PLAY THERAPY

It is very important that emotional and behavioural problems are dealt with at an early stage. If left untreated these problems may cause a child and his family a great deal of distress. If a child does not understand his behaviour or have control over it, it can cause fear and break down confidence. This can impact on other areas of life, such as the ability to complete tasks and schoolwork, to make friends and to deal with stress.

If you find that your child displays strange, uncharacteristic behaviour (like being aggressive, destructive, withdrawn) after a specific stressful event (like divorce, new school, birth of a sibling, death) and this behaviour lasts for at least two weeks, it probably is time to seek professional help. This behaviour may be an indication that your child is not able to deal with and express what he is experiencing or feeling. Ask your child's teacher, caregiver or a significant adult in his life if they have noticed this behaviour.

Sometimes your child's behaviour may be inappropriate even if there is no specific stressor that you are aware of. Or the cause of the behaviour may be something totally different from that which you have imagined. Or your child may have had problems with regulating emotions from an early age and does not seem to be getting any better. In such cases it is recommended that you speak to a professional who will advise you if it is necessary for you to take your child for therapy.

Research has shown that play therapy can successfully address issues related to:

• Self-concept & self-esteem
• Making friends
• Adapting to new situations (such as a new school or family set-up).
• Symptomatic behavior (such as stomach ache, headaches, anxiousness, depression, bed-wetting)

• Trauma (such as divorce, sexual molestation, the death of a parent, hijacking)
• Attention deficit disorder or attention-hyperactivity disorder
• Fear and anxiety
• Nightmares
• Aggressive behavior or rage
• Shyness
• Grief