What it is
Play Therapy has long been known that playing is a natural part of human learning and development. Children instinctively use play to learn about themselves, their physical world, and their relationships in the world. Play Therapy harnesses the learning and curative power of play to help children address and resolve their own challenges. Play Therapy gives children a safe psychological distance from their problems, encouraging problem-solving skills, interpersonal communication, and adaptive behavior, particularly when faced with social or emotional skill deficits. Play Therapy empowers children to express their feelings, thoughts, and troubles, even when they do not yet have the verbal language to do so. In Play Therapy, toys act as the child's words and play is the child's language. Play Therapy is also useful for promoting cognitive development, as well as helping children reach their own insights into ways of resolving dysfunctional thinking and inner conflicts.