When Parents Learn to Play….

The Power of Play

I am just coming to the end of teaching a 7 week online programme “The Power of Play’ for a fabulous group of parents. Many of these parents came on the course because their child or children were struggling with anxiety, or anger, or not engaging with family, peers or school. By the end of the course, many families are surprised at the extent of change in such a short period of time. Feedback from the previous group includes:

“It gave me insight into ways to connect with her, communicate with her and understand her.”

“It has Improved our connection and validated my approach. Provided support which was much needed. Helped me build knowledge for my son”

“Things are just so much calmer now – this home is now a much nicer place to be!”

So what on earth is The Power of Play course? And why should you consider it?

As you know, Play is an essential form of communication, regulation, challenge and joy for children. In Play Therapy, the play acts as a medium through which they can express difficult feelings and work through challenging experiences with a trusted adult. In this approach, based on a model known as Filial Therapy, the trusted adult is their parent who has been trained by the Therapist.

The real benefit of this approach over Play Therapy is that YOU are the person that matters to your child the most. YOU are the person that they really want to play with and YOU are the person that they really want to communicate with. When parents learn the skills of Therapeutic Play, children feel safe, seen and understood by the most important person in their life. This has a huge positive impact on anxiety, frustration and behaviour regulation.

Evidence shows that when parents conduct the sessions rather than a Therapist, the impact is enhanced and accelerated because the play is supported by someone who is already a key person in the child's life. That’s right – results are often as good if not better when parents learn these skills and is far less time consuming and costly than weekly appointments with a Therapist. As Play Therapists are currently in short supply and possibly with long waiting lists, it also means you can access help and support in a timely manner.

Many parents find that the time spent training in this method and in carrying out the weekly sessions is more than compensated by the time and energy saved in dealing with difficult or challenging behaviour at other times. As you help your child to achieve change, mastery, and growth, the relationship between you and your child will strengthen, and as the research bears out, the effects are long lasting and far reaching.

This approach is safe and effective for most of the challenges of childhood, but for some children, individual Play Therapy may still be the preferred option. Please contact me if you are in any doubt about the correct approach for you.

“Power of Play” Courses run regularly throughout the year. Click here for more details of forthcoming courses.