What is the theory behind play therapy?

What is the theory behind play therapy?

Anna Freud (1946) used play to build relationships with children before moving on to interpret their unconscious motivations. Taft (1933) and later Allen (1942) created Relationship Play Therapy. Each de-emphasized past events and focused on present relationships to bring about healing.

What disorders does play therapy treat?

Play therapy treatment plans have been utilized as the primary intervention or as an adjunctive therapy for multiple Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, 2005; LeBlanc & Ritchie, 2001; Lin & Bratton, 2015; Ray, Armstrong, Balkin, & Jayne, 2015; Reddy, Files-Hall, & Schaefer, 2005).

What can I expect from a play therapy session?

Your child may be asked to complete a variety of pre-treatment measures ranging from questionnaires, to drawings, to more formal testing. Sometimes the play therapist will choose to observe your child at play either alone or with you and/or other family members.

Who is the father of play therapy?

Schaefer (November 15, 1933 – September 19, 2020) was an American psychologist considered by many to be the “Father of Play Therapy” who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show and Good Morning America.

At what age is play therapy effective?

3 to 12 years old
Play therapy interventions are most effective in children and adolescents ages 3 to 12 years old.

For what childhood problems is play therapy best suited?

Play therapy is beneficial for children ages 3-11, and can be used to address a wide variety of presenting issues. Some of the difficulties play therapy may address are anxiety, depression, life stressors, grief, family conflicts, divorce, school difficulties, anger, and much more.

Does play therapy help anxiety?

Not only does Play Therapy reduce anxiety, but is totally resolves behavior problems such as tantrums, anger and defiance, reduces symptoms of ADHD and even depression, and generates a wonderful parent-child relationship!

Does play therapy help with ADHD?

Play therapy appeared to significantly reduce the symptoms of ADHD. The significant differences found between the experimental and control groups indicate that play therapy could be used as an effective treatment method for children with ADHD.

https://www.youtube.com/user/PamDysonPlayTherapy