Play Therapy

What is play therapy? Play therapy is the belief that a child’s play is their message. Play therapists believe that a child innately knows what they need to work on and provide an environment in which the child can use their play to work through their difficulties. The process is to assist the child in tapping into his/her own creative process and then therapy happens. A play therapist does not focus on the child’s problem, rather will focus on the child as a person. The purpose of play therapy is not to engage the child in play that is preparation for something else, like disclosing the cause of their anxiety. Rather the purpose of play therapy is to allow the child to decide what he/she needs to work on.

Therapist utilize empirically proven techniques:
Reflection of the child’s action and affect
Empathetic Reflection
Empowering child to make choices in session
Helping child develop internal source of approval
Tracking
Self esteem building


Objectives: To help child
Develop more positive self concept
Assume greater self responsibility
Become more self accepting
Become more self reliant
Engage in self determined decision making
Experience a feeling of control
Become sensitive to the process of coping
Develop an internal source of evaluation
Become more trusting of self

If you are interested in learning more about play therapy, or feel that there is a child in your life that may benefit from play therapy, please contact our office for more information, 386-736-9165.

Jennifer Nadelkov, MA, LMFT