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 is a specific counselling approach in which games, toys and mediums such as
clay, drawings and paint are used to help a child or adolescent to express their emotions,
thoughts, wishes and needs. It helps them to understand muddled feelings and upsetting events
that they have not had the chance or the skills to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain
what is troubling them, as adult therapy usually expects, children use play to communicate at
their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.

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The initial focus of the therapy is on building a relationship between a child and the therapist.
This relationship is a very important tool in the therapeutic process because a child or adolescent
will more readily talk about their intimate feelings when they feel respected and accepted. In the
sessions the therapist uses specific techniques to assess how a child or adolescent experience
their world and how they communicate and react to the events and people in their world.
Children are lead to become aware of what they are feeling and opportunities are given to
express these feelings. Awareness is a very important process in play therapy, because without
awareness change is not possible. Throughout the therapy the child or adolescent is empowered
and supported to learn more about who they are, to talk about things that are frightening or
painful, to be self supportive and to experiment with new behaviour.

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 can be useful for any child of four years and older. It can help to become aware of
what feelings and how these feelings manifest in behaviour or one's body. They can learn how to
become better at regulating emotions and expressing them in constructive ways. They can
discover who they are and what their strong and weak points, needs, wishes, thoughts and
dreams are. The combination of this self-knowledge and training in social skills may help a child
to become more assertive, self-confident and to have self-respect and respect for others.

c
 
 




 
 
Some examples of play therapeutic interventions are:

An

   was helped to realize what causes his feelings of aggression and what the
reasons are for his aggression. Alternative ways of dealing with anger and frustration were
discussed and practised. His aggression diminished and he became more loving and self-assured.

A    conquered her fears and frustrations by means of play therapy. She became aware of
her feelings about situations in which she was very withdrawn and was enabled to set more
realistic goals for herself.

A     explored the reasons for his tension. He also learned to become aware of signs of
tension in his body and what to do to relax.

A   

   used drawings to express his feelings about himself and
his perception of what other children think of him. He realized that his opinion of himself
influences his relationships with others. The therapy then focused on his strengths and on
building self-respect.

A  
    became aware of her feelings about herself and about what had
happened to her. She also learned how the molestation influenced these feelings. The therapy
then focused on ways to empower her.
A child was very depressed after the 
 of her beloved father. She was able to express her
feelings about him and his death and conveyed these feelings to him in a symbolic way.

A 

   was helped to become aware of his behaviour, his feelings about himself
and others, and his sensory experiences. Play therapy, in conjunction with other techniques,
helped him to become calmer and more focused. He also improved his social skills by
participating in group work with other children experiencing similar problems.

A child who was having trouble with 



 and with making friends learnt that he was
blocking out sensations and emotions because he wanted to avoid experiencing painful emotions.
Once he had built enough courage and self-confidence to confront his fears and painful
emotions, he became more in tune with his body's (such as a full bladder). Attention was also
given to effective communication skills and empathy.

Information for Parents

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