Play therapy is a medium to long term intervention that supports the growth and healing of the child, at their own individual pace. However, we sometimes see parents lose faith in the Play Therapy process because they expect to see results sooner or expect a therapist to quickly “fix” their child. Feeling overwhelmed, parents may become tempted to pursue other forms of therapy, like CBT or talk-based therapies, that are more directive and offer “strategies” for managing behaviours. While these interventions have a place, and can be effective with older children, play therapy remains the developmentally appropriate intervention of choice for children aged 2-12.
So why is it taking so long?
There are some key reasons why the Play Therapy process may take longer to see results than other talk-based therapies. These reasons include the fundamentals of the therapeutic approach itself and the child’s own journey and capacity for healing.
Building the relationship
Play Therapy is a relational approach. It essentially draws on the power of relationship and connection to affect change. It can take time to build trust and rapport with a therapist before a child feels comfortable enough to reveal innermost feelings, especially where a child has not experienced adults to be safe.
Working from the bottom up
Play therapy is also a bottom-up approach, and works to rebuild the child’s internal systems and beliefs, rather than change their cognitions, unlike other adult therapies adapted for use with children. This process takes time. Trauma is stored in the body and often children do not have a concious recollection of traumatic events. Play Therapists help to heal from the inside-out before children can make sense of their experience and put it into words. However, changes from this approach are long-term and the child develops coping strategies with the therapist’s support.
Rebuilding coping patterns
As with any therapy, play therapy takes time to show results because it works to change previously developed coping patterns, which are no longer working. A therapist can help to replace maladaptive behaviours and beliefs with more effective ones, but this still requires a time commitment.
Going at the child’s pace
Play Therapists work to children’s individual timelines. They don’t rush or hurry the child. Child led Play Therapy does not require kids to answer questions about/explain how they are feeling which can raise anxiety and is less effective with traumatised children whose reasoning and language regions of the brain are generally underdeveloped. Instead, toys are used as symbols and in place of words to communicate to the therapist and for the therapist to communicate back to the child.
If you would like to know more about the benefits of play therapy, or the play therapy process, please contact us for a free consultation, or review our other blogs on play therapy here.
