Centered Play Therapy - Essay Example

By playing out feelings, it brings them to the surface. The child must face them and learn to recognize and control them. The goal is to help the child realize their own power within in him/her self. They then realize they have the right to be their own person and they have the power to make a decision about how they will behave. In making such decision the child becomes psychologically more mature and capable of selfhood and self control. The realization of selfhood, via ones own map, is the primary goal of child-centered play therapy.

When this is established, more directive play allows the child to discover his/her power to make appropriate choices, use self control and problem solve. The Key concept of child-centered play therapy is that the therapist must accept is that the child is a unique person and worthy of respect, children are resilient. They have an inherent tendency toward growth and maturity and they are capable of positive self-direction. The therapist must develop a warn and comfortable relationship with the child.

It is important to establish this rapport as early as possible in the therapeutic process. Part of this rapport is that the therapist accepts the child exactly as he/she is. The therapist must establish a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship to allow the child to express his/her own feelings. It is also important that the therapist stay alert to recognizing the feeling the child is expressing in the plan and they the therapist reflects those feelings back to the child to enable the child to grain insight into their own behavior.

The therapist must not attempt to direct the child’s play or conversation in anyway. The child is the leader and the therapist follows. There should be not attempt on the therapist’s part to hurry the therapy along. This is a gradual process and the therapist must respect that. The only