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Last week was National Play Therapy Week-We are grateful for amazing staff who facilitate Child Centered Play Therapy!
Child Centered Play Therapy with a trauma informed lens allows children to process traumatic experiences in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Play is the natural language of children! They use play as a way to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. A child’s play gives a voice to experiences the child may be unable to verbalize.
Trauma issues present as repeated patterns and themes in play. In play therapy, the language of play is used by both the child and therapist to process these repeated themes and patterns of trauma, build an emotional vocabulary, learn and model coping skills, address cognitive distortions, and address the child’s wishes and needs for resolution. In Child Centered Play Therapy, the child is given a safe, nurturing, and non-judgmental place to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They are allowed the freedom to experiment with avenues of expression and resolution through play.
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