Most children are naturally inclined towards play time and similar activities. Play therapy uses that innate need in a powerfully creative way to engage with your child. In this special branch of therapy, your child wouldn’t necessarily have to verbalize what is bothering them. A play therapist is able to work therapeutically as they engage in literal or metaphorical play. This type of therapy is perfectly suited to kids because it helps them re-evaluate their experiences with deep insight. It also lets your child express themselves better, something they found difficult to do before. With communication and thorough practice, your child will pick up the necessary skills and learn to control their emotional responses.
Here are some other long-term benefits that come with play therapy:
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Expressing Emotions Become Possible
If you have seen your child throwing a tantrum when you know they are just hungry, you are already familiar with this characteristic. It might be hard for a child to find the right words or possess the right language skills to convey what they are feeling. This is doubly true for children who have faced trauma at a young age. Therefore, they try to communicate their pain in undesirable ways, such as tantrums, defiance, tears, clinginess, etc. When provided with play therapy, they learn less maladaptive ways to express themselves. As a play therapist, I have been trained to communicate using the language of play. Once I am through, I can also help boost your ability as a parent to understand what your child is not saying. This is especially effective in the case of child depression.
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Increase in Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
It is quite clear from child behavior to a specialist like me when they could benefit from increased self-confidence and self-esteem. Therapy with me can involve the use of apparatuses that create a physical challenge for your child, as much as playground equipment does. When they let go of their fears during therapy and overcome that challenge, a sense of accomplishment is born in them. This sense can blossom into higher self-esteem and build their self-confidence. The same approach is used to help them realize conflict resolution and other social situations are nothing but another challenge for your kid to surmount.
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Becoming Independent and Creative Thinkers
Children cannot take many decisions, which is why they are often being told what to do. However, as important as their safety is, it is equally crucial that your child learn to function independently. Traumatic experiences often suppress independent thinking in a child. Another factor that does that is emotionally vulnerability. Through therapy, they can regain a degree of the control they think they have lost. They act as the leader, be it in selecting which activities they will participate in, or some other activity. This time around though, they do this in a non-judgmental and supportive environment. With practice, your kid can make a habit of it and emerge as an independent, creative thinker.
If you would like more information about play therapy, don’t hesitate to contact me at https://holistichealing.today, 901-609-5574, or holistichealing.aj@gmail.com. Aside from play therapy, I employ various methods, including sand play intervention, art intervention, and family therapy. My aim is to reduce depression, isolation, fear, and problematic child behavior.