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Humanistic Play Therapy
Play Therapy is a dynamic and interactive process between a child and a trained Play Therapist. In this therapeutic relationship, the child is encouraged to explore both current and past issues, whether they are conscious or unconscious, at their own pace and according to their own agenda.
The therapist provides selected play materials and creates a secure environment, enabling the child to freely express and explore their emotions, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors through play. By leveraging play as the primary method of communication, this child-centered approach aims to activate the child's internal resources, fostering optimal growth, and personal development, while verbal expression remains secondary.
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How this may look in the playroom varies from child to child, session to session. Some examples are free, unstructured play led by the child, sensory play, music, dance and movement, art and craft techniques, sand tray activities, storytelling and therapeutic metaphors, adventure play, aggressive play, regulation play and movement, puppet play, structured play activities and more, always ensuring that interactions in play therapy allows for and encourage self-expression, imagination and creative representation.
Play therapy is structured depending on the play therapy modality and the unique needs of the child in each session.
Who & How Play Therapy can benefit
Play therapy is for children from 2 years old through to adolescents and is also used with families.
Play therapy can support children do or have experienced Trauma, anxiety, anger, guilt, sadness, loss, parental separation, abuse, neglect, social navigation and communication difficulties, emotional and regulation difficulties, self-esteem issues, identity, neurodivergent children - autistic, ADHD, developmental delays, sensory challenges, inclusion needs, advocacy needs, relationships and attachment disruptions and more.
The Therapeutic Powers of Play
Play Therapy is backed by research, shown to be effective, with effect sizes from medium to large, But how and why does play therapy work?
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This comes down to the mechanisms of change underlying play therapy, known as the therapeutic powers of play. The therapeutic powers of play pertain to the specific elements within play therapy in which play initiates, facilitates, or strengthens the therapeutic effect.
It can involve a behaviour or a thought, that can be through overt and covert activities producing positive therapeutic change in a child. Emphasizing that play is a fundamental element crucial to the play therapy treatment approach.
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Charles Schaefer (2012) identified and formed 20 core therapeutic powers of play, based on review of literature and clinical play therapists experiences. These are grouped into four categories:
Facilitate Communication
1. Self-expression
2. Access to the unconscious
3. Direct teaching
4. Indirect teaching
Foster Emotional Wellness
5. Catharsis
6. Abreaction
7. Positive emotions
8. Counterconditioning of fears
9. Stress inoculation
10. Stress management
Enhance Social Relationships
11. Therapeutic relationship
12. Attachment
13. Sense of self
14. Empathy
Increase Personal Strengths
15. Creative problem solving
16. Resiliency
17. Moral development
18. Accelerated psychological development
19. Self-regulation
20. Self-esteem
Play Themes
​Play therapists are trained to associate the play within the child’s therapy sessions with themes. Themes are patterns of play repeated across sessions and are intended to capture the main issues children project across their play therapy sessions.
By capturing the themes being played out the therapist can gain insight into the child’s world and support their process with appropriate play therapy skills. This enables the therapist to track the child’s shifts and growth encapsulating the stage of play the child is in and evaluate therapeutic outcomes.
The
Therapeutic Relationship
In Play therapy the child is provided with the freedom to express themselves with minimal direction from the therapist. The play therapist provides a therapeutic environment, with selected play materials whilst facilitating the development of a felt sense of safety within the therapeutic relationship.
Throughout the play therapy sessions, the play therapist uses attentive tracking and empathic reflections. This facilitates the process, allowing the child to be in the play, knowing the therapist is with them, understands and is validating of the child’s experience without having to come out of the play process.
As a companion explorer, the play therapist's role is to facilitate and engage in the child's process of development. It is the responsibility of the therapist to facilitate the child's effective expression of emotions and empower the child with a degree of autonomy within the therapeutic alliance.