And what about Play?

One thing we know about children, they play. If you are like me, your favorite childhood memories are of play, favorite toys, and playmates. I find it easy and pleasurable to remember the play time with my brother. It was an imaginative, sensuous world wherein we lost track of time, emerged in the world we created. We were superheroes with towels on our backs; we became loving parents to our baby dolls; we created mud pies and plowed tollways in the dirt for our cars. Yes, children and play go together!

Piaget in his book, Play, Dreams and Imitations of Childhood ( 1969), believed play to be essential for the child’s emotional stability and adjustment to life. In play the child acts out conflicts and shapes reality to meet his needs. He saw play as the ground work for later life. It was said by transpersonal psychiatrist, Carl Jung, that play is serious business, not a matter of wanting to play but a compulsion to play.

* Play is the “work” of children
* Play is how children learn; develop physically, mentally and emotionally
* Play is children's means for self expression

And what is therapeutic play?

Research on intellectual development concluded that children do not think as adults, but think nonverbally. Margaret Lowenfeld, a pioneer in exploring children’s thinking and feeling, noticed that children have a special way of playing. Play needs to be appreciated. A wise parent and therapist will realize this need to express and connect within. Play, imagination, creativity and symbolism are nonverbal accesses to the unconscious that are respected and utilized by the play therapist.

* Playing (a form of nonverbal thinking) discharges energy allowing children to work toward understanding their experience, sort out conceptions, misconceptions and cope with life
* Play strengthens ego as children experience a new level of mastery, making up for failures and limitations of childhood, especially resulting from limited use of language
*Through play the child can express intense emotion that arises out of the inner and outer world
* Play, rather than talking, allows the child to express thoughts and feelings

Therapeutic Relationship

My mentor, Carolyn Abel, an analytically-oriented therapist, recalled an incident in which a client’s mother was amazed at her child’s progress, exclaiming, “ You mean, because you sit and watch his play, he’s feeling better!”

* Play is witnessed and mirrored by a therapist (Children are depressed by not being mirrored.)
* Complete attention is given to the child which requires alertness, sensitivity and appreciation for the child’s expression

Therapeutic Environment

The setting for the child in therapy should be a free and sheltered “space” where the child feels safe and protected. The playroom becomes a sacred and private place formed by the alliance with the therapist, the material and the space provided.
(Axline, 1969, Moustakas 1959, Ginott, 1961)

I know the sacredness of play, not only from my own childhood but from the years of being in the honored position of offering play therapy to children. I have witnessed children experiencing the confusion of divorce, gain strength and courage; children suffering from the loss of a parent, find a way to express grief and hospitalized children cope with pain and invasive medical procedures. I believe play (and especially play that is witnessed) to be crucial to the well being of every child. If I were president of the world, every child in every school would have at least 1/2 hour a week of play therapy !

I hope this overview of play and therapeutic play is helpful. I will write more on different modalities used in play therapy such as sand tray and art therapy, and use of metaphor and story telling. Watch, too, for some of my thoughts on parenting.