DEFINITION AND AIM
Play therapy originated in the work of pioneer psychoanalysts Anna Freud, Margaret Lowenfeld and Melanie Klein. In their work with troubled children, they recognised the limitations posed by 'talking therapy' and began using play-based methods of therapy.
The British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) is the regulator. It accredits training courses and maintains a professional register.
During play therapy, a child can explore at their own pace and with their own agenda, those matters, past and current, conscious and unconscious, that are affecting the child's life in the present.
The play therapist works with children aged three to 14+ who may be suffering from depression, anxiety, aggression and learning difficulties, or experiences such as abuse, grief, family breakdown, domestic violence and trauma.
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