What Everyone Ought to Know About Play Therapy
2020 was a rough year for everyone, including children. You may have noticed changes in your child over the course of the year that make you wonder if she is coping well with the stresses of the pandemic.
Your once happy, go with the flow child, is now not so happy, and unexpected changes can send him spiraling into a fit.
You wonder if you should seek out counseling in Kansas for your child. You know what to expect for trauma in adults.
But what does counseling look like for your 3-5-9-year-old?
Play Therapy in Kansas Can Help With Depression, Anxiety and PTSD
Parents who have decided to bring their child to therapy have probably been told by school officials, daycare providers, or caregivers that their child is exhibiting behavior, social or emotional challenges. Or maybe your child has been suspended or even expelled from school. Chances are you have noticed those challenges at home too. By this point, your child has already developed maladaptive coping skills to their problems.
You find yourself stuck in this place of not knowing what to do to help your child. You have read the books, talked to the school counselor, consulted with your friends. Nothing has seemed to work.
All you want is for your child to live a normal, happy life with friends. You want to get through the night without having to yell.
Play therapy in Kansas can help with these struggles. It is also used with a wide variety of social, emotional, and behavioral problems. The following is a snapshot of issues that can be addressed through play therapy: divorce, ADHD, Autism, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief & loss, anger management, coping with illness/hospitalization, adjustment to life changes such as moving, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and life stressors.
Play Therapy Works by Giving Children Control of Their Session
Play Therapy is a type of therapy that provides children a safe and therapeutic environment to explore, process, and resolve emotional and behavioral struggles. During Play Therapy, children are allowed to direct the play with as few limits as possible. Play Therapists are as engaged in the play as the child wants.
The Play Therapist is trained to identify themes that emerge, provide limits when necessary, create a safe space for the child to take risks, and most importantly provide the child with a positive, non-judgmental experience. This will allow them to face and resolve the struggles that brought them to counseling in Kansas in a healthy manner.
Play Therapy Could Be The Solution You’ve Been Looking For
While in Play Therapy your child will work with a therapist that has been trained specifically in Play Therapy. The therapist will create a safe environment for your child to express hard emotions, take risks, and “tell” what is troubling them through the safety of play. Once the therapist has created rapport with the child, the therapist can then begin to help the child resolve some of those issues and find alternative, healthy ways to solve problems. The skilled Play Therapist will do this through the play with the child.
The therapist is looking for themes throughout the play. For example, a child that has experienced domestic abuse and is exhibiting aggressive behaviors at school starts therapy. Each week this child engages in play that is centered around good vs bad. The child is the “bad or means guy” and the therapist is the “kid or good guy”. During this play, the child and therapist will typically play out the same scenario. This is done until the child has resolved the issues of feeling powerless and the play will become less aggressive. Ultimately, until the child no longer has a need for that type of play. Parents and the school will notice a decrease in aggressive behaviors and an increase in healthy problem solving.
Play Therapy and Family Therapy
Parents are an integral part of the therapy process. After all, you know your child best. The therapist will rely on the parent to provide insight into the child’s behavior and ways the child responds to authority. Parents are often consulted on the goals they would like to see their child reach in therapy. The therapist will work with the parents to provide strategies that will support their child at home.
Five Positive Results from Play Therapy
Play is an integral part of the natural development of children. Children learn to communicate through play. They learn about their world, themselves, and others during play. It only seems natural for a therapist to incorporate play into a therapy session. These are the skills you can expect your child to gain through Play Therapy:
Confidence in themselves
Your child can start to feel more confident. When your child feels more confident, she can start to use her voice to ask for what she needs instead of using behaviors. This will then leave you feeling more calm and relaxed!
Learn new ways to solve problems
One important skill we want our children to have is effective problem-solving. We want for our children to be able to look at a situation and not only come up with one good solution, but multiple good solutions.
Improved social and relational skills with others
We are always interacting, even when we don’t think we are interacting. If your child struggles with other kids at school or struggles to be kind to other kids, then this outcome is an important one for your family. Play Therapy can help your child learn effective social skills to be able to relate to others in an appropriate way.
Healthy ways to handle big emotions
Where do outbursts come from? Yep, you guessed it…BIG EMOTIONS! When children can learn how to self-regulate their emotions, they will be more capable of handling their big emotions in healthy ways.
Independence
All of these outcomes lead up to this one: independence. When kids feel confident in themselves, can find ways to problem solve, are able to appropriately related with others, can handle big emotions in a healthy way, kids can be more independent. That is our ultimate goal!
Play Therapy in Kansas Works for Teens and Adults Too
Play Therapy is great for children of all ages but is generally used with children between the ages of 3-12.
Even so, it is not uncommon for therapists to use Play Therapy Techniques with teenagers and adults.
Sessions are typically 30-50 minutes in length and continue for about 20 weeks. This, of course, is determined by the needs of the child. Some children have more serious issues that will take longer to resolve. While others improve quicker than 20 weeks.
Start In-Person or Online Play Therapy in Leavenworth, KS and Overland Park, KS
You don’t have to continue to struggle with behavior, social or emotional challenges. We can help you get back to spending quality time as a family and making happy memories. Our caring therapists are trained to help you with play therapy and family counseling. To start counseling at JS Therapy Group located in Overland Park, KS, and Leavenworth, KS, follow these simple steps:
Meet with one of our caring therapists
Start feeling more confident and competent.
Other Counseling Services at JS Therapy Group
Play Therapy is not the only service we offer in our Leavenworth, KS, and Overland Park, KS counseling centers. Other mental health services JS Therapy Group provides include couples counseling and marriage counseling, anxiety treatment, therapy for children and play therapy, trauma and PTSD treatment, addictions counseling, trauma, and PTSD treatment for children, premarital counseling, therapy for teens, family therapy, depression treatment, affordable and reduced therapy, and workshops, classes, and groups. We also offer professional consultations and supervision opportunities. If you can’t make it to see one of our therapists for in-person counseling, consider online therapy in Kansas to meet your mental health needs. Contact us to get started or click on one of the links to learn more. Contact JS Therapy Group.
