We are dedicated to serving the needs of clients of all ages and stages in life. Our therapists trained in therapeutic play share a passion for reaching their younger clients through developmentally appropriate and effective treatment using the natural language in which they understand and communicate: Play. While typically geared towards children and adolescents, therapeutic play can be powerful for clients of all ages.
Therapeutic play provides unique and invaluable opportunities for clients to express and process their experiences and emotions in a safe and supportive environment. This therapeutic approach recognizes that some clients, especially younger clients, often lack the verbal skills to articulate their feelings and thoughts in a traditional manner and will instead naturally communicate through play.
The Association for Play Therapy describes child play therapy as:
“a way of being with the child that honors their unique developmental level and looks for ways of helping in the “language” of the child – play. Licensed mental health professionals therapeutically use play to help their clients … to better express themselves and resolve their problems. Play therapy works best when a safe relationship is created between the therapist and client, one in which the latter may freely and naturally express both what pleases and bothers them.”
This video featured by the Association for Play Therapy answers common questions:
Therapeutic play is used to treat behavioral disruptions related to anger management, grief and loss, divorce and abandonment, crisis, and trauma. Research supports therapeutic play in the treatment of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, pervasive developmental disorders, and social developmental disorders.
The Therapeutic Play Environment
At Centennial Park, our therapists who use Therapeutic Play have thoughtfully designed spaces that cater specifically to the needs of our younger clients. These Therapeutic Play spaces are equipped with diverse games, toys, and creative materials to facilitate the therapeutic process.
One can expect to find:
- Toys for expressing and experiencing real-life and nurturing experiences such as dollhouses, miniature figures of people, animals, household items, scary and comforting figures, cars, and everyday items.
- Items used for creative expression and emotional release such as sand-tray, paints, craft materials, crayons, markers, musical instruments, fantasy items
- Toys for expressing aggression, acting out, and scary themes to help clients experience these emotions and memories where they are free to express themselves in a safe environment
Our therapists design their therapeutic spaces to foster a sense of safety and security, enabling clients to engage in the healing process at their own pace, whether the therapist is engaging in client-directed therapeutic play or directed therapeutic play.
