Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Play therapy is form of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play to communicate with children and help them to resolve psychosocial challenge.

Used as therapeutic method to assist him/ her coping with emotional stress or trauma.

Play therapy is generally employed with children 3- 11 years.

Expression of then experience and feeling through natural and self guided process.

Types of Play Therapy

1.Individual verses group play therapy

2 Spontaneous verses Controlled play therapy

3. Structured versus unstructured play therapy

4. Directive verses non directive play therapy

1. Individual versus group play therapy

Individual play therapy

In individual play, therapist attention is focused on one child only, to help him solve his problem.

Group Play Therapy

Group play therapy used where other children are utilized to draw the child out of his problems.

2. Spontaneous (free) verses controllled (situational) play therapy

Spontaneous play therapy

Child  free to decide what toys wants to play with, mode of play, expression of emotion and interaction with play therapists and interaction with plays therapist and those around him.

Controlled play therapy

Child provided with situation or setting and his reaction in that situation are noted.

Reflex his conflicts through character.

3. Structured versus unstructured play therapy

Structure play therapy

Planned situations used to obtain information about child behaviour.

Unstructured play therapy

No situation set and no plans folloewed, left to free to play.

4. Directive vs non directives play therapy

Directive play therapy

Play therapist set directions for children. Makes suggestion and interpretation of child's word and action.

Non directive pay therapy

Children receive no direction from play therapist, Child allow to play according to his own wish.

Play therapy Team

Child psychologist

Trained play leader

Child specialist or paediatrician

Nurse

Social worker or counselor