Play Therapy — Sousa & Associates

What is Play Therapy

Play therapy is a theoretical framework that involves the specific use of play materials to meet the emotional, social, psychological and developmental needs of children. A structured play-based approach with a trained therapist provides a safe way for children to communicate and process their experiences and struggles in the best way they know how: through play!

Play materials such as art supplies, mini house, sand tray, board games and puppets are used in the engagement, assessment, treatment and termination phases of the counselling process. Providing children with play objects allows for safe expression and projection of inner conflicts. Play is the means in which children communicate, process, learn and practice new skills.

9 year-old Alexa (not a client) engaging in sensory play in the Sandtray and planning to create a sand world/sand story. Themes such as good & bad, power & control, safety & danger, nurturance & neglect to name a few, get played out using this powerful and expressive modality named Sandtray therapy. The Play Therapy room has 100’s of minitures lined up on the shelves ready to be used as symbolic images and gestures to showcase a problem, practice solutions and process adversities. No words necessary!

Example of a Sand-Tray World Play activity.  A recreation of how an 8 year old child created a scene depicting danger versus safety.  The child named the sand picture "World of War". — Example of a Sand-Tray World Play activity. A recreation of how a child created a scene depicting danger versus safety. The child named the sand picture "World of War".

A popular problem-solving and anger release activity "Don't Lose Your Marbles".

Hide and seek play is common in the playroom. This play can denote children’s need to be protected or stay safe. The need to be found, rescued an reassured also noted in this kind of child-centered/non-directive play therapy.

Benefits of play therapy

Play is the universal langauge of children
Play therapy is a safe way for children to express and interpret their internal and external world
Natural coping strategies embedded in play
Promotes the expression of difficult feelings, perceptions and experiences
Developmentally sensitive
Practice new skills and increase coping abilities
Learn problem solving, conflict resolution and new concepts
Encourages children's internal capacity to heal and promote mastery