The primary goal of therapeutic play is to help children who might struggle with expressing themselves or their emotions to express themselves through play.
Therapeutic play uses play as a way of helping people understand and express their thoughts and feelings. It’s mainly used with children who may not be able to put how they are feeling into words by helping them to communicate at their own level using everyday playthings. This can help them learn to cope with what they’re going through, to develop and to build relationships with others.
Therapeutic play can be helpful for children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or whose behaviour and anger are becoming problematic.
There are several ways of using play therapeutically including sand trays, arts and crafts and messy play. It can also include role play, where children might dress up or play out difficult experiences with small figures, soft toys or puppets.
They can explore their emotions and ‘practise’ how they respond and behave in a safe non-judgemental environment.
As Therapeutic Play is a non-directive approach to therapy, the child is free to choose how they would like to play and express their inner thoughts and struggles.
It helps children understand their emotions, especially if they had struggled with doing this before.
By expressing themselves symbolically through toys in play, children are able to separate themselves from complex feelings and memories that are too difficult for them to directly communicate to others.
This results in improved impulse control, and more adaptive ways of coping with anxiety and frustration, as well as an improved capacity to trust and to relate to others.
It helps children achieve improved communication and understanding and develops their self-observation and social skills.
Play helps to combat anxieties as it’s something a child can relate to – it’s not only fun, but it’s how children naturally learn and express themselves.
Gain a deeper understanding of various available forms of behavior therapy in our blog article: Types of behaviour therapy
Understand how what you eat can impact your mood, behaviour, and sleep issues in our blog article written by the world-renowned Dr Alex Richardson: Why children’s diets matter for their mood and behaviour
View a list of supplements to support mood and mental health challenges:
We highly recommend booking an appointment with a registered nutritionist before starting any supplements:
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any professional organization or guidelines. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your therapist or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.