Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Play Therapy is the healing of behavioral and psychological problems that children experience through play. These problems can be anxiety, fear, obsession, aggression, finger sucking, nail biting and similar problems.

In play therapy, with the help of the right toys and play, the child first releases their internal wounds, and then tries to cope with them through toys. In this process, the therapist provides a safe environment for the child, designs the game when necessary, or interprets the game to the child.

Play therapy has been frequently used in healing children since the 1950s. The most common types of play therapy are Child-Centered Play Therapy, Experiential Play Therapy, Developmental Play Therapy, Theraplay, Sand Therapy, Puppet Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy and Psychoanalytic Play Therapy.

Types of Play in the Play Therapy Room

• Toys that can be used in various areas to express traumatic or bad life events
• Materials used to develop creativity (Painting and Play Dough)
• Materials for relaxation and self-expression (Water games, Musical Instruments)
• Toys related to family problems (toy family, animal family)
• Toys for specific problems (Toilet training, Doctor Materials)
• Toys that reflect children's moods or anger
• Puppets and Soft Toys (Gives a sense of trust)
• Materials from real life

Which Children Benefit from Play Therapy?

Play Therapy can be applied from 2.5 to 13 years of age and therapy benefits all kinds of children with problems in all areas:

• Children in the process of loss and grief
• Parental separation or deterioration of family relationships
• Traumatic life events and crises (Natural disasters, etc.)
• Behavioral disorders
• Anger Control
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Autism
• Academic, social and physical development problems
• Learning Difficulty
• Children with chronic health problems

How Does a Child Benefit from Play Therapy?

Children in play therapy:

• Find newer and improved solutions to problems
• Develop feelings of love and acceptance towards themselves and others
• Learn to experience and express their emotions
• Develop empathy and respect for others' thoughts and feelings
• Gain awareness of their behavior and become responsible for their actions
• Learn to develop new social skills and relationships with family
• Develop self-respect and confidence while understanding their abilities

How Long Does Play Therapy Last?

Although play therapy is applied at varying times depending on the child's condition, it generally lasts between 30 and 50 minutes. Therapy works differently for each child, and for a child to benefit from play therapy, it is preferred to come once a week or once every two weeks. The total application time varies according to the child's problem and the child's adaptation or resistance to therapy.