Play Therapist
A play therapist, certified through the Association for Play Therapy, provides a way for children aged 3 through 11 to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. At Treehouse Counseling Services, our certified and pre-certified play therapists provide a safe place to play and heal.
As a child’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others. The play therapists at Treehouse Counseling Services facilitate this by working with parents or guardians to design treatment plans suitable to the specific situation at hand. Once in place, the plan is always adjusted as needed to create the interactive environment most beneficial to your child.
There are two directions that play therapists commonly take: directive and non-directive. These two are classified as two different types of therapy – directive can be classified as cognitive behavioral therapy, while non-directive is classified as psychodynamic therapy.
Directive play therapy is guided by the notion that using directives to guide the child through play will cause a faster change. Here, the play therapist plays a much bigger role.
Non-directive play therapy, or client-centered and unstructured play therapy, is guided by the notion that if given the chance to speak and play freely under optimal therapeutic conditions, children will be able to resolve their own problems and work toward their own solutions. In these sessions, the play therapists remain as facilitators and observers.
At Treehouse Counseling Services, our play therapists use a multitude of play models including:
- Sand Tray
- Puppets and Masks
- Pet Therapy
