Children simply don’t have the language skills of adults and in most cases, they will feel something and not know what it is, or they can’t express what they feel.
They learn to understand their world through play. Toys become symbols for what’s going on in their world.
During a play therapy session, a counsellor will join the child in this world he is creating and uses different play mediums to help the child organize and process his different thoughts and emotions.
It helps them to sort through things on their own way and in their own time and it is used to help children between the ages of 4 and 17 years of age.
It is important that a child’s emotional and behavioural problems be addressed as soon (or as young) as possible before it leads to other problems.
Studies have shown that play therapy can help address issues like:
- Self-esteem problems,
- The making of friends,
- Adapting to new situations,
- Psychosomatic symptoms like stomach aches and headaches,
- Any trauma- like divorce, death, sexual abuse, neglect, etc.,
- Aggressive behaviour,
- Anxiety and depression, and
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Please feel free to contact me for further information or make an appointment on 082 517 3022.
Article by Quinette le Roux Weitsz, Counsellor and Family Mediator
