Young children frequently have difficulty talking about what is bothering them.  This difficulty is not because they do not want to discuss their thoughts and feelings, but because they have not yet developed the vocabulary or the thinking skills that they need to be able to do this.

 

Play therapy is an approach to counseling children that allows them to use toys and other play and art materials to express their thoughts and feelings.  In a play session, children can use their play to show the counselor  what they are thinking and feeling.  The counselor can use the play to communicate with children about what is happening in their lives and to help them explore alternative behaviors and attitudes.

 

Before the first session, parents will need to explain the details of how often children will be coming to play therapy, where it is, and basically what happens.  Children seem to feel more comfortable and at ease knowing the main thing they will be doing is playing.   I also think that it is important for adults to give children a simple explanation of their perception of the presenting problem and to suggest that children generally feel better about themselves and other people after going to play therapy for a while.  This explanation helps get rid of children’s fears about coming to counseling.

 

Because children frequently play in the sand or paint, they should wear comfortable play clothes, rather than “good” clothes, to play therapy.  It is a fun process, and sometimes it is messy.

 

After a session, although it is appropriate for parents to let children know that they are interested in the children’s experiences in the play session, they should not question children about their experiences.  If children draw or paint pictures or produce other artwork, parents should avoid questioning them about the art or praising or criticizing them.

 

To help build trust in the relationship with children, the counselor keeps what they say and do  in the play therapy sessions private.  Instead of talking about specifics, the counselor consults with parents about different ways to understand children and strategies to help them get along better with others and feel better about themselves.

 

A book that can help parents, teachers, and children learn more about play therapy and what happens in play sessions is A Child’s First Book About Play Therapy by Marc Nemiroff and Jane Annunziata.  It is published by the American Psychological Association, APA .

For more information on counseling for children, please contact the Director of the Children's Counseling Center:

Stephanie Legendre