Play therapy is a form of counseling or psychotherapy that is primarily designed for children, although it can also be used effectively with several adult populations. According to California-based Licensed Marriage Family Therapist Donna Quach, MFT, play therapy, which is available in our Burbank office or online, helps individuals find a way to express their emotions, experiences, and thoughts less directly and more comfortably.

Play therapy employs the activity of “play,” which is considered a child’s natural language. Through various and proven techniques, a play therapist can gain insight into a patient’s inner world to assist them in processing emotional and psychological issues.

Key Characteristics of Play Therapy

Play therapists use a non-directive approach, which offers a supportive and safe environment for the client to express themselves freely. Similar to other forms of therapy, a play therapist aims to build a therapeutic relationship based on trust. 

Play therapy can be used to address a variety of behavioral/emotional issues, especially depression, anxiety, social challenges, and trauma. It can be an effective therapeutic tool that is used to help children and adults cope with and resolve their life challenges.

Helps With the Expression of Feelings

Through various media - toys, sand trays, art, and other play materials, play therapists facilitate a therapeutic process during which a client can safely work through their fears, feelings, and more – particularly when they may not have the verbal or self-expression abilities to describe what they are thinking or feeling.  

Observation/Interpretation

Play therapists observe their client’s play behaviors and interactions (and more), which offers valuable insights into the client’s psychological and emotional state. The therapist then, through training and education, implements various means to interpret and understand what was observed during the play therapy session.

There are various approaches to play therapy, each with unique theoretical foundations and applications –

• Child-Centered Play Therapy
• Filial Therapy
• Gestalt Play Therapy
• Sand Tray Therapy, to name a few.

Other effective therapeutic treatment options offered by Donna Quach include -  

• Reunification Therapy
• Individuals Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Trauma Therapy
• Co-parenting Therapy
• Counseling for -
  • Grief
  • Addiction/Recovery
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Couples
• EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy.

The specific approach that is chosen will be contingent on the needs of the child or adult client.

Contact a Leading California-based Marriage Family Therapist Today

For more information about the benefits of play therapy, contact Donna Quach, MFT, who maintains an office in Burbank, CA, but provides therapeutic services to all of California online. Contact a staff member at 818-588-7141, by email, or online.