Play Therapy
Play therapy is typically used with children ages 3 through 12 and has been empirically shown to produce positive results addressing a range of concerns including anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, depression, changes in family structure, and behavioral issues. Due to their developmental stage, children are often not able to verbalize and discuss their internal cognitive and emotional experience.
The use of play in therapy allows the child to communicate to the therapist in a developmentally appropriate way, using a child’s natural language. Through therapeutic play, the therapist assists the child in gaining confidence and mastery over his/her environment, learning new ways of coping and problem-solving, and processing thoughts and feelings that he/she may not be able to communicate directly.
