Play Therapy Works!

Summary

This script delves into the transformative power of play therapy, a method used to help children communicate and process their emotions through play. It underscores the importance of play as a child's natural language, essential for their development. Play therapists, equipped with master's degrees and specialized training, utilize a playroom filled with therapeutic toys to facilitate expression and healing. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) supports professionals in maintaining expertise, ensuring the highest standards of care. Play therapy is recognized globally as a credible and effective treatment, particularly for young children who express themselves best through play.

Takeaways

• 😀 Play is a fundamental human activity and a key element in childhood memories.
• 🧠 Children's language skills lag behind their cognitive development, and play serves as their primary form of communication.
• 🔍 Play therapy has been observed for centuries and has been applied in mental health as a form of counseling or psychotherapy.
• 👶 Play therapy is a therapeutic intervention that helps children develop communication skills and express their needs and feelings.
• 🎮 Toys are the 'words' of play therapy, and play is the 'language' that children use to process emotions.
• 🏥 Play therapists often have dedicated playrooms stocked with therapeutic toys to facilitate expression and communication.
• 🤝 Building a relationship and trust with the child is crucial before therapeutic interventions can begin.
• 👩‍⚕️ Play therapists are licensed mental health professionals with advanced degrees and significant training in play therapy.
• 🌟 The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is a professional organization that supports play therapists with resources and networking opportunities.
• 🌐 Play therapy is recognized and utilized globally, including in the United States and over 30 other countries.

Q & A

What is the significance of play according to Plato?

Plato believed that play is one of our most fundamental activities and is the essential nature of man.

How does play relate to children's cognitive development?

Children's language development lags behind their cognitive development, and play serves as their language, allowing them to communicate their experiences.

What is play therapy and how does it benefit children?

Play therapy is a therapeutic intervention that uses play, which is natural for children, to help them develop communication skills and express their needs, wants, wishes, and feelings in a developmentally appropriate way.

Why are toys important in play therapy?

Toys are the 'words' of play therapy, allowing children to express themselves when they might have difficulty doing so verbally. The selection of toys is critical to facilitate this expression.

What role does the playroom play in the therapeutic process?

The playroom is a child's world during counseling, providing a safe place for them to express their emotional lives and be understood by the therapist.

How does a play therapist build a relationship with a child client?

A play therapist builds a relationship with a child by creating a safe environment, allowing the child to feel comfortable and trust the therapist, which is essential for effective therapy.

What types of issues can play therapy help address?

Play therapy can help address a wide range of social, emotional, behavioral, and other developmental issues in children.

What qualifications do play therapists typically have?

Play therapists typically have earned master's or higher degrees and have obtained significant training and supervised clinical experience in play therapy and the primary mental health disciplines.

What is the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and how does it support play therapists?

The Association for Play Therapy is a national professional society that provides resources, education, and networking opportunities to help play therapists develop and maintain their expertise.

How does the APT help play therapists stay current in their field?

The APT offers access to core play therapy programs, clinical and professional information, research, graduate-level education, supervised clinical internships, and continuing education programs to help play therapists stay current.

Why is play therapy considered a valuable treatment modality?

Play therapy is considered valuable because it is a developmentally sensitive approach that meets the clients' needs, especially for young children, by utilizing their natural form of communication, play.

Outlines

00:00

🧩 The Power of Play in Therapy

This paragraph discusses the fundamental role of play in human development, particularly in children. Play is described as a child's language, allowing them to communicate cognitively beyond their verbal abilities. It's highlighted that play therapy has been observed for centuries and has been adopted by mental health professionals as a form of counseling. Play therapy is a therapeutic intervention that helps children develop communication skills in a developmentally appropriate manner. Toys serve as tools for children to express their emotions and experiences. The paragraph also explains the importance of a playroom in therapy, where children can feel safe to express themselves. The process of building trust between the therapist and the child is emphasized, as is the role of play therapists in facilitating the therapeutic process using toys and activities to address a range of developmental issues.

05:01

🌐 The Role of the Association for Play Therapy

The second paragraph focuses on the Association for Play Therapy (APT), a professional organization that supports play therapists. It details the benefits of being a member of the APT, such as access to core play therapy programs, clinical information, research, education, and networking opportunities. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and staying current with the latest research and best practices in play therapy. The APT is portrayed as a valuable resource for professionals to develop and maintain their expertise. The paragraph concludes with a testimony of how play therapy can empower children to change their perspectives on their life experiences, and it encourages those interested in play therapy to contact the APT for more information.

