Play Therapy
"Really making emotional contact with people, inviting an emotional closeness either in casual situation or long-term relationship, requires that we open ourselves to them. It requires that we do not put up defensive walls and that we accept others for who they are. Then we can invite others to engage in play." Stuart Brown, M.D author of Play, How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.
Association for Play Therapy (APT) 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 typically used for children ages 3-12 for a variety of concerns and difficulties (e.g., anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior, grief, adjustment difficulties). Play is the language of the child and through play children are better able to express their feelings.