Play therapy is to children what counseling is to adults. When adults have problems it often helps if they can share their thoughts and feelings with a therapist or a trusted friend. Children don’t have the cognitive ability to express themselves with words like adults do, so it is difficult for them to “talk” about things that worry or bother them. Play therapy allows children to communicate through play, their most natural form of expression, learning and developing. The play therapist strives to understand the metaphorical content of a child’s play and to help the child express their needs and discover solutions in a safe, therapeutic environment. The toys in the playroom and the relationship established with the therapist offer children the opportunity to use the power of their own natural creativity and imagination to heal and grow. Play therapy allows the child to create a world they can master, practice social skills, overcome frightening feelings, and symbolically triumph over minor upsets as well as traumas that have stolen their sense of well being.

Who may benefit from play therapy?

In the process of growing up, many children experience difficulty coping at some time. Although many childhood upsets are healed without therapy, play therapy offers children a natural, safe, and non intrusive method to hasten recovery from common distressing events as well as major traumas, or to simply enhance the self esteem of the child.

Play therapy can be helpful for children who:

• Demonstrate emotional distress such as excessive anger, anxiety, fear, sadness or shyness, have low self-esteem or talk about not wanting to live.
• Exhibit physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches which have no medical cause.
• Exhibit problem behaviors which are immature for the child’s age, interfere with making friends, or are difficult to manage at home. These can include tantrums, defiance, and/or problems with eating, sleeping or elimination.
• Experience stressful events such as:
  • Death, illness, or injury of a family member
  • Divorce or separation of parents
  • Additions to the family including new siblings, remarriage and blended families
  • Natural disasters or catastrophic events
  • Chronic illness or hospitalization
  • Family conflict and violence
  • Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
  • School anxiety
  • Separation anxiety
  • Disruptions in normal functioning
  • Social difficulties

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Choosing a therapist can be a daunting task.  Here are a few points to remember.

It is important to choose a therapist who is a good match for you.  This is a very personal decision.  Even the most professionally respected therapist in the world will not  be a good match for everyone.  Remember that different people work together in different ways.  You should feel comfortable with the style of your therapist.  Sometimes it takes a few “tries” to find a good match.  It is OK to shop around until you find the right therapist for you.

Feel free to interview a prospective therapist, asking questions about their style of therapy and training, fee structure, cancellation policy, insurance reimbursement, how long they have been in practice, and if they are familiar working with the kinds of issues you want to work on in therapy.

Expect and demand ethical practices, including issues of confidentiality.  Be sure to ask about the therapist’s license.  While not all therapists are required to have licenses by all states, and while licensure is no guarantee of quality, it is useful for you to know that a person receiving a state license has met the requirements for education and training mandated by your state.

Some Questions To Ask Yourself When Choosing a Therapist:

1. Is the therapist warm and accepting?
2. Does the therapist have a sense of humor?
3. Is the therapist willing to challenge you when necessary?
4. Does the therapist seem emotionally healthy and seem to feel at ease?  (in other words, does not seem anxious, arrogant or depressed)
5. Does the therapist accept and encourage the idea that clients are entitled to shop around for a therapist before they commit?
6. Does the therapist accept the idea that consultation or second opinions may be helpful in the course of therapy?
7. Does the therapist let you explain your problems without prematurely trying to fit you into a preconceived box?
8. Does the therapist have more than one clinical orientation and can fit their approach to your specific problems?
9. Does the therapist present you with clear office policies, including the limits of confidentiality, client’s rights, etc?
10. Does the therapist seem flexible in many ways but still able to maintain clear boundaries?
11. Does the therapist communicate well with parents when treating children and adolescents?
12. Does the therapist seem to be able to balance the need to respect an adolescents privacy while keeping the parents informed?
13. Is the therapist flexible about who can be a part of therapy? (at times, it is helpful to bring your friend/partner, child or parent with you to therapy)
14. Does the therapist conduct regular evaluations of progress in therapy, including the discussion of  treatment plans?
15. Does the therapist listen to your assessment of what is helpful and what is not during the course of therapy?

Remember that therapy, in the hands of a skilled therapist, is a powerful and life changing experience.  It has been shown to be effective for a variety of illnesses and problems.  If you need therapy and work as an active participant in your own treatment, you can expect it will be well worth the time and money you invest.

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