Even though children are resilient and adaptive, they lack the maturity needed to process the complex emotions they go through during periods of stress, family changes, or the loss of a loved one. They aren’t always able to cognitively grasp the mechanics and structural changes that accompany stress.
This is where play therapy helps. It is an effective therapeutic tool which is used to help young children with emotional and cognitive processing during stressful times. By using puppets, storybooks, pictures, calendars, and other play therapy tools, we show the child through play and imagination how to understand and process their emotions. This allows them to learn new coping mechanisms so they can deal with their problems and unresolved trauma in healthy ways.
The goal of play therapy is to work with children on complicated issues without overwhelming them in the process. The outcome of play therapy is to indirectly process their emotions and thoughts utilizing symbolic play and fantasy. Hence, the child can cope, adapt, resolve, and master the underlying feelings and thoughts to feel better about themselves and the situation.
The benefits of play therapy include:
Our team of therapists at Aspiring Families are trained in play therapy and many other forms of child therapy and counselling. Feel free to get in touch with us for appointments and more information.