PLAY THERAPY: MEANING AND PURPOSE
BY- ISHITA SHARMA
“ we do not stop playing because we become old, but we become old because we stop playing.”
When children randomly throw tantrums and become aggressive or do not react much and prefer to stay quiet and alone, is it weird to accept the fact that they are not okay? To be honest, it is not. In this era of parents with busy life, it is very common to know about the fact that they do not spend much time with their children which is required during their initial growth years. Sometimes, the different or unusual behavior of children is visible in everyday discussions, but what about the time when it is not? In most cases, it is not easy and even possible for a child to express what he/she is going through at the moment.
This behavior could be due to various reasons such as domestic violence, neglect, abuse, exposure to adults with substance abuse, families with one member chronically ill, separation and divorce of parents, bullying by peers & adults, fear of failure, difficulty in making friends, difficulties in learning, children who are ill and are experiencing or have experienced medical procedures, social and emotional difficulties of children suffering from disorders organic in origin etc. Thus, it is crucial to communicate about whatever the child is going through and if required seek professional help from a psychologist.
The most effective therapy used by psychologists with children after building a good rapport is play therapy which is defined as a collaborative enquiry into a child’s world that is contained within the therapeutic relationship primarily between the therapist & the child. The language of this inquiry is predominantly symbolic, allowing the child to explore their life experiences through symbolic communication.
Thus, this therapy symptomatically helps them modify their behaviors, clarify their self-concept, & build healthy relationships with others in their environment. It is majorly for children aged 3 years & upwards and adolescents who are experiencing emotional & behavioral difficulties.
Now why use it with children? Ever heard of the fact that children learn faster through the medium of play in comparison to anything else? which is exactly why they are made to learn about various things with the help of toys. Now these toys used can be divided into three categories namely Real life and Nurturing (doll family, doll house, puppets, animal families, cars, money); Acting out, Aggressive, scary toys (toy soldiers, guns, aggressive puppets, rubber knife) ; creative expression and emotional release toys (sand, water, paints, craft materials, magic wand).
Now why is play therapy important? One of the major reasons is that children learn as they play and in play, they learn how to learn. As they explore their world, children's play presents them with the fundamental relationships with which they acquire the basic feelings, ideas and capacities to effectively absorb from and adapt to the ever-changing world around them for the rest of their lives.
Some social benefits include enhancement of feelings of acceptance of difference, increases empathy, compassion and sharing, an alternative to aggressor- victim model of relationships, decreases revenge and need for self- defense, improves touch and non verbal socialization skills.
Bio- physical benefits include- positive emotions increase the efficiency of immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems; decreases stress, fatigue, injury, and depression; increases range of motion, agility, coordination, balance, flexibility, vestibular and proprioceptive motion, and fine and gross motor exploration; integrates sensorimotor, kinesthetic and emotional responses.
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