The children I work with are between the ages of 3-8 years old, and during these precious years, children are not cognitively able to adequately express their thoughts and feelings using words. (The ability to use words and language to talk deeply about thoughts and feelings usually happens at around ages 12-13.) However, young children’s brains are wired to use their bodies and the mechanism of play to express their thoughts and feelings until their brains get the wiring for language expression. That is why you may notice your child’s behaviors might shift if they are struggling with their thoughts/feelings (for example: a child may cry around nap time and refuse to nap, but they do not have the ability to tell you “I’m over-tired!” or “I don’t want to miss out on any fun and I get lonely sleeping by myself!”)

While kids may not be able to use words to facilitate healing like adults do, they use the activity of play to work through and make meaning of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. For example, a child who is being potty-trained may “teach” their dolls to use the bathroom in the dollhouse. This kind of play does not need to be prompted– children naturally and spontaneously use toys to figure out and test the different scenarios, experiences, and feelings that they are working on. In playing about their challenges, it puts the problem outside of the child, which is less threatening to the child’s developing sense of self or “ego.” As a play therapist, I work in that same objective space with the child so that they can do their work without feeling the shame, fear, or anxiety that they might feel in directly talking about or confronting their therapeutic dilemma. Watch the video below entitled “Play Therapy Works!” created by the Association for Play Therapy to learn more. Also click here to learn more about Play Therapy from the Association for Play Therapy.

Play therapy is a way of working with children where they are free to express themselves using their imaginations, toys, art, sandtray, and other therapeutic and play-based mediums in such a way that, with the guidance and support of the play therapist, they are able to safely confront their troubles and conflicts and work through them towards healing.

As a play therapist, I facilitate children’s play in an environment that is physically and psychologically safe to help them understand their feelings, and to feel understood and accepted as they are. Along the way, I may also teach and model appropriate coping skills for big feelings and provide psychoeducation to help provide valuable information for children to be able to move forward in their healing journey.

Through play therapy, I am able to offer my clients a “lived” experience of healing that directly works with the problematic experience to whatever level the child feels ready to confront it.  This differs from traditional talk therapy where often times, adults try to (inadvertently) tell children how they are supposed to feel or they offer interventions that address behavioral symptoms that are not able to touch the actual trauma experience in a way that is actually healing for young children. Watch the video below entitled “Play Therapy Works!” created by the Association for Play Therapy to learn more. Also click here to learn more about Play Therapy from the Association for Play Therapy.