Play Therapy

“Play is children’s language and toys are their words (Landreth, 2002). ”

Unlike adults, who can talk through their problems, gain insights and generate options to their problems, children do not have the same cognitive ability to process their emotions verbally.  Through play therapy, in the presence of an accepting adult, children are empowered to use play to work out difficult experiences and generate creative solutions to their problems.

Play therapy is effective in helping children between 3-9 with issues of:

  • Oppositional behaviors

  • Temper tantrums and difficulty with emotional regulation

  • Difficulty in sleeping and eating

  • Anxiety, fear, depression

  • Perfectionism

  • Abuse, neglect

  • Single parenting, attachment, adoption, foster care

  • Sibling rivalry, relationship problems

  • Traumatic events, divorce, death of family members

  • Chronic illness, hospitalization

  • Moving house, changing school

  • School refusal, lack of motivation for learning

Play therapy can help children to (Landreth, 2002):

  • Accept their feelings and express their feelings more appropriately

  • Be creative and resourceful in confronting problems

  • Make choices and be responsible for their choices

  • Learn self-control and self-direction

  • Reduce problem behaviors

  • Develop an internal source of evaluation

  • Respect and trust themselves

  • Develop a more positive self-concept, self-esteem & self-confidence

Fees

Initial parent consultation: $2,400/ 75 min; subsequent parent consultation: $1,400/50 min.
Subsequent play therapy sessions: $1,600 per session, 50 minutes each.

Duration

Generally speaking, it takes a child 3-4 sessions to feel secure in the playroom and trust the therapist. Depending on the nature of the child’s challenges, temperament, personality, and parental involvement, play therapy sessions may vary between 10-20 sessions, and up to a year in some difficult situations.

遊戲是兒童的語言，玩具是他們的文字 （Landreth, 2002）。

小朋友的認知發展及不上成人。他們沒有足夠的文字和認知能力來表達他們的困擾，處理情緒，在困局中找到出路。透過遊戲治療，在一個安全的環境中，孩子被賦予能力，透過遊戲來表達自己的經歷，並從中發揮創意，找到解決困難的方法。

遊戲治療能夠有效幫助3-9歳的孩子處理以下問題；

  • 對抗性行為

  • 情緒調節問題

  • 睡眠及飲食問題

  • 焦慮、害怕、抑鬱

  • 完美主義

  • 受虐

  • 單親家庭

  • 寄養、領養家庭

  • 手足關係

  • 依附關係

  • 創傷、離婚、死亡

  • 慢性疾病、住院

  • 搬屋、轉校適應

  • 拒絕上學

  • 缺乏學習動機

遊戲治療能夠幫助孩子 (Landreth, 2002):

  • 意識、接受並合宜地表達自己的感受

  • 更有創意及內在資源面對困難

  • 為自己作出選擇並承擔選擇帶來的結果

  • 學習自控及自我導向

  • 減少行為問題

  • 發展自我判斷能力

  • 建立自尊、自信、自愛

  • 建立正面的自我形象

遊戲治療費用:

  • 首次家長諮詢: $2,400/ 75 分鐘，其後家長資訊：$1,400/50 分鐘。

  • 遊戲治療：＄1,600/ 1節, 每節50分鐘。

治療節數：

一般來講，孩子要花3－4節去建立安全感和對於治療師的信任。視乎孩子面對的挑戰、他們的性情、個性及家長的參與程度，整個療程介乎10－20節之間。對於一些面對創傷或者其它複雜問題的孩子，治療時間會較長。