The Blog

Mr. Rogers wisely stated, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

This truly is the case with play therapy for children. Some parents may wonder about play therapy— “Is this glorified babysitting? Is anything actually being accomplished?”

However, children do not process their emotions as adults do in traditional talk therapy. It is through toys and play that children speak. Through the strategic placement of types of toys placed in the playroom, children are given the opportunity to express any underlying anxiety, stressors, or difficult trauma through the acting out of stories, scenes, and sometimes literal experiences that they have had. And through the safe relationship with a therapist who has the child’s developmental stage in mind, a child can express whatever emotions that are occurring internally without any judgment.

Dr. Garry L. Landreth, a pioneer in the field of play therapy, said, “Play allows children to make their internal world external.” I firmly believe this to be true, as I have encountered child after child who has found healing and safety in the therapeutic playroom and relationship.