Play therapy is a child’s best form of therapy. Play is a child’s language.

Most adults can adequately use verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings. However, no matter how verbal a child is, the primary way he or she will express themselves is through the natural language of play. In our playroom, toys, cards, games, and other activities are used like words. Children use therapeutic toys to help them communicate what they may have a hard time saying with words. They can use sand trays, dolls, puppets, or other toys to say how they feel and what they are thinking.
Sometime the difficult circumstances in life make it hard for even adults to express their feelings accurately.  Play therapy allows a child an opportunity to communicate their emotions in an effective manner and be better able to get through the hard times that they are facing.  Most children really love play therapy and it has been proven effective. The therapist will help the child learn new ways to handle frustration and anger, increase their self-esteem, and better communicate with their care givers.  If a child is in need of counseling, then play therapy is almost always the best option.
Play therapy is extremely effective at treating most of the emotional, relational, and behavioral problems that children are experiencing. Some of the specific issues that can be addressed using play therapy techniques include:  Depression, anxiety, ADHD, anger, defiance, divorce issues, overcoming trauma, poor social skills, aggression, abuse issues, grief, and most other childhood issues.

Q: When does a child need therapy?

A: Most kids exhibit what adults might call “abnormal behavior” on occasions. Sometimes these behaviors will go away as quickly as they came, but sometimes they may be indicative of a child having significant stress or a more serious underlying problem. Many children have a difficult time coping with change. Moving to a new home or switching schools can be very hard but the reactions can be minimized with one or two sessions of play therapy. Other more serious events such as divorce, death of a family member, abuse, or other traumas almost always require therapy in order for the child to not go through life with emotional scars.  If a child is often sad or angry, or if their grades take a sudden turn for the worse, it would be a good idea to schedule an appointment to determine if your child needs some help dealing with whatever is bothering them.
Most childhood problems can be resolved quickly with the help of a trained child counselor. Play therapy is very effective and can save your family time, energy, and frustration. It will also greatly reduce the potential for more serious issues as the child gets older.
Please call our office at 321-332-6984 for additional information.

My husband and I were fighting often, but we thought we were careful not to expose the kids to our problems. We didn’t realize that our 6 and 10 year old children were picking up on the emotional energy in our home and it was causing them significant stress. Fortunately, we were able to get them in to see a counselor at Total Health Guidance and after just a few sessions they were back to their normal selves.
– R.J. Orlando, FL