Child- Centered Play Therapy at Steadfast for Children 3 and up

Though adults often express and work through their emotions using words, children use the language of play to process their emotional experiences.

According to the Association for Play Therapy, play allows children to: “build trust and mastery, foster learning and acceptable behaviors, regulate emotions, reduce anxieties, promote creative thinking and problem-solving, encourage open communication, and elevate their spirit and self-esteem” (APT, 2022).

Play is the child’s language, and this is why play therapy is the medium for healing in children. In the playroom, children are offered a safe space where they can be themselves with both acceptance and limits, while processing through difficult emotions or experiences. God has gifted children with their own language of play to assist in the healing of their emotional wounds. What a gift to witness and help facilitate this healing in play therapy!