Art and Play Therapy

A discussion with parents about Art and Play Therapy

I know you are concerned about your child.  He / she seem to be having a difficult time coping (at home, at school, with the divorce, with other children, etc.).  In the process of growing up, most children experience difficulty adjusting at some time. Some children may need more help than others in some areas and less help in certain areas.  Children have a hard time sitting in a big chair, like the one you’re are sitting on in my office, and talking about what bothers them.  They just do not know the words to describe what they are feeling inside or what they are thinking, so sometimes they act out or show how they feel.

In play therapy we provide toys, for children to use to say with the toys what they have difficulty saying with words.  When children can communicate or play out how they feel to someone who understands, they feel better because the feelings have been released.  You have probably experienced the same thing when you were bothered or worried about something and told someone who really cared about you and understood, then you felt better and could handle the problem better.  Well, play therapy is like that for children.  They can use the dolls, puppets, paints, or other toys to say what they think or how they feel.  Therefore, how children play or what they do in the playroom is very important, just like what you say here is very important.  In play therapy, children learn how to express their thoughts and feelings in constructive ways, to control their behaviour, to make decisions, and to accept responsibility.

I am sure you are wondering what to tell your child about coming to see me.  You may tell him / her they will be coming to be with Mr. Kovac in his special playroom every week where there are lots of toys for you to play with.  If your child wants to know why he / she is going to the playroom, you can tell them something general like “ Things don’t seem to be going very well for you at home (or other general statement related to the identified problem) and sometimes it helps to have special time just for yourself  to share with a special person.”