Celebrate National Play Therapy Week (February 6-12, 2022)

You may find it interesting to note that play is our first language, according to the (click link) Association for Play Therapy (APT). Just as words are used to communicate, young and older people can use play to express thoughts and feelings that might otherwise remain hidden. For instance, in my clinical work with traumatized adults who cannot easily find their words to express unspeakable experiences, play techniques are used as a vehicle to unlock verbilization. Once deeply hidden impressions are expressed, problem solving and healing can begin.

Perhaps you can relate to play in your experiences with a pet and have undoubtedly noticed how important playtime is to your dog, cat or bird. In my house, both German Shepherd (Hans) and Border Collie (Willow) eagerly await our evening games. It seems more important to them than food, which underscores its value. Personally, I must admit that this creative experience with my pets uplifts mood, offers a release the day’s cares and leaves a feeling of satisfaction. Play is essential to the well-being of all two, four and eight-legged creatures; both domestic and wild.

Mental health professionals throughout the USA want to remind everyone about the value of play during (click link) National Play Therapy Week. The act of playing is actually used to therapeutically assist clients to describe and manage their behaviors and mental health problems. Play therapy credentials are considered a specialty field that requires specific clinical training and supervised experience that goes beyond general mental health licensures. This unique credential (RPT or RPT/S) enables clinicians to publicly advertise their Play Therapy expertise. Working with play is truely an art.

I invite you to view the following interesting video from (Click Link) Dr. Stuart Brown highlighting play as a universal prescription essential for good health (click link) Tedtalk with Stuart Brown, MD.