I’m a Play Therapist AMA

[Playdy]

Just that really.

Do you feel the same about music or art therapy for adults / children? How about counselling?
Play is the way that children communicate and interact with the world.

what age do you go up, in typically developing children and those with additional needs? Do autistic children respond well? (Because traditional talking therapy etc is so NOT aligned to a lot of people with a social communication difference!)

Have you read 'Dibs in Search of Self' and do you feel it's as wonderful as I do. (If you hate it, please be gentle. That book is really special to me).

For those wondering what play therapy is, I think it's well worth a read.

Google play therapy UK (PTUK)

It is wonderful and is often one of the very first books play therapists are urged to read (PTUK anyway).

Age up to 12 ish. We can work with older children if they are older but functioning at a younger age. Some therapists go on to do further training which allows them to work with older children/teens. Some therapists also do filial play where they work with the parent and child to develop attachment and connection between parent and child.
Play therapy is excellent for neuro divergent kids as it allows them to act out scenarios and explore emotions in a gentle and safe space. Our job is to fully accept the child as they are and so the child is really safe to be their truest self - helpful if a child masks a lot.

How does it work for a child who doesn’t typically ‘play’? I’m thinking of my eight year old who has never really engaged with open ended play and would just follow instructions for Lego or craft kits for example. How do you engage those types of children?

I don’t know what the ideal age is. Good question. Primary age is great and the younger the better but that’s my opinion and not evidence based! I’ve been lucky to have worked with children across primary years and each stage has its benefits and challenges! If a child can master some emotional literacy skills earlier then they have got them in the bag for the future.
I’m sorry you felt like it wasn’t helpful enough for your child. I’d say make sure you go for a decent number of weeks (18-24) and also don’t forget that much of the work is inner work and you won’t always see the direct impact in every child. If a child has ADHD then they are always going to find certain things hard - play therapy won’t change that. So perhaps it’s worth considering your aims and making sure they’re realistic? However perhaps play therapy isn’t the right intervention. It isn’t always.

Thank you for replying, this is really helpful

Put a sand tray in front of a child and 9 times out of 10 they will want to put their hands straight in!! (And 9 out of 10 adults too!!) Even if a child is moving the sand around with their hands they are playing. Not all the play in therapy needs to be purposeful sometimes it’s fiddling or moving or just exploring the toy selection,l.

Children will find something that connects with them whether that’s drawing, cutting and sticking, clay. Some prefer structured games like UNO or top trumps.

Sometimes it’s just about exposure and it takes a few weeks but eventually they will find something they engage with.

sometimes kids do struggle with not being given instruction but that’s where the work is for them - to develop autonomy, to self entertain, to lead, to risk, to potentially fail and then be able to recover from that failure.

I’ve thought about looking for a good play therapist for my DC, due to having split up with my EXDP a few years ago, I feel my DC would benefit from it. How would you suggest I go about finding and selecting the right play therapist?

If you google PTUK and click around a bit, there is a register on there that you can search for a therapist by location. I imagine BAPT has a similar set up too. Type ‘find a PTUK/BACP play therapist’ and I imagine you’ll get the sites you need.
Word of mouth goes a long way too so perhaps ask around to see if anyone is established in the area with a good reputation.
You could ask for a brief chat to discuss the possibility of play therapy which will give you a change to get a feel for the therapist and if they might be the right therapist for your child.

Thank you @Playdy. Although they see their Dad 2 or 3 times each week, and stay with him for the weekend every fortnight, one of my DC seems unusually angry for a child who lives such a full life. Play therapy would help them work through their emotions. I’ll look up the resources you have suggested, thank you.

I have an interview with PTUK next week to study with them. Could you give me any advice on what it's like??

I currently work as a Forest School leader with primary aged children. My sessions are predominantly play-based and FS is by nature child-led. I have been looking at developing my training by doing a Play Therapy certificate. Do you think you could take your practice outdoors? I don’t imagine having a traditional Play Therapy ‘kit’ but more of an outdoors, nature based one. Would play therapy in an outdoor setting work as successfully in your opinion?

Just to clarify, on what the interview is like?

Yes absolutely and I know of a couple of therapists who do exactly this. The only consideration is keeping a confidential space so you’d need to make sure you weren't overheard or overseen.

Yes sorry lol what I can expect from the interview

Yes sorry lol what I can expect from the interview

It was a very informal chat. Mostly information giving on their part and an opportunity to ask questions. It wasn’t much to worry about. (You are paying them for training so they will want you on board!)

Is this a real job? Are there actual degrees and science behind this, or just playing with autistic kids?

Yes, yes and yes to all three questions.

My DC is disabled and has had many surgeries, the play therapists were amazing and used to include my other DC too. I was under the impression this is a minimum wage job and not requiring formal qualifications, so are there different levels of a play therapist?

Do you find that some social and emotional issues that children are experiencing are being medicalised when actually play therapy would be more beneficial than seeking diagnosis and could be a quicker intervention? Does play therapy work for trauma?

I ask as a professional working with children who have social and emotional needs.

The term play therapist isn’t a protected title sadly so you could encounter any level of play therapist. What I do, requires post graduate study (level 7) and therefore I charge a professional rate for my services. The type of therapy your child receives sounds wonderful but is unlikely to be the play therapy that I practise, due to the set up and lack of confidentiality. It sounds similar to group therapy maybe or a play intervention. There’s a whole range of play based interventions a child could receive although as highly qualified play therapists we would like the recognition we feel we deserve.