Play Therapy

 “Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.”
- Virginia Axline

The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as, "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.”

Play Therapy is not the same as regular, everyday play. While spontaneous play is a natural and essential part of the developmental process, play therapy is a systematic and therapeutic approach.  A registered play therapist will meet a child where they are at and relate to the child’s level of expression.  Some of these techniques utilize expressive arts, story-telling, drawing, sand tray, puppets, and other games/toys. Through interaction in play therapy, a therapist can help a child improve their self-esteem, gain control over their feelings, and modify their behavior. Play therapy is most often used for anxiety, depression, ADHD, sibling rivalry, school refusal, bullying, divorce, power struggles, fears/phobias, and adoption.

Art-Based Techniques

Through the use of a variety of art techniques (drawing, painting, clay, collage) people of all ages often find it helps them to express and process their emotions.  With these art based strategies, the client and the counselor create art together while combining traditional therapeutic theories with the creative process.