Ashley Wroton, a licensed professional counselor (LPC), says parents of her young clients have told her that pediatricians sometimes make comments suggesting that they try “real” therapy with their child rather than play therapy. “Play therapy is real therapy,” says Wroton, a registered play therapist who works with clients ages
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Superheroes and play therapy: The perfect imaginary combination
Superheroes have a profound influence on American culture. Recently, Marvel Comics’ Black Panther came to life on the movie screen. It appears the movie had a twofold impact. First, it brought heroic life to a seemingly little-known character. Second, unlike most other big-screen superhero movies, Black Panther placed value on
Behind the Book: Partners in Play: An Adlerian Approach to Play Therapy
It’s often said that play therapy reaches young clients through their own natural “language” of play. When combined with tenets of the Adlerian method, play therapy becomes a tool for the therapist to build an egalitarian relationship with the client while focusing on the individual and his or her dynamics
Involving parents in child-centered play therapy
When young children, ages 2 to 9, are experiencing emotional and behavioral problems, the usefulness of talk therapy is limited because they often cannot communicate effectively using words. Play therapy continues to gain momentum as a viable approach to work therapeutically with young children because it is based on the
Play (in) therapy: Approaches to working with young children
I do play therapy, but I am not certified nor am I a registered play therapist — although I wanted to be! My early counselor training and mentorship was mostly behavioral, but early on I moved to a less didactic and more interactive approach. That, combined with my interest in
Online role-playing games as group therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the challenging era of COVID-19, many young people are experiencing the sort of isolation that can interfere with healthy social development. This may be particularly true for young people who were already wrestling with significant mental health challenges before the pandemic. Telehealth group therapy that utilizes role-playing games offers
The benefits of a multisensory experience in therapy
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been providing and receiving in-person and virtual therapy. Initially, my own therapy was 70% virtual and 30% in person, and my client schedule averaged about 60% in person and 40% virtual. Being on both sides of the couch gave me a unique
‘The walls come right down’: The clinical benefits of therapy dogs
Donna Gluck, a licensed clinical professional counselor in Downers Grove, Illinois, said her dog, Talia, is lucky to be alive after experiencing horrific trauma before being rescued. But canines’ past trauma can also transform into powerful gifts of intuition and healing when harnessed in the right way. Talia , a
Counseling Connoisseur: Nature therapy and brain science in children
Alfred Adler purported that all behaviors have a purpose. Behaviors are often the way the body responds to life’s stressors, especially for children. Yet, many therapeutic treatments for children focus on the modification, remediation and even elimination of a behavior without addressing the underlying cause. This approach suggests that once
Learning about the experiences of canine-assisted therapy handlers
Interacting with animals, especially dogs, regularly elicits an immediate rush of the warm fuzzies for me. I also witness this among fellow shoppers when I walk through the pet store with my long-haired German shepherd. “Oh, how beautiful!” they will exclaim as they give themselves permission to pet my dog