What is Play Therapy & Why is it so Effective for Children?
What is Play Therapy & Why is it so Effective for Children?
Many parents struggle to find a place for successful treatment for their children. It can be hard to find a therapist or counseling center that accepts children in the first place. Let alone one that engages a child into being willing to talk about problems or struggles they’re facing.
Many children therapists have been getting more creative in engaging and building rapport with clients. Such as incorporating interests or making therapeutic material more appealing than traditional talk therapy. Play Therapy is a therapy modality that uses play to allow a child to express feelings, modify behaviors, and develop problem-solving skills. As well as process traumatic events and learn a variety of ways to relate to others or the world around them.
Play Therapy Is An Alternative Way of Communication for Children
Remember that children, especially young children, sometimes have trouble being able to accurately verbalize what they’re feeling. But often they don’t have trouble showing you what they’re feeling. Think about when a child cries at the grocery store. The child may want something and is having trouble saying the words, “Hey mom, I want a cookie”. Hence they begin crying instead. Children can’t rationalize concepts the same way adults can. Instead, they often use their behaviors to express feelings. Thus, Play Therapy can be an effective use of communication for children as toys are children’s words.
Let’s think about how a child’s cognitive understanding forms using theories of child development. Psychologist Jean Piaget says children actively construct their reality using experiences from their immediate environment. Which is a fancy way of saying they’re like little architects making a mental model of the world. So they need a hands-on way to learn and grow. Play Therapy allows children to explore, manipulate, act out, or process events in a safe space psychologically distant from the actual event itself. In other words, if they have a history of trauma, play therapy often helps them interpret this experience in a way they can understand without having to relive the experience.
What is Play Therapy? It’s A Chance For A Child To Express Emotions
Trauma, however, is not the only reason a child may engage in Play Therapy. At Miami Vibes Counseling we have seen how it can be helpful for children experiencing a variety of challenges such as:
anxiety
depression
emotion regulation and expression
life transitions or difficulty adjusting to new environments or situations (like divorce, separation, the arrival of a new baby)
socialization with peers or siblings at school or home
learning or reading disabilities
controlling anger
and many others!
With this technique a children’s therapist allows a child to skill build in a way that makes sense to them and is also engaging for them. Is your child struggling and they do not always do well with “just talking about things”? Then play therapy may be another option for you to explore. Play Therapy can also help ease a child into seeing therapy as “fun” and might make them want to go. Instead of them feeling forced into it. Or that therapy might seem like scary, boring, or only for “people who need help.”
Start Play Therapy in Miami, FL
Are curious about whether or not your child could benefit from play therapy? Our Miami children’s therapist can work with you and your child to determine the best course of treatment for them. In order to get started in children’s therapy at Miami Vibes Counseling follow these steps:
Contact us to speak to a trained play therapist
Schedule your first session for your child at Miami Vibes Counseling Center
Watch your child thrive and actually enjoy counseling
Other Services We Offer In Miami, Florida
Our caring Miami therapists offer mental health counseling using a variety of approaches, including CBT, EMDR, and Brainspotting. These methods can help with anxiety therapy, stress relief, life transitions therapy, and depression treatment. As well as parent coaching, family therapy, couples therapy and more. We truly look forward to supporting you and your family!
Nuestros Servicios de Terapia Ofrecidos
Nuestros servicios están disponibles en persona en nuestra oficina de Miami o mediante terapia en línea en Florida. Brindamos terapia de pareja, terapia para niños, terapia familiar y apoyo para padres. Además de tratamiento de ansiedad, tratamiento de depresión y manejo del estrés. Comuníquese hoy y háganos saber cómo podemos ayudarlo.