Play Therapy is an effective evidence based form of psychotherapy, where play is used to help children and young people to express and communicate their feelings and experiences.
There will be a wide selection of toys and other resources for the child to play with and the Play Therapist will provide a safe and trusting space enabling them to communicate at their own level and pace and express themselves and make sense of their life experiences through play.
Play Therapy can also help a child improve their social and emotional well-being through developing their self-esteem, problem-solving, coping mechanisms and decision-making skills leading to healthier relationships.
Play is a child’s natural way to learn, communicate and to explore their worlds.
Play is the child’s language and the toys are their words.
Talking therapies may be inappropriate for children and young people who may not have the language, cognitive and emotional development to put feelings in to words about the things that are impacting on their well-being.
For further information, please read the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) ‘What is Play Therapy‘ page.
Play is vital to all key aspects of a child’s development, such as:
- Social
- Emotional
- Cognitive
- Physical
- Creative
- Language
