“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato

Play is more than a pastime. It is a formative and developmental process that children naturally engage in to help organize their world and to connect with others.

Many practitioners utilize play in their work with children. Since play is the natural language of children, it would be hard not to! Play Therapy can look different based on a therapist’s theoretical orientation and the individual needs of the child. One approach includes therapist-initiated interactive role-play games or structured board games designed for children to problem solve and process feelings. Differently, and the topic of discussion in this presentation, is Child-Centered Play Therapy in which the primary emphasis is on following the child’s lead.

Stemming from Carl Rogers, Person-Centered Philosophy, Child-Centered Play Therapy utilizes genuine and unconditional acceptance to allow the child to feel safe to express and externalize unmanageable content through play. When the child experiences true expressive freedom, in the presence of a safe and accepting adult, the child begins to feel self-acceptance and emotional insight to ultimately grow and change.

This presentation will provide practitioners with an introduction to Child-Centered Play Therapy. Through didactic discussion and case study examples, participants will understand the rationale for therapeutic play, practice engaging with symbolism and metaphor in play, and be able to grasp the relational components of child-centered play therapy and its healing properties.