PLAY THERAPY

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

The differences between adult verbal thinking and a child's thought process probably underlie the development of play therapy. Therapists have long been aware of the therapeutic qualities of play. Margaret Lowenfeld's research of the diagnosis and treatment of troubled children began in the early 1900s and focused on “the insufficiency of words to express those aspects of childhood thought and feeling which interested her most … her rejection of words as a medium of communication, unless they are supplemented by visible, manipulatable forms” (Lowenfeld, 1979, p. vii-viii).

A child does not think in a linear fashion as do many adults. A child's feelings, thoughts, and memories are not in a linear, chronological timeline or necessarily logically connected but are nonetheless intricately interwoven in a distinct pattern. Thinking takes place on multiple planes simultaneously. Children may think in pictures that may not be converted into words because pictures or actions may embody the idea more. Feelings themselves are not truly accessible at a verbal level due to undeveloped cognitive and verbal abilities. For a child, play is a natural way of “thinking,” unlike using verbal means to express emotional concerns. Play therapy can utilize play itself to bridge the gap between child thinking and adult thinking (Landreth and Lowenfeld). Play therapy might also be used to facilitate verbal processing if this gap remains for the adult due to dissociation at the time of the sexual trauma.

In addition to verbal facilitation, several additional therapeutic benefits have been realized through the use of play therapy with children. Amster (1982) described several therapeutic advantages to using play therapy with children including: (a) the development of a working relationship with the therapist because it allows for nonthreatening interaction using the familiar medium of play, (b) breaking down of personal defenses, (c) facilitation of verbalization because it allows for a distancing from the emotional event, and (d) cathartic release by allowing a child a safe avenue for the release of highly emotional material (Bow, 1993).

Free expression in a nonthreatening environment would seem a necessary prerequisite when working with adults who may be plagued by feelings of guilt and shame, fear and anxiety. Play is a natural occurrence and allows children to express themselves openly, allowing a release from strict self-control so that attitudes toward self, environment, and life can be expressed genuinely (Davis, 1952). It is an inherently satisfying activity whose motivation is simply to elicit pleasure. “The therapist uses play with children because play is the child's symbolic language of self-expression, and for children to ' play out' their experiences, and attitudes, is the most natural dynamic and self-healing process in which children can engage.” ( Landreth, 1993, p. 51). Once a child has allowed the feelings to surface and faced the feelings, he/she can choose to either control or abandon them (Axline, 1947). The player is allowed the freedom of expression without punitive consequences (Jack, 1987) and becomes more self-aware regarding personal preferences and dislikes (Arieti, ...