What is Play Therapy
Children and adults experience the world and express themselves in very different ways. An adult’s natural form of expression is language, while a child’s natural form of expression is play. Play is important to the development of children in many ways, including facilitating logical memory, abstract thinking, emotional regulation, mastery of language, and physical and motor development. In play therapy, trained therapists use this natural language of play to help children make sense of what they are going through.
Play therapy helps children to:
- explore emotions
- identify and work through challenging experiences
- organize thoughts
- nurture mastery and resilience
- improve relational abilities
- make sense of self, other, and the world through the use of metaphor and symbol
How Does Play Therapy Work
Play therapists are trained to work with children from a developmental perspective. They identify the themes that emerge in a child’s play, and then work creatively with different interventions, such as puppets, sand, clay, games, books, and art, to help the child work toward resolution and healing. At River’s Edge Counselling Centre, our child therapists understand the unique ways in which children process experiences and information, and how play can be used to help children heal and grow.
Caregivers are always included in the process and are considered essential to a child’s therapeutic success. When required, other helpers such as doctors or teachers may be included. In our experience, therapy is most successful over the longer term when parents and guardians are actively involved.
How Play Therapy Helps
Play therapy can help children work through many issues, including:
- difficult emotions, such as anger, worry, and anxiety
- grief and loss
- divorce and separation
- blended family adjustment
- bullying
- emotional regulation
- problems relating to peers or siblings
- trauma
- self-identity and self-esteem
Over time, this kind of work helps children build stronger emotional regulation, greater resilience, and healthier relationships.
Learn more: Canadian Association for Play Therapy
Who Can Benefit from Play Therapy
Parents often seek out play therapy for children who are showing:
- big changes in mood or behaviour
- trouble at school or with friends
- distress after a loss, a move, or family change
- the effects of trauma or a frightening experience
- low self-esteem or difficulty managing feelings
Parents often reach out when a child seems to be struggling but can’t say why. You don’t need to have it all figured out first; noticing that something is off, even if you can’t name it, is reason enough to ask for help.
Play therapy is suited to children across a range of ages, with the approach adapted to a child’s developmental stage, and it works best when caregivers are involved. It can help children who have a diagnosis and those who simply need support through a hard stretch.
Our playroom Our playroom is fully equipped with a sand tray, art materials, therapeutic toys, and board games. We work with children from a holistic perspective, in a safe and respectful environment where a child is free to express themselves in whatever way feels comfortable. The space is set up so that a child can show us, through play, what can be hard to put into words.
See Play Therapy in Action
These two short videos from the Association for Play Therapy explain why play is the way children naturally communicate, and how play therapy helps them work through difficult experiences.
Finding the Right Fit
Research consistently shows that a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in counselling. When helping you find a therapist, we consider:
- Your goals, concerns, and preferences
- Your past experiences with counselling (if any)
- Therapist expertise and clinical focus
- Personality, pace, and working style
- Therapeutic orientation and flexibility
Some clients come in knowing they are interested in a particular approach. Others have no idea where to begin—and both are completely valid. You do not need to choose a modality to start counselling. Our role is to help guide the process and support you in finding a therapist who feels like a good fit.
You can also explore therapist profiles on our Meet the Team page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapeutic Approaches
No. Many clients begin therapy without any knowledge of modalities. Your therapist will guide the process and adapt the work to what’s most helpful for you.
No. Therapists at River’s Edge work integratively, drawing from multiple evidence-based approaches as therapy unfolds.
Yes. If you have experience with or interest in a particular modality, we’re happy to take that into account when matching you with a therapist.
That’s very common. Therapy itself is a collaborative process of discovering what supports change for you.
Different approaches can be helpful for different people and concerns. Research shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship and a flexible, responsive approach are key factors in effective therapy.