Keywords

💡Play

Play is a fundamental human activity, essential for children's development, as it serves as their language for communication. In the context of the video, play is not just recreational but also a tool for expressing emotions and experiences that children may not be able to articulate in words. The video emphasizes that play is a natural and effective way for children to communicate with adults, particularly in therapeutic settings.

💡Cognitive Development

Cognitive development refers to the growth of a child's mental processes, including thinking, learning, memory, and language. The video script notes that children's language skills often lag behind their cognitive abilities, making play a crucial medium for them to express complex thoughts and feelings. Play allows children to explore and make sense of their world in a way that is developmentally appropriate.

💡Play Therapy

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that utilizes play as a medium for communication and expression. It is particularly beneficial for children, as it allows them to process emotions and experiences in a safe and natural environment. The video explains that play therapy is a therapeutic intervention that helps children develop communication skills and express their needs, wants, wishes, and feelings in a way that is developmentally appropriate.

💡Therapeutic Toys

Therapeutic toys are tools used in play therapy to facilitate expression and communication. These toys, such as dolls, dollhouses, animal figures, and art supplies, are carefully selected to help children express their emotional lives. The video script highlights the importance of the selection of toys in a playroom, as they serve as the 'words' through which children can communicate their experiences and feelings to the therapist.

💡Playroom

A playroom in the context of the video is a designated space in a therapist's office where children can engage in play therapy. It is described as a child's world during counseling, a safe place where they can freely express their emotions and be understood by the therapist. The playroom is crucial for establishing trust and facilitating the therapeutic process.

💡Emotional Expression

Emotional expression in the video refers to the ability of children to convey their feelings and emotional states through play. Since children may struggle to express themselves verbally, play becomes a vital tool for them to communicate their inner worlds. The video underscores the importance of play as a language for emotional expression, allowing children to process and make sense of their experiences.

💡Therapeutic Relationship

The therapeutic relationship in the video is the bond established between the play therapist and the child. It is essential for the success of play therapy, as it allows the child to feel safe and trusted enough to express themselves openly. The video mentions that building this relationship takes time and is crucial for children to learn to trust the therapist as a new figure in their lives.

💡Developmentally Appropriate

Developmentally appropriate refers to practices, materials, and interactions that are suitable for a child's age and developmental stage. In the video, play therapy is described as a developmentally appropriate method for children to express themselves, as it aligns with their natural inclination to play and their cognitive and emotional capabilities.

💡Association for Play Therapy (APT)

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is a professional organization mentioned in the video that supports and advances the field of play therapy. It provides resources, education, and networking opportunities for play therapists. The video highlights the APT as a trusted organization that helps professionals maintain their expertise and stay current with the latest research and best practices in play therapy.

💡Mental Health Professionals

Mental health professionals in the context of the video include play therapists, who are licensed individuals with master's or higher degrees and significant training and experience in play therapy. They use play as a therapeutic tool to communicate with and help clients, particularly children. The video emphasizes the importance of these professionals in providing the highest standards of care in the field of play therapy.

💡Continuing Education

Continuing education in the video refers to the ongoing learning and professional development that play therapists engage in to stay current with new research and best practices. The video mentions that it is essential for play therapists to continuously update their knowledge and skills to provide the best care for their clients, often through programs and resources offered by the Association for Play Therapy.

Highlights

Play is a fundamental human activity and essential to human nature.

Play is a key element in most childhood memories.

Children's language development lags behind their cognitive development, and play serves as their language.

Play allows children to communicate experiences they can't express in words.

Play therapy is a form of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play's inherent curative powers.

Play therapy helps children develop communication skills in a therapeutic setting.

Toys in play therapy are the children's words, aiding in emotional processing.

Play therapy can also benefit older clients who struggle with verbal expression.

Therapists often stock their offices with therapeutic toys to facilitate play therapy.

The playroom provides a safe space for children to express their emotional lives.

Therapists carefully prepare for the first visit to establish a sense of safety and connection with the child.

Building a relationship with the child is crucial for trust and effective therapy.

Once a child feels safe, the therapist facilitates the use of play to make sense of life experiences.

Play therapists are licensed mental health professionals with advanced degrees and training in play therapy.

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is a professional society that supports play therapists with resources and networking.

APT members have access to play therapy programs, research, and continuing education.

Play therapy is recognized as an important treatment modality by parents, healthcare providers, and insurers.

Play therapy enables children to change their perspective on their life stories, gaining empowerment.

Play therapy is a credible, developmentally sensitive therapeutic discipline that works for children.

