The main goal of Play Therapy is to develop understanding of feelings, build communication skills, modify behavior, develop problem solving skills, and learn how to relate to other people.
Play Therapy is directed to children ranging from three years old to twelve years old. A typical play therapy session usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes.The primary goal of play therapy is to help children who might struggle with expressing themselves or their emotions to express themselves through play.
The role of the therapist as well as the techniques integrated into the session vary during play therapy. The interventions used depends on the child’s needs and what play mediums they feel most comfortable using. As the child gains comfort in the environment, the therapist will continue to introduce new areas of play therapy in order to observe the child’s behavior and to support the child as the child learns how understand their feelings, communicate effectively, and further develop social skills.
Many children can benefit from Play Therapy. Often, children who have been abused or experienced extremely traumatic or stressful events might benefit from play therapy to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives. Children with certain disorders such a depression, anxiety, ADHD, which impede their emotional and social expressions typically benefit greatly from play therapy.