Play Therapy - Play Therapy Northern Territory

Child Centred Play Therapy.

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is the least intrusive form of counselling for children. Thus it is to children what counselling is to adults. While it is relatively new to Australia, it is a tried and proven method in many other countries.
Play is a child's way of communicating, while talking is an adult's way of communicating. In the playroom the toys are the child's way of talking. When children are able to communicate or play out how they feel to a person trained in play therapy, they feel better because the feelings have been lifted.
For example: As an adult you have probably experienced the same thing when you were worried or stressed and you talked to a caring friend or counsellor. You were able to deal with the issues and resolve the problems. Play Therapy does this for children.
There are other forms of play therapy/children's counselling which include, filial play therapy, group play therapy and even Sandtray therapy.

Why does my child need Play Therapy?

Adults are able to cope with grief, stress, distress and anxiety. There are many reasons why a child may need Play Therapy given their age, limited capacity to cope with changes and stressful life events.
Reasons can include but are not limited to:

The loss of a loved one (human and/or animal)
Parental separation and /or divorce
Family moving house/state etc.
Changing schools.
The arrival of a new sibling.
Issues of special needs (child and/or sibling with disability, illness etc)
Child abuse (neglect, emotional, physical, trauma and sexual)
Significant childhood medical concerns ie: chronic illnesses, cancer, etc.

What are the Indicators that my child may need Play Therapy?

As parents you will note that changes often occur in your children. Play Therapy may be required when these changes are of increased concern to you. Your child's teacher, GP and/or significant family members may also note concerning behaviours. These may consist of,

Changes to sleeping patterns;
Changes to wetting and or soiling of clothing or in bed;
Changes to level of your child's tolerance. (i.e. increased aggression or withdrawal);
Changes to the way they talk (increased baby talk or in general more or less talkative);
Changes to frequency of crying;
Trouble at school with concentration, obedience, bullying or being withdrawn and not wanting to attend school; and
Increased frequency of sickness for no physiological reason.

This list is exclusive, there are many issues relating to your child's mental health. If for any reasons you have concerns a telephone call will not be harmful to your child and may assist with your own peace of mind.

What are the benefits of Play Therapy?

As counselling and therapy benefit adults, Play Therapy has tried, tested and proven benefits for children.
Play Therapy can be difficult at times for children as therapy can be for Adults. There will be times when your child's behaviour may become of increased concern for you during the overall sessions. This will only be for a short time and is generally when they are working on the hardest part of their problems. This is generally around sessions 4 - 6.
The most common statement by parents is that they have "their child back". The benefits of Play Therapy are that your child will be able to use their imagination to successfully work through their issues and stress to go on to enjoy their childhood in a happy, healthy and normal way.

What to tell you child about Play Therapy?

Be as honest as you can about Play Therapy. Tell your child that he/she is coming to be with (Miss) Josephine (Jo) in a special playroom every week where there are lots of toys. If your child wants to know why he/she is going to the playroom, you may say something like "When things are hard for you at home (or school) sometimes it helps to have a special place to play".

What to do for each session?

There is a sandbox, paints and water to play with. These can be messy. Please consider older clothing that you and your child won't mind being soiled.
It's also very helpful given your child will be a little nervous to ensure a toilet stop prior to leaving home or on arrival prior to the session. Children find it hard initially to ask the therapist to go to the toilet.
Finally reassure your child you will be waiting for them at the end of the session when they come out of the play room.

What does it Cost?

This can vary and is undertaken on a sliding scale depending on parental income. It would be best to consult with PTNT about fee structure and subsidies. Please note that some private health funds also provide rebates to families.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Play Therapy, we offer sandtray therapy and play therapy training workshops. Just follow the training link for more information.