APT provides information and resources for those interested in play therapy.

Transcripts

play is one of our most fundamental

activities Plato said it is the

essential nature of man to play in fact

play is undoubtedly the key element and

most if not all of our favorite

childhood memories what we know about

children developmentally is that their

language lags behind their cognitive

development play is their language it's

how they communicate just as adults use

words play is a child's way of

communicating with the adults typically

they aren't able to put feeling words or

actual words to what they may be

experiencing but through the play they

can actually give you insight into what

is really happening for them researchers

have for centuries

observed play and it's obvious benefits

over the past 100 years mental health

professionals have applied the curative

powers inherent and play into a form of

counseling or psychotherapy with an

emerging evidentiary research base

called play therapy play therapy is a

model of therapeutic intervention to use

the children that helps them to develop

their communication skills in a therapy

situation so that they can express their

their needs their wants their wishes and

their feelings in a way that's

developmentally appropriate for them

play therapy works because it's a

natural thing for a child pick up toys

and toys are their words and play as

their language and it helps them to

process emotions and feelings

although play therapy can also help

older clients especially those who have

difficulty verbally expressing

themselves most clients are children to

foster play therapists often stock a

portion of their offices with

therapeutic toys or maintain them in a

playroom the playroom is a child's world

during the counseling experience it's a

safe place for children where they have

the freedom to express their emotional

lives and to be understood by a

therapist who recognizes the healing

power of play toys are the means by

which children express themselves and so

the selection of these toys to

facilitate expression is critical

examples would be dolls and doll houses

castles swords pirate ships animal

figures puppets sand and art supplies

play therapists carefully prepare for

each client's first visit to their play

rooms the child walks in and they look

around the room and the relationship

hasn't started yet so often what we call

it as a safe play that the emotional

disturbance or the purpose of them being

here isn't being acted out yet I'm

starting to connect with them and

they're getting a sense of me and Who I

am and if I'm safe kids will go where

they want to go and a lot of times it's

too

we connected to what's going on in their

lives and they're struggling with

progress can be short time progress can

be long time like with any other kind of

client you kind of need to build a

relationship and it's especially

important with children because you know

they need to learn to trust you and you

know you're not their parents or not

their teacher yet you're a new person

once the child feels safe in the

therapeutic relationship the play

therapist facilitates or helps the child

use play to make sense of their

disruptive life experiences or issues

that need therapeutic interventions

engaged side by side using toys and

expressive activities the play therapist

and child are able to better understand

identify and try to resolve a wide range

of social emotional behavioral and other

developmental issues licensed mental

health professionals who therapeutically

use play to better communicate with and

help clients are called play therapists

play therapists have earned master's or

higher degrees and obtained significant

training and supervised clinical

experience in play therapy and the

primary mental health disciplines

including pediatric and psychiatric

nursing mental health professionals

whether they are University faculty

researchers authors practitioners or

supervisors often contact the

Association for play therapy or a PT a

national professional Society formed in

1982 and its network of state branches

to develop and maintain their play

therapy expertise I found out about the

Association for play therapy as a

graduate student I was in an internship

with someone who's involved with the

Maine chapter of the Association for

play therapy and eventually I became a

member that way

it's a solid organization where I really

trust that they're leading us and

helping us to be the best professionals

that we can be as a PT members they

enjoy affordable access to these core

play therapy programs play therapy

clinical and professional information

and cutting-edge play therapy research

play therapy graduate level education

and supervised clinical internships

offered by universities and continuing

education programs offered by a PT

approved providers the registered play

therapists and registered play

therapists supervisor credentials and

the many peer networking opportunities

inherent in a PT programs activities and

online listservs and member directories

with change a constant it is absolutely

essential as play therapists that we

continuously stay current in an effort

to provide our clients with the highest

standards of care in our field

that's why play therapist continue to

discuss the latest research and other

information regarding best practices

with colleagues within the play therapy

community provided by the Association

for play therapy play therapy is

regarded by parents health care

providers and insurers as an important

treatment modality and utilize daily

throughout the United States and more

than 30 other countries I've seen

children grow and learn about themselves

and in

they can't change the story but they can

change their view about themself in the

story and gain your power play therapy

is a valuable credible professional

therapeutic discipline that is

developmentally sensitive in meeting the

clients needs especially if the client

is a young child because young

children's natural way of communication

is play the bottom line is play therapy

works for additional information about

practicing teaching supervising or

researching play therapy contact the

association for play therapy or visit

its website WWF or PT org