About Play Therapy

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About Play

Play is fundamental for childhood development in areas of physical, social, language, cognitive, emotional, and overall wellbeing. The sensory and physical stimulation that comes with play promotes brain development.

Throughout childhood, most of what children learn is through play. At About Play Therapy, play is regarded as a crucible for children's development.

"Discover more of a person in an hour of play than years of conversation." Plato

Play Therapy is tailored to each individual child and family. The specialised modality recommended will depend on individual circumstances. The length and intensity of the intervention is structured in collaboration with the family and child and will depend on the complexity of the reason for referral.

Services

Learn To Play

Learn To Play is a directive approach in which the play therapist will take the lead and decide on the toys and games that will be used in the play session. The therapist will guide the play to aid development of age appropriate play skills in the child.

Non-Directive Play Therapy

In NDPT the play therapy approach is less structured. Children’s play and interactions with their therapist are exclusively child-led. The child selects the toys or creative material to play with and sets the pace.

Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is a family approach using play to strengthen the parent-child relationship. It’s designed to resolve the child’s emotional and behavioural concerns and strengthen the attachment relationship of parent-child using play therapy techniques.

Occupational Therapy

OT views the child holistically and aims to encourage children to develop age-appropriate functional skills to allow engagement in everyday activities. If your child has difficulty learning, playing, socialising, or completing self-care tasks, they may benefit from OT.

About Play Therapy

Play Therapy is a developmentally sensitive mental health intervention for children. Play is the natural language of children. The use of play enables children to communicate more effectively, both verbally and non-verbally. Play is not only essential for promoting child development but has many therapeutic powers to bring positive change.

Play therapy is possibly the longest researched psychotherapy modality for children, which spans over eight decades. Meta-analysis, developments in neurobiology, and individual studies support the principles embraced by play therapists.

The approach is a way of being with children rather than a way of doing something to or for children. By creating a therapeutic relationship, the child has the potential to positively self-direct at their own pace, allowing an increase in self-esteem, self-actualisation, and resilience. A play therapist can gain insights into a child’s problems and help the child learn new coping mechanisms to facilitate healing.

Contact

Nicky Nilsson, Occupational Therapist/Play Therapist

0493 152 471

nicky@aboutplaytherapy.com.au

Suite 5, 9-11 Montford Cr, Lyneham, ACT, 2602