Articles of the month
PLAY THERAPY WITH CHILDREN
Dr. Nahida M.Mulla
Play is one of the most common techniques utilized by child therapist. Play facilitates child’s growth and maturation. Play is the most natural medium for self expression” (Axline, 1947) and an excellent means of communication among children as well as between children and adults. Child’s play communicates without words. It is person dominated and toys or simple objects are used for the purpose of changing the child’s growth or helping the child enact an important life situation (O’ Canner, 1991). Play is non-instrumental, it is the process that is important, not the product or a deserved goal. The unconscious purposefulness of play is at the crux of play’s symbolism. Play is not always only what is seen on the surface. Play has an indirect meaning through which the child may walk through everyday problems or may find solution to problems. The unique meaning of each play activity, both its content & its style can be understood only over time & through intensive exploration of content form, association accompanying feelings & fantasies expressed by the child in the activity.

Purpose of play in a child’s everyday life:
The purposes are grouped into 3 large categories namely:
1) Self development intrapsychic purposes.
2) Maturation (growth)
3) Relationships (interpersonal) purposes.

Self development function:
  • • To engage in self expression.
  • • To define the self.
  • • To express & explore feelings.
  • • To discover likes & dislikes.
  • • To gain a sense of control.
  • • To cope with difficult situations.
  • • To express complexities beyond capacity.
  • • To meet the need to be engaged in an activity.
  • • To feel stimulated.


Maturation Function:
  • • To explore the environment
  • • To explore relationships among objects
  • • To gain a sense of mastery
  • • To practice language skills
  • • To practice motor skills
  • • To practice cognitive skills
  • • To learn problem-solving skills
  • • To organize experiences in meaningful ways


Relationship Functions:
  • • To communicate with others
  • • To learn about roles
  • • To learn about culture and environment
  • • To learn social skills
  • • To explore relationships among people
  • • To work through conflict in relationships
  • • To feel connected to others
  • • To use others as models


Applications of Play Therapy:
  1. The therapist should develop a warm, friendly relationship with the child, in which a good rapport is established as soon as possible.
  2. The therapist should establish a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship such that the child feels free to express his feelings openly.
  3. The therapist should accept the child exactly as he or she is.
  4. The therapist should be alert to the feelings the child is expressing and reflect those feelings back to him/ her in a manner such that the child will again insight into his/ her behavior.
  5. The therapist should maintain a deep respect for the child’s ability to solve his/ her own problems when given an opportunity to do so. The responsibility to make choices and to institute change must remain with the child.
  6. The therapist should not attempt to direct the child’s action or conversation in any manner. The child leads the way the therapist follows.
  7. The therapist should not try to hurry the pace of therapy. It is a gradual process and it should be recognized as such by the therapist.
  8. The therapist should place only such limitations as are necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of his/ her responsibility within the relationship.


Play Therapy in Clinical Practice:
Play therapy is usually undertaken in an individual setting. The room in which session are undertaken should be suitable for the purpose. An adequate quantity of range of toys and other materials should be provided. Toys should be attractive to wide range of children of different ages, interests and capabilities. Such play materials may include toys which help children to express their anxieties and behavioral difficulties e.g. weapons to express aggressive impulse, a sandbox to allow imaginative play toys demanding dextrose skills competitive games, and board games for the expression of issue arising from the observance of rules. Usually play approaches should be considered for children from 4-10 years of age. Toy which encourages fantasy and imagination such as clay, crayons, cars, trucks, puppets, dolls, doll house should be involved.

Some children might need help in starting the process; the therapist usually starts by telling the child that they can slow and talk. Clay and drawing materials are good starters. If still the child is hesitant, the therapist might start with something themselves and have the child join in.

For play to be safe, mode of expression limits about how to play are essential. Rules need to be let that toys are not to be broken and therapist cannot be a target for affective expression.

Play therapy has been useful in a variety of children’s problems which have an emotional basis, in learning disabled child, correction of speech problem (Axline and Roger, 1945) and better emotional and social adjustment (Axline, 1948, Moustakes, 1951).

The goal of play therapy in children and abuse and neglect is to master the multiple stresses of abuse and to correct or prevent deviation in future psychosocial development.



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