Play therapy is a therapeutic technique used for children and young teens. It involves the use of toys, art, and games to help young individuals process mental health challenges they encounter throughout their childhood like trauma, behavioral problems, divorce, or bullying.
Thriveworks play therapists in Blacksburg work with young individuals to help them express themselves, release stress and other emotions, learn about their emotions, and heal from difficult experiences by using toys, games, and art to work through these issues in more digestible and accessible formats.
Play therapy, on average, can take around 20 sessions to effectively address a young individual’s mental health concerns. However, therapy is a very individualized process, meaning that more or fewer sessions might be required depending on the client’s condition and symptoms.
Child play therapy is a way of being with a child that recognizes and embraces their unique developmental level and can provides help for them in a “language” the child can understand – play. If you think your child could benefit from play therapy, reach out to us today to schedule their first play therapy appointment.
How Does Play Therapy Work?
At Thriveworks Blacksburg, our trained, experienced and skilled play therapist may be able to utilize play to help a child to better express themselves and work towards resolving their issues. This type of therapy is most often used children between the ages of ages 3 and 12 years, although Play Therapy is a proven effective mental health approach, regardless of age or gender.
Child play therapy can be a useful intervention tool, and also a supportive therapy for:
- Behavioral problems like as anger management, coping with grief/loss, divorce, abandonment, and crisis/trauma.
- Behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), autism or pervasive developmental, academic and social developmental, physical and learning disabilities, and conduct disorders.
Play therapy is the most effective when a parent, family member, or caretaker is actively involved in the treatment process. Though some children may benefit from play therapy more than others, most play therapists argue that the practice would be suitable for any child.
Why Is Play Therapy Beneficial?
Children don’t have the same cognitive ability as an adult to express what’s bothering them. Whether the issue is a behavioral issue, psychological issue, or maybe even medical, they need a way to discuss it. The act of playing is very important. Children can work on issues that are distressing to them, and possibly eventually talk about trauma. Sometimes things are just too hard for them to put into words. But they can work on it with play.
Therapeutic play provides children the opportunity to express themselves at their own pace, with the assurance that they will be understood and accepted.
Schedule Play Therapy at Thriveworks Blacksburg
Our Play Therapy experts at Thriveworks Blacksburg are here to help you and your child sort through confusing issues, cope with difficult or traumatic experiences, and even just confirm and insure that your child is on a path of emotional health and functional well-being. Call 540-376-3348 today to schedule an appointment. Evening and weekend hours are available! In addition, we offer same-week appointments to new clients and accept most major insurances.
