A treatment technique using the child’s play as a medium for expression and communication between patient and therapist.
A form of psychotherapy used chiefly with children who have emotional problems. The method consists of allowing a child to play with a variety of objects or toys with the intent that the child will reveal sources of his or her emotional problem.
Form of psychotherapy for children in which play with games and toys is used to gam insight into the child’s feelings and thoughts and to help treat conflicts and psychological problems.
Use of toys and other objects to help young children express emotions or to reenact traumatic or abusive events under the guidance of a mental health professional.
A technique for dealing with emotional problems in children that uses play materials, such as a sandbox, toys, musical instruments, and picture books, to help children express thoughts and feelings in the presence of a therapist.
The use of play, especially with dolls and toys, to allow children to express their feelings. This may permit insight into their thought processes that could not be obtained through verbal communication.
A technique employed in the psychoanalysis of young children, rooted in the notion that all play carries symbolic meaning. Observing a child engaged in play assists a therapist in identifying the underlying causes of the child’s challenges. This insight then allows the child to express and address thoughts and emotions causing distress.