Play therapy is the preferred approach for conducting psychotherapy with children. Play therapy helps children to adjust to stressful life events (such as divorce, moving, changing schools), learn to express thoughts and feelings (without acting-out, nor repressing), learn new relational skills to use with friends, family and authority figures, and to cultivate self-acceptance and empathy for others.

Psychotherapy with children at Silver Spring Psychotherapy Associates always starts out with a careful assessment of the child's functioning at home, in school and in social relationships. A treatment plan is developed in collaboration with the parents, and is updated in regular parent meetings. At Silver Spring Psychotherapy Associates, parents are active participants in all phases of treatment.

Using play therapy with children, even the most challenging problems can be confronted, and solutions can be rehearsed, mastered and adapted into lifelong strategies. Using play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelngs, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Play therapy provides a safe psychological distance from their problems, and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to a child's developmental level.

This blog is loosely adapted from the APT web site.