'Learn to Play' Therapy

Pretend Play skills are an important part of a child’s development. 'Learn to Play' is a more directive therapeutic intervention which is designed for children who may find play challenging. For some children, play skills are acquired on their own, however some require the support of a Play Therapist to enhance these abilities. Without the support of a Play Therapist, a child may experience difficulties in learning, peer relationships, and emotion regulation.

For children who:

Are unsure how to start playing
Experience emotional difficulties when playing
Feel anxiety in situations where others are playing
Want to engage in social play with others but don’t know how
Have delayed language skills
Destroy the play scenes of peers

The benefits of the 'Learn to Play' intervention include; problem-solving skills, identifying and regulating emotions, increase in attention and focus and learning to navigate play socially.

During 'Learn to Play' sessions, the Play Therapist guides structured play activities aimed at building and refining the child’s play abilities. As therapy progresses, the complexity of these activities will gradually increase.

Initially, the Play Therapist leads the sessions, but over time, the child will take more control of the play activities, with the Play Therapist offering support and encouragement as the child assumes a leading role.

Some children may benefit from 'Learn to Play' sessions as a precursor to Humanistic Play Therapy. Developing these play skills through the 'Learn to Play' intervention may provide a foundation for expressing and exploring emotions and processing experiences during Humanistic Play Therapy.

Golden Fields Play Therapy practices on Jaara country and we acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of this land. We pay our respects to the Dja Dja Wurrung people and to their Elders past and present. We extend our respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families we work with.