PLAY...AND LOTS OF IT

Children who visit a Play Therapist are likely to have experienced some form of trauma. This could be a one-off trauma or cumulative.

When the trauma is cumulative in nature, happens early in life and by adults who the child relies upon to survive, it can affect the child's brain development. This disordered brain development can cause a child to expect all adults to be scary and dangerous. This fear impacts their ability to make relationships with others whom they come into contact with.

In Play Therapy, a considerable emphasis is placed upon the therapist's ability to create a safe, permissive environment where children are able to express themselves freely through the play.

It's through this relationship that the therapist shows nurture towards the child, engages and shows interest in what the child does, and enjoys having conversations with the child.

Through these interactions the child begins to learn that some adults are safe and can be trusted to keep them so. These safe adults become like a lighthouse in a storm for the child, until the child can generalise these experiences to other adults in their lives.

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