What is Therapeutic Play? What Does It Do?

 The play therapy method, unlike individual therapy, looks at games, not words. In the environment we call therapeutic play, the experiences and feelings of the child are observed. So, how is therapeutic play applied for play therapy, which is an important subject of psychotherapy, and what does this game do?

 

What Do Therapeutic Games Do?

Before moving on to the games used in play therapy, let's take a look at the definition of therapeutic play. Therapeutic play is a method applied during play therapy. The expression therapeutic has the meaning of curative-curative depending on psychological methods. Games prepared in a therapeutic environment are used to reach children and visit their inner world without disturbing them.

 

Play therapy games are the same regardless of the content of the therapy method. The important thing here is that there are a variety of toys that will allow the child to reflect his world. In general, types of therapeutic play are classified as:

 

Role Playing Games,

Puppet and Mask Games,

Drawing and Painting, Drawing Desk,

Tales and Stories,

Playhouse Materials,

Cloth Dolls and Barbie Dolls,

Therapeutic Emotion Cards,

Non-Sharp Toy Knives and Harmless Weapons,

Toy Soldiers,

Water-Sand Tray Games,

Play Dough -Clay

Baby Care Toys Like Baby Bottles,

Kids Activity Games,

Toy Charms,

Toy Fruits.

Apart from the play therapy toys above , there is also a classification of therapeutic games:

 

Educational Games: Games related to this class include conveying the relevant educational topic with the help of games. Especially in preschool education, knowledge transfer is provided through games. Thus, children develop their perception and thinking potential through the activity that makes the most sense to them. In play therapy, educational and mechanical games are not given much place. Instead, emphasis is placed on games in which the child will reflect his own emotional process.

 

Catharsis Games: Catharsis therapeutic games are the very purpose of play therapy. Catharsis games refer to an environment where the child reflects his/her own processes through games and toys. The child can discharge all the emotional moods that he/she experiences in his/her inner world without even being aware of it, during the game. Most play therapy methods, especially child-centered play therapy, provide such an environment and observe the child. Catharsis games have an extremely important function in terms of getting rid of the child's experiences and relaxing by experiencing a kind of emotional discharge.

 

Catharsis Play Therapy

 

Dramatic Games: Dramatic plays, which are also included in creative drama, are based on role playing and imitation. The child develops his self-esteem and uses the opportunity to improve his interpersonal communication by going from passive to active in the drama game. In dramatic plays, imitation of that role is based on a role.

 

Physical Development Oriented Games: Physical development games, which are based on not harming the child, are played with real materials. The aim here is to calm the child's mood with a physical development game. Especially children who have problems with anger control and aggressive behavior are tried to be reached with therapeutic games along with this kind of development-oriented games. At the same time, floortime therapy can work on issues that prioritize psychological and physical development in some cases.

 

How to Learn Therapeutic Play?

Practitioners of therapeutic play are play therapists. The sources of information for play therapists are clinical psychology training and play therapy practitioner training. Therapist candidates are eligible to study clinical psychology after a bachelor's degree in psychology, PDR or child development. Those who complete postgraduate clinical psychology training may also receive field training in person to specialize in play therapy.

 

Apart from therapy practitioners, those who are in constant contact with parents and children can also learn therapeutic games. Parents in particular need to focus on the child's play to detect and monitor the problem. There is only one point to be noted here. Since play therapy at home will not be possible, if there is an observed problem, it will be necessary to benefit from professional play therapy practitioners.

 

A conscious parent is also knowledgeable about play therapy and therapeutic play; but he knows that he will deliver the application to professional hands. Parents and those who communicate with children can learn a wide range of therapeutic games and child psychology by taking play therapy training . The application part of the job concerns the play therapist candidates.

 

What are the Benefits of Therapeutic Games?

For children, play means much more than a leisure activity. Games especially in the preschool period; It offers gains for the child's self-expression, socialization and self-awareness. Play therapy and therapeutic games are basically based on the same element: play as a means of expression and purification.

 

Therapeutic play , used in therapy practice , involves the child playing comfortably by creating a natural observation area. Above all, it creates the opportunity for the child to express. Non-directed play therapy, in which the child acts actively, allows the client to discover himself and to show himself through games . Play therapy shows children between the ages of 2 and 13, who cannot express themselves with words, that they are not alone and allows them to tell their own world by hosting them in the most comfortable environment.

 

Acting on the concept of therapeutic play, we continued on how such games benefit. If you want to continue learning concepts and information about play therapy, do not forget to visit our blog .