Lighthouse Integrative Counseling Services, LMFT, LCSW, PLLC
650 Hallock Avenue
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
631-403-3318
What is Play Therapy?
The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as: "The systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development".
Play therapy is play but it is also therapy, therefore it is hard work for both client and therapist. The child understands that they are going to therapy for a reason (i.e., to get help with something they are struggling with, NOT as a punishment for bad behavior!) Therapy is child-directed which means they are given permission to choose whatever it is they like to do/play during the therapy session. This way the child gets to "play out" what is on their mind with the toys/materials they have chosen. The therapist carefully pays attention to themes and feelings and helps the child, through empathic and reflective listening techniques, to express what they may be feeling. The child hears the therapist tracking and reflecting what they are doing and feeling and gains a better awareness and understanding of themselves.
Child-Centered Play Therapy or CCPT, is a specific type of play therapy used that involves four basic skills: structure, empathic listening, imaginary play, and limit setting. Through a series of sessions, the child can tap into their own inner strength, express their thoughts and feelings about their current struggles, and figure out, with the therapist's help, what they need to do in order to solve their own problems. This allows for a strengthening of their ego/self connection, which increases self esteem and fosters positive growth and change. When children feel better about themselves, they behave better and can thrive in relationships with other people.
Since play is the language of childhood, and is the child's primary way of communicating, the therapeutic process takes place in the context of play and can become a corrective emotional experience that is fun and rewarding. Child-Centered Play Therapy was developed by Virginia Axline in the 1940s. Her very popular book 'Dibs in Search of Self' was published in 1964 and portrays in detail, how the process of play therapy can have profound changes in young clients.
What is Sandplay Therapy?
Sandplay Therapy was developed over 40 years ago in Switzerland by a Jungian psychologist, Dora Kalff. Carl Jung, a pioneer in the field of psychology, stated that the psyche has a built in tendency to heal itself and grow toward fullness. This is the foundation of Sandplay Therapy. The psyche consists of both the conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves.
Sandplay allows clients of all ages to explore the deeper layers of the psyche in a creative and exciting way. Through the use of miniature toys and a shallow 28" x 23" sandbox, a person is able to create pictures in the sand that express their inner world. They can communicate through the symbols they have chosen rather than having to find the words to describe their painful feelings and experience. Then they can safely explore their wounds and the effects from those wounds and the possibility for healing. This is done within the protected space of the sandtray and the safety of the therapeutic relationship. Through Sandplay, the adult client is able to build the skills necessary to avoid the problematic behaviors from the past. Children's thoughts and feelings are given a voice through symbolic play, enabling them to resolve their issues in a language they understand.
When a person has had a traumatic experience or has been raised in a dysfunctional environment, the coping skills that helped them survive, often become obstacles to healing. Some of the common defenses that hinder healthy development are intellectualization (overthinking/being cut off from our emotions), rationalization (making excuses for why something is okay), projection (putting your own unacceptable feelings onto someone else), denial (pretending something didn't happen or minimizing the true impact something had), and dissociation (the mind and body become disconnected from each other so the person doesn't feel or experience the situation).
Sandplay allows a person to slowly and safely explore the ways in which they have coped with problems and to build on the strengths that they do have. When children experience stress or trauma, the ways in which they cope may present as impulsivity, hyperactivity, poor school performance or poor social skills. Having an outlet for this built up anxiety allows the child to learn more adaptive coping skills for the future.
Parenting Books:
How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk - by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
Raising Your Spirited Child - by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
1-2-3 Magic, Effective Discipline for Children 2-12. 3rd Edition - by Thomas W. Phelan, PhD.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, - by Daniel G. Amen, MD
Delivered From Distraction - Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder - by Edward Hallowell, MD
The Bipolar Child - by Demitri Papolos MD & Janice Papolos
Overcoming Depression - by Demitri Papolos, MD & Janice Papolos
Friends Forever: How Parents Can Help Their Kids Make and Keep Good Friends - by Fred Frankel
Why Don't They Like Me? Helping Your Child Make and Keep Friends - by Susan M. Sheridan
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