Play Therapy

Abstract

Play therapy is widely considered as an effectual tool, and it can be Play therapy can be used with children and adolescents who are experiencing social, behavioral , emotional, and learning problems, like: anger management difficulties, anxiety, academic or social developmental problems, depression, learning or physical disabilities and low self-esteem etc. The extensive implementation of play therapy prescribes that its effectiveness is supposed to be clearly established. However, among researchers, there is continuing controversy about how well play therapy works. This paper reviews the different researches done on play therapy. Both the stances in favor of and against the play therapy are discussed in detail in this paper.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Body: Discussion and Analysis5

Play therapy5

Techniques of Play Therapy6

Modern Approaches7

Conclusion9

Play Therapy

Introduction

Play therapy is commonly applied with children aged 3 through 11 and offers a way for them for expressing their feelings and feelings through a self-guided, natural, self-healing process. A unique form of treatment is represented by play therapy that is not only geared toward young children, but is rendered into a language that can be comprehended and utilized by children—the language of play. (Kool & Lawver, 2010) It is a technique through which the natural means of expression of child, that is play, is used as a therapeutic mean to support him/her in dealing with emotional trauma or stress. This therapy has been used with children effectively, having a level of understanding of a normal three to eight year old, who are; distressed because of family issues (e.g., sibling rivalry, parental divorce), bed wetter, nail biters, social underdeveloped, aggressive or cruel, or victims of child abuse. With special education students, it has also been used, for whom disability causes anxiety or emotional turmoil.

According to Klein et. al., (2003), the universal language of children is play. The most important tool of child for learning and growing is play, according to many psychotherapists (Hunter, 1998), child development specialists (Russ, 2004), and pediatricians (Ginsberg, 2007). Play is the “language” whereby children communicate with adults and is accordingly the most effectual medium through which children can be understood and guided by adults (Axline, 1969; Kottman, 1995; Landreth, 2002). Because of importance of Play to child development, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has recognized it as a right of every child (Ginsberg, 2007).

With play therapy, feelings of self-esteem and self-acceptance of a child are raised through a relationship with a caring adult who encourages play and molds the essential conditions of a healthy relationship, like understanding, acceptance and congruence (Jernberg & Booth, 1999). It is emphasized by Wilson and Ryan (2005) that during the early childhood years, children are allowed by symbolic play to freely incorporate their experiences with no environmental restraints. Although generally outside the awareness of child, such assimilation brings about substantive change. According to Landreth (2002), play therapy is a theoretical, structured based approach to therapy that is based on the normal learning and communicative processes of children. Actually, widespread acceptance has been gained by play therapy as an ...