,
describing experiences, disclosing wishes, and self-fulfillment. It is primarily a non-
verbal approach.
Play is the child's language and Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our
spirits and brightens our outlook on life.
Difference between play therapy and psythorapy:
Play therapy is used to treat children while psychotherapy is used to treat adults

Rational for Play Therapy

It is said that toys are the child's words! Children`s language development is slow
as compared to their mental development and play plays an important role to make
them express what they experience.
 In play therapy toys are viewed as the child’s words and play as the child’s
language–a language of activity. In play therapy the symbolic function of play
is like providing children with a means of expressing their inner world.
 The use of toys enables children to transfer anxieties, fears, fantasies, and guilt
to objects rather than people.
 Play enables children to distance themselves from traumatic events and
experiences.
 In the play activity, become able to cope with their problems.
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 During play children start considering new possibilities

  Play therapy helps children explore the unfamiliar things
 Children express outwardly

The Process of Play Therapy

The child can’t adequately express themselves in the adult world, the therapist
joins the child in their world, on their level. The dynamics of expression ant the
vehicle for the communication are different for the children than for adults, the
expressions are similar to those of adults.
The play therapy process can be viewed as a relationship between the therapist and
the child in which the child utilizes play to explore his or her personal world and
also to make a safe contact with the therapist.
Play Therapy may involve following steps:

Assessment Engagement Therapy Termination

Here, all the four stages are defined very shortly.

Assessment:
 Therapist may want to observe the child at play, could conduct interviews
with child, parents or teachers.
 The therapist experience, in a personal and interactive way, the inner
dimensions of the child’s world.
For example If the reason the child was referred to the therapist is aggressive
behavior, the medium of play gives the therapist an opportunity to experience the
aggression firsthand as the child bangs on the Bobo or attempts to shoot the
therapist with a gun.
Engagement:
In this stage, the therapists indulge children to play with the toys based on the
assessment of the children. This helps children express what they have felt and
experienced in their lives.
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Therapy:
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This step/stage can be considered as one of the most important steps in Play therapy
because this involves the processes applied by the therapists to relieve the child in
such a way that he/she could cope with their problems.
Termination:
This is the last stage of this therapy. In this the process of Play therapy ends when
the therapists consider that child, under therapy, is turned into a happy and strong
person.

Toys and Material

All toys and materials do not automatically encourage children’s expression or
exploration of their needs, feelings, and experiences, so toys should be selected, not
collected.
It is important to underline that Play therapy is not used as a way to pass the time.
The purpose is not to engage the child’s hands while trying to elicit some verbal
expression from the child’s mouth. In this regard careful attention should be given
to selecting play materials that aid in the following:
• Exploration of real life experiences
• Expression of a wide range of feelings
• Testing of limits
• Expressive and exploratory play
• Exploration and expression without verbalization
• Success without prescribed structure

Play Therapy Techniques

Some of the techniques therapist may use are given below:

 storytelling
 role-playing
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 toy phones
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  puppets, stuffed animals, and masks
 dolls, action figures
 blocks and construction toys
 dance and creative movement

Setting Limits in Play Therapy

Limit setting is one of the most important aspects of play therapy and seems to be
the most problematic area for play therapists. Limits provide structure for the
development of the therapeutic relationship and help to make the experience a real-
life relationship. Without limits a relationship would have little value.
 Children are not allowed to do anything they want because they feel unsafe,
less valued or not accepted in the environment without boundaries. Therefore,
the therapist determine boundaries. But it is worth noticing that the limits are
not always necessary, but only set when needed and are always minimal.
Limitlessness during the therapeutic process are as follows:
Exploration No Persistent
is Neatness
Messiness patience as
encouraged
is accepted guiding
principle

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  Limits are worded in a way that allows the child to bring himself or herself
under control.
 Teach children the alternative ways to do things which are acceptable for
instance if a child wants to pour paint on the flour, teach them to pour the paint
on the pan rather than on the flour.

Play Therapy Research and Results

Play therapy is a well-thought out, philosophically conceived, developmentally
based, and research supported approach to helping children cope with and overcome
the problems they experience in the process of living their lives
Play therapy has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic approach for a
variety of children’s problems including, but not limited to, the following areas:
 abuse and neglect
 aggression and acting out
 attachment difficulties
 autism
 burn victims
 chronic illness
 deaf and physically challenged children
 dissociation and schizophrenia
 emotionally disturbed children
 enuresis and encopresis problems

Professional Training
Play therapists have a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work,
although other disciplines also are represented in the field. A master’s degree
representing some area of the helping profession with emphasis on the clinical or
counseling aspects of therapeutic relationships is a general prerequisite.
In addition to such a program, training should incorporate the areas of child
development and basic counseling skills.
Also extensive training in the area of play therapy and a supervised practicum()
experience with children in play therapy.
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Future Trends in Play Therapy
The field of play therapy is growing and is now represented by the Association for
Play Therapy, an international professional organization.
A national Center for Play Therapy has been established at the University of North
Texas, the USA.
Number of elementary school counselors and therapists in private practice and
agencies is increasing who incorporate play therapy into their work with children.
In a type of play therapy called Filial therapy parents are trained to use play therapy
procedures with their children.

Conclusion
Play therapy is based on developmental principles and, thus, provides, through play,
developmentally appropriate means of expression and communication for children.
Skill in using play therapy is an essential tool for mental health professionals who
work with children. Therapeutic play allows children the opportunity to express
themselves fully and at their own pace with the assurance that they will be
understood and accepted.

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