Play Therapy for Children.......Offered at P.C.A T. Services!!
Learn how Play Therapy can benefit your child.
Adults communicate through speech; words, body language and other subtle means. Children's speech ability exceeds their intellectual adaptation of speech nuances, such as tone, inflection, double meaning and a vast vocabulary choice.
Therefore, play is to the child what verbalization is to the adult, and toys and play is the language of children, through which fear, frustration, sadness and other emotions are fully expressed. Given the opportunity, children will express their emotions and frustrations through the language of play therapy.
'Play', in child therapy, means 'the freedom and room to act',
rather than playing as viewed normally (i.e., in a restricted environment).
'Restricted environment' is the world is which the child has learned how to not express themselves: authority figures, household and social rules, school rules.
These guidelines are necessary, but equally necessary is that a troubled, abused, frightened or any child with emotional concerns, be allowed to speak their struggles. 'Play' therapy provides that environment.
The therapist is an adult without a defined role in the child's life, and the skill of the therapist is to carefully allow the child to speak their language of play, in order to understand and help the child. It becomes the instrument to give a diagnostic understanding of your child.
The following are the general procedures:
1. Establish an accepting relationship with the therapist.
2. Entering the secret world of a child's fear, anger, confusion, intimidation.
3. Relating play behavior to internal meaning to the child.
4. Verbalization of the child's internal turmoil.
5. New direction of behavior.
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First session: Parent(s) come alone to discuss concerns. You will be introduced to the play room and questions answered.
Second session: Parent(s) come into play room with the child, and quietly exit to the waiting room when your child seems comfortable with you leaving.
Following sessions: Child is brought to play room for duration of therapy. After some sessions, parents and therapists should discuss changes observed by each.
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Play room is located next to the waiting room; parents are welcome to come to the open playroom door and look inside at any time during the session.
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Child Therapy is a longer time process than counseling for adults who can cognitively choose changes and verbalize situations.
However, children are in their formative years, and the investment of time and money in play therapy is productive and importantly beneficial to children. Call us and we can further discuss play therapy for your child.
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Play Therapy, guided by therapist who reared 6 children!!
Experience does help :)