Therapeutic Play

What is therapeutic play?

Therapeutic play is used to help meet the emotional needs of children who have an illness or

surgery that requires hospitalization. Being in the hospital is stressful for children and their

families. Sometimes, children feel scared, confused and out of control. Therapeutic play is

used to help children understand and cope with illness, surgery, hospitalization, treatments

and procedures.

What is the goal of therapeutic play?

The goal of therapeutic play is to provide a family-centered approach to help your child

adjust to hospital care. A child life specialist can help meet the emotional needs of children in

the hospital by getting to know your child, giving him/her a chance to express

himself/herself and allowing him/her to adjust to being in the hospital through therapeutic

play. Parents of infants are offered a chance to learn new skills to comfort their baby and

ways they can encourage their baby’s continued development while their baby is recovering

in the hospital.

Child life specialists can help your child and the other children in your family with:

 Play activities to prepare your child for medical procedures and learn about his/her

surgery

 Relaxation and pain management skills

 Providing a opportunity for your child to express his/her feelings through normal play
 Brother/sister needs:

o Children at home may be worried about their brother or sister who is in the

hospital. They may be upset because mom and dad are away from them more than usual. The

child life specialist can help you to answer questions you may have about any children at

home.

o Visiting the hospital can also be stressful for brothers and sisters. The child

life specialist can help prepare brothers and sisters before they visit so they can understand

what they see and how they feel before and after their visit to their sibling in the hospital

Play Therapy for Children in Hospital

It’s rarely a happy occasion when a child is in the hospital, but play therapy is a really

effective way to make it a little less overwhelming and a whole lot brighter.

How play therapy can help reduce the stress & anxiety of hospitalisation

We all know the importance of play for children. It is great for socialisation, motor skills, and

intellectual development. In hospital, playing with children can also create understanding and

serve as a distraction, as well as help in:

 Building rapport and providing a positive experience

 Encouraging development and independence

 Relieving stress and boredom

 Helping to prepare for procedures

 Normalising the environment

 Breeding familiarity with hospital equipment

 Providing opportunities to talk and listen

What does a play therapist do?

There are 4 main ways that a Play Therapist helps children in hospital:

Procedure Education: This is the child friendly

explanation of any procedure a child may experience

throughout their hospitalisation. The Play Therapist will

use developmentally appropriate language and resources

such as toys, books and pictures, to ensure the child and

family are well prepared before, during and after any

procedures they need to have.

Distraction: This involves the use of various items and

techniques including books, iPads, breathing and imagery – to provide a positive focus during

medical procedures and

therapeutic interventions. Distraction can help reduce anxiety and provide choice such as

which song to focus on, which movie to watch, or which story to read.

Medical Play: This gives children and their families the

opportunity to explore, familiarise and desensitise

themselves to medical equipment. It may include doctor

dress ups, doll making, medical equipment collage and

syringe paintings.

Therapeutic & Developmental Play: This is the

provision of developmentally appropriate activities to

patients. It aims to normalise the Hospital environment,

provide choice, and promote fun. It also allows continuity of life away from hospital,
including working towards developmental milestones and may take place in the form of

group activities or individual sessions.

Making a hospital stay happier

There are some simple things you can do which will make a world of difference to a child

during their hospital stay.

1. Be open about the situation

Build trust by letting your child know what is happening

and why they have been taken to hospital. Ask them how

they are feeling so you can address any concerns they may

have. Make sure you bring in some familiar items from

home like a favourite toy or blanket that may comfort your

child. Offer choices to them when they present themselves

to help them feel empowered – whether it’s choosing the

number of pillows they have, or something medical like

taking medicine from a syringe or a cup.

2. Promote the positives

Praise your child for their efforts and encourage their progress, verbally and with rewards.

Bringing in items from home can also be a great way to make their hospital bed feel more

like home. Reward them with a visit from a favourite toy, reassure them with a song, or settle

them with a story from a loved book.

3. Work through the worry

There may be times when anxiety is inevitable. If this happens, it’s important not to brush it

aside. Let your child have their emotions and then work on a way to ease stress together.
Practice some relaxation techniques, like focusing on breathing to calm down or releasing

stress by squeezing a ball. Distract your child by talking through what is happening, or divert

their attention with a conversation, favourite story or activity

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PLAY THERAPY

Play therapy has proven to be an effective therapeutic approach for people from all age
groups, though minors respond particularly well to this type of treatment. Therapists may
employ several general guidelines and practices in treatment in order to foster the
greatest benefits for people in their care.

When working with a child, a therapist may provide adjunctive therapy for adults who
play key roles in the child’s life. Throughout therapy, the therapist will typically place
emphasis on the promotion of mental health and psychosocial development, explaining
treatment plans to the person receiving treatment and a child's legal guardians, if
necessary. Therapists may also coordinate treatment with doctors or other health care
professionals to ensure that a child's welfare remains the treatment priority. If
inappropriately touched by a child in treatment, the therapist may find it best to explain
that it is important that each person’s body is respected, document the event, then discuss
the situation with the child's legal guardians at the earliest opportunity. A therapist may
also find it necessary to make arrangements to prevent the child, or any person they are
treating, from feeling abandoned, should there be a break in treatment.

TRAINING FOR PLAY THERAPISTS

Mental health professionals who seek specialized training and experience in play therapy
may earn their credentials from the Association for Play Therapy (APT). The APT is a
nationally recognized professional institution which aims to further the play therapy
modality and advance the expertise and knowledge of mental health professionals
involved in the clinical practice, instruction, and supervision of play therapy. The APT
offers two standard credentials: the Registered Play Therapist TM (RPT) and the
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor TM (RPT-S).
Applicants desiring to become a Registered Play Therapist TM must

 Possess an active individual state license which allows him or her to

independently provide clinical mental health services.
  Have earned a master's degree or higher in a mental health field, with special
emphasis on areas such as child development, psychotherapy, theories of
personality, ethics, or child and adolescent psychopathology.

 Have two years of general clinical experience (as required for state licensure) and
2000 hours of general mental health clinical experience.

 Complete 150 hours of play therapy instruction from APT-approved providers or

tertiary level academic institutions.

To become a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor TM, an applicant must also have 500

hours of experience in play therapy, conducted under supervision, plus an additional 50
hours of field-specific supervision.
The Registered Play Therapist TM (RPT) credential lasts for one year, and it must be
renewed annually to maintain active status. To qualify for renewal, the applicant must
have a current and active state license to offer clinical mental health services and follow
a continuing education cycle by receiving 18 hours of instruction specific to play therapy
from a tertiary level academic institution or an APT-approved provider every 36 months.