Play Therapy: Supporting Children Through the Language of Play
One of the many things I love about working with children is how naturally they express themselves through play. While adults often use words to process and share their inner world, children haven’t yet developed those verbal skills. Play therapy starts from the understanding that play is the language of children.
Play is far more than entertainment—it’s how kids learn, form relationships, and make sense of their experiences. Play is both creative and deeply honest, allowing children to explore their inner and outer worlds in a way that feels safe and natural.
Why Play Therapy Matters
I come from a psychotherapy tradition, often described as “the talking cure.” While that approach works well for adults, children need a different entry point. When we understand play as a child’s language, we see that talk therapy and play therapy actually share the same goal: helping people understand themselves more deeply so they can move through the world with greater confidence, ease, and connection.
For children, play therapy offers exactly that—a safe, developmentally appropriate way to express themselves, explore feelings, and build the tools they need for growth. Research supports this, demonstrating that play therapy is a powerful approach for preschool and school-age children, especially during times of transition or stress. A 2021 review found that play therapy can be particularly effective for children experiencing major life transitions such as divorce or loss, difficulties managing emotions or social relationships, behavioral challenges, preparation for medical procedures or surgeries, and speech or developmental disorders, including autism and ADHD. The same review reported that numerous studies demonstrate a significant decrease in negative emotions and behaviors when children participate in play therapy (Koukourikos et al., 2021).
How I Use Play Therapy in My Work
In my therapy sessions, I use play not just as a way to connect with children, but as a way to understand the layers underneath their big feelings. Through play, children can express themselves, practice new ways of coping, and discover healthier outlets for their emotions.
Play therapy can look very different depending on the child:
Using dolls or stuffed animals to process family changes
Creating scenes in a sand tray to externalize inner questions or worries
Drawing or painting to give form to feelings that are hard to put into words
The exact play and therapeutic goals depend on each individual child, their needs and interests! The beauty of play therapy is that it meets each child exactly where they are, at their unique developmental stage and in their own way.
My Approach
I take a non-directive, client-centered approach to play therapy. That means I allow the child to lead, while I stay engaged alongside them—reflecting back their feelings, gently introducing new ways of playing, and helping them discover positive ways to express themselves. My role is not to impose meaning, but to create a safe, accepting space where each child can explore, imagine, and grow.
At the foundation of my work is a commitment to sound clinical knowledge and process. Play therapy is not “just playing.” It is a powerful therapeutic tool that allows children to rehearse real-life scenarios, build resilience, regulate emotions, and gain confidence—all while being fully themselves.
For me, play therapy is a way of honoring children’s natural way of being. Through play, I can communicate to a child that I see them, I hear them, and I want to meet them in their world. In that meeting, real healing and growth can happen.
References
Koukourikos, K., Tsaloglidou, A., Tzeha, L., Iliadis, C., Frantzana, A., Katsimbeli, A., & Kourkouta, L. (2021). An overview of play therapy. Materia socio-medica, 33(4), 293.
