What are Common Themes in Play Therapy with Children?
Cathi Spooner 
This article discussed five common themes your clients will typically manifest in their play during the course of play therapy.
Working with children using play therapy is a big paradigm shift from working with adults in counseling. Developmentally children have different needs than adults in counseling. Play therapy provides child counselors with a framework to help children access the therapeutic powers of play for healing.
What does that “look like” in the play therapy sessions?
Depending on what they need to resolve in their counseling sessions children will often demonstrate a variety of “themes” in their play.
What does that mean?
It means there are ways in which their psychological issues will show up in sessions.
Are there typical themes that may manifest in play therapy sessions based on what the child is working to resolve in play therapy?
Yes.
What are play themes?
Children come to therapy to work through psychological and social-emotional issues just like adults. However, they need a way to resolve their psychological issues in a way that meets their needs. The therapeutic powers of play allow children to use the play process to resolve their psychological difficulties. Play themes are the way children show us what they’re working through using therapeutic tools in the playroom (toys, art supplies, music instruments, etc). They do this through their words and emotions expressed and the way they interact with the play therapist. For more about how to identify play themes in play therapy sessions, check out this article - How Do You Identify Themes in Play Therapy Sessions?
Common themes in play therapy
Below are common themes you’ll observe during play therapy sessions. It’s not an exhaustive list. However, these are typical play themes you’ll recognize during play therapy sessions. There are a variety of psychological and social-emotional “roots” to these play themes, so you’ll need to pay close attention to what your client is doing in their play therapy sessions as well as what they’re saying to get a sense of what your client is working to resolve.
Aggression & Power/Control
Issues of “goodness” and “badness”
Grief & Loss
Feelings of helplessness and wanting to feel internal sense of control
Life is “unfair”/anger
Mastery and Sense of Competence
“I can” and "I’m capable” (Industry vs Inferiority)
Building positive self-concept
Creative problem solving
Feeling helpless and powerless
Safety/Security
Anxiety
Traumatic experience
“Am I safe?”/”are my loved ones safe?”
Nurturance/Meeting Needs
Emotional needs
Basic needs are met or not met
“Do I matter?”/ “Do my needs matter?”
Connection/Attachment/Belonging
“Am I loved?” and “Am I lovable?”
Relationships
Peer relationship abilities
Mastering the Art of Recognizing Play Themes
Recognizing play themes and feeling