Why We Play
It can be daunting to find the right therapist.
There is a lack of literature out there to educate caregivers on which therapeutic approaches may work best for their kids and their family. Until a more detailed resource is available, here is a quick primer on why we emphasize Play Therapy at Ensemble Therapy.
Like many caregivers who come to us for therapy, your pediatrician may have recommended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a commonly used therapeutic approach that has its roots in Behaviorism. Simply put, CBT is based on the realization that thoughts are behaviors and they can be weakened or strengthened using reinforcement. This approach is rooted in experimental psychology and is executed using measurable techniques that allow for a statistically sound evidence base. Given that pediatricians are MDs trained in medical science, they feel understandably secure recommending CBT.
Behavioral issues often trigger the decision to bring your child into therapy. However, successful therapy can do much more than eliminate or re-train unwanted thoughts or behaviors. It can rebuild your child’s sense of self, confidence, and sense of personal agency in regard to life’s challenges. You can train a child to stay in their bed at night, but if we don’t pay attention to the sense of fear and vulnerability that causes them to wake up and seek comfort, a new problem behavior will most likely replace the old one. Pure behavioral or cognitive therapy can sometimes feel like a game of Whack a Mole where you re-train behaviors but ignore the deeper underlying issues that cause them.
Any licensed child therapist you select will have a firm grounding in behavioral and cognitive therapy. In some cases, behavioral techniques are highly recommended for persistent behavior in young kids and for treating phobias. CBT is used to re-train habitual and maladaptive thinking patterns and often has an organized curriculum that includes worksheets and take-home assignments. If your child has an issue that will respond well to pure behavioral training your therapist will let you know. However, the vast majority of children respond more quickly and readily to a combined therapeutic approach.
Play therapy combined with cognitive therapy and child-centered therapy leverages your child’s innate wisdom, intelligence, and ingenuity and exceeds the standard for evidence-based research.
Feelings of shame, fear, and loneliness often lose their jagged edges in the presence of play. As an adult, if you have ever felt the release of a good joke, you know that introducing playfulness into painful situations releases tension and invites creativity. Children naturally express themselves through the language of play. No matter how dire or serious a problem is, children welcome a playful environment in which to express themselves and explore change. When a play therapist trusts the creativity and imagination of kids in therapy their encounter will be fresh, exciting, and full of unexpected discoveries. Playing in therapy gives children a combined sense of safety and total freedom that is often absent in real life.
Although playing in therapy can sound frivolous to an adult, we are consistently amazed by the wisdom, bravery, and brilliance of your children in the playroom. Please feel free to ask your therapist for examples of your child leading them to an activity, story, or toy that helped them regulate their big emotions and face their fear and anxiety.
So yes, CBT is good. But evidence-based play therapy techniques grounded in child-centered, cognitive approaches are even better.
When you submit a request for therapy at Ensemble we consider which therapist’s approach and style will be the best match for your child. Some kids work better with a more structured therapist and others respond to more freedom and spontaneity. If your child needs a specific type of expertise that we can’t provide it is our ethical obligation to refer out and help you find a place that meets their needs.
If you have a pre-adolescent or adolescent, and you are wondering how these principles apply to them — stay tuned and we will cover this topic in a future article. Working with adolescents involves fewer toys but the foundational principles of following their lead, respecting their inherent wisdom, listening closely, building trust, and inviting creative approaches are the same.
