Play therapy is a type of therapy where a therapist uses play, toys and games to help the child explore, express and safely experience the difficulties they are working through. At Barnett Counseling Services play therapy is utilized to uncover insights otherwise unable to be heard and recognized through normal dialogue. Children explore for understanding physically, so play therapy is the most developmentally appropriate way to approach child therapy. It allows the therapist to meet the child at their level, helping with cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges. Play therapy is a safe arena for a therapist to witness the solutions the child attempts during play. The goal of play therapy is to help children behave more adaptively and learn new ways to solve problems or process past trauma.

How Play Therapy works:
Play therapy’s focus on relationships and experience creates positive changes in the brain. While children explore their concerns, the therapeutic relationship helps regulate their emotions which permits the brain to make structural changes. These changes lead to better understanding and more adaptive behaviors. Play therapy is seen not only as a therapy intervention but through the lens of your child expressing their language through play and helping them interpret the process to best support their overall mental health and mood stability.

A few examples of Play Therapy you may find in my sessions:

• Bubble play
• Block play
• Balloon play
• Sensory play
• Concrete play metaphors
• Emotion thermometer
• Mutual storytelling
• Externalization play
• Role-Play
• Costume play
• Mask play
• Superhero play
• Puppet play
• Color your life
• Clay play
• Free drawings
• Trauma drawings
• Mandala drawings