Alternative Dimensions - Play Therapy

Play Therapy

 

Play is a natural form of learning, and means of expression for all children. Play is used as a part of the curriculum as a foundation to learning, to teach problem solving skills, cause and effect, social skills and to enable the child to explore their environment around them. Play Therapy supports this process enabling the child to explore in their own time, with them taking control and leading their session using the therapeutic tools that are available to them.

 

Play Therapy encourages the child to become self-directive, exploring their environment with the hope of using play to express themselves, their thoughts and feelings, and learning appropriate ways of interacting with others.

 

Play Therapy also encourages other skills/properties such as developing self-esteem, confidence, and epowering children to have a voice. It allows children to

• explore their behaviour,

• learning how to control anger, frustration,

• learning how to self-regulate,

• learning to work with and manage their anxiety levels.

• This approach teaches children how to make decisions and guides them to be more flexible in making change.

 

Play Therapy has been able to meet the needs of these children and young people on various levels through:

• Attachment work,

• Developing their communication skills,

• Allowing them to explore their developmental stages,

• promoting their independent skills and most importantly being able to connect with and be 'them.’

 

To achieve this play therapists use a range of therapeutic tools in the play room to enable children to find suitable ways of expressing themselves such as: sand tray, music, clay and playdoh, movement props, art, role play, as well as others.

 

Hope, Imagine and Achieve use a Qualified Play Therapist who has chosen to specialise in working with children diagnosed with complex learning disabilities. They have several years of experience in this area, connecting with the children themselves, utilizing skills in Makaton, Intensive Interaction, Sensory Processing, Social Stories and now being able to incorporate this into the play therapy room.