When young children are seen in therapy, usually the preferred modality is through play. We, at Pelican Cove, are excited to have a well-furnished play therapy room through generous donations and hard work by our staff! Our play therapy room is furnished to be a bright and happy place where children can feel welcomed and valued.
When people attend therapy sessions, they are usually expected to reflect on themselves and to articulate that to the therapist so they can engage in a dialogue that can lead to self-awareness, insight, and change. However, the abilities to reflect on one’s thoughts and emotions and to express them verbally do not develop until a child is a little older. Also, as you can imagine, it is difficult for a child to carry on a dialogue about deep and sensitive or painful issues with an adult for an hour! This is where the play comes in as a way to communicate about experiences and feelings, and to rehearse options for change.
During a play therapy session, a child is allowed to play out experiences or thoughts that they are struggling with. This play is interpreted by the therapist who can respond either through play or by helping the child to verbally express the experience. Through repeated play sessions, a child feels increasingly safe to explore beliefs, thoughts, and feelings that they usually keep hidden. Just as it takes a while for an adult to work through difficult concerns, play therapy can take some time, months or sometimes longer, for any improvements to be seen and experienced.
So as you can see, play therapy is very different from regular play that children engage in, just as talk therapy is very different from everyday conversations. We are excited to be able to provide this service to our child clients!