Play therapy is defined by the Association for Play Therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development”. What this means is that through play, they can process feelings that are hard to express verbally, explore their thoughts, and develop coping skills. It is important to note that play is the natural language of communication for children and is the most developmentally appropriate therapeutic medium considering their brain development. The number one way a child learns is through experience and observation.With this in mind, through play, a child engages in nonverbal storytelling where they are bringing their implicit memories into explicit, or conscious, memory. While the child continues to process through play, the therapist reflects on these experiences. The child is then able to find the language to better understand the story they embody. Play also allows for the externalization of the distress they are experiencing so that they can stay within their window of tolerance while moving towards effective resolution of their distress. 

Research has shown play therapy to be highly effective in the treatment of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems, with improvements in social skills and emotional expression. There are many benefits of play therapy, also known as the therapeutic powers of play, which include: 

• Emotional and Behavioral Regulation
  • Helps children manage emotions such as anxiety, anger, or sadness.
  • Supports self-regulation and impulse control
• Improved Communication Skills
  • Encourages children to express themselves verbally and non-verbally
• Coping with Trauma or Loss
  • Effective for helping children who have experienced trauma, grief, or significant life changes.
• Building Social and Problem-Solving Skills
  • Promotes collaboration, empathy, and social understanding through interactive play.
• Improved Self-Esteem
  • Strengthens confidence and self-worth as children successfully work through challenges during sessions

To learn more about the therapeutic powers of play, please visit: 

• https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.a4pt.org/resource/resmgr/education_&_training/therapeutic_powers_of_play_2.pdf 

• Play therapy is flexible and individualized, allowing for the therapists to tailor the approach to meet the unique needs of each child. The play therapy approach is most typical for ages 3 to around 12; however, there are many instances in which older children and even adults are great candidates. 

• Play therapy begins with the therapist creating a safe environment and allowing the client to explore the room. Once the child begins to play, they take an object and in their mind decides what is the meaning they are projecting onto the object. The play therapist then gets to be a mirror, reflecting the play they are embodying and the inner world they are projecting. This helps to reflect the child’s own internal world back to the child. The therapist then assists the child to make sense of what parts of their internal world are being projected onto the play. In essence, the therapist guides and observes the play, offering a safe environment while interpreting the play to help the child understand the roots of their emotional state and move towards healing. The therapist also helps to model appropriate responses to these emotional states, engage in role playing, and demonstrate effective methods of regulation. 

• The typical session length for play therapy sessions are 45-50 minutes. 

• Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) is a therapeutic approach that blends neuroscience, attachment theory, and the therapeutic relationship to support children in processing and resolving emotional and behavioral issues. SPT was developed in 2008 by therapist Lisa Dion after a realization that we can regulate another person’s nervous system by first regulating our own. SPT integrates traditional play therapy methods with the core principles of Interpersonal Neurobiology and the field of neuroscience. This method believes that by coregulating through the dysregulation in the child’s play, “synergy” arises that allows for the child to move towards challenging thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, ultimately finding healing. Through play, children process emotions, develop coping skills, and experiment with different ways of relating to others and the world around them. SPT emphasizes the therapeutic use of both structured and unstructured play activities to help children express themselves and make meaning of their experiences. SPT pays particular attention to emotional regulation, helping children develop the ability to manage their feelings and behaviors in a healthy way. The therapy supports the child in forming secure attachments, both with the therapist and others in their life, and encourages the child to reconnect with a sense of safety and security.

• Utilize this link to learn more about this innovative form of play therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ 

A systemic approach in therapy means that the therapist is not only focused on helping the child learn to overcome challenges and tolerate distress, but they are supporting the system that child is currently operating in. This often means working with the parents on their own emotional regulation and responses to triggers, discussing treatment planning, gathering history and data of current challenges, etc. In most cases, Grace will conduct frequent parent consult sessions involving skill building, coaching, etc. At times Grace also involves the parent(s ) in the sessions with the child to partake in interventions such as Theraplay. Theraplay is a therapeutic modality that supports the parent/child attachment and works to build effective responses to challenge, nurture, structure, and engagement. It is highly immersive and playful. The purpose of this systemic approach is to garner substantial, lasting change for everyone involved as children do not operate singularly, but rather in a complex ecosystem.