What is Play Therapy?

Although sometimes used with adults, play therapy is an approach used primarily when counselling children. While it may look like ordinary play, play therapy techniques are used to explore a child’s life, allowing the child to freely express repressed thoughts and emotions through play. The counsellor will use play to establish a trusting relationship with the child, and will observe the child’s choices, decisions, and style of play to gain insight into the child’s problems. The aim is to help a child to learn to express his/her emotions in healthier and more appropriate ways, and to discover more positive ways of dealing with problems. 

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(Psychology Today; Healthline, 2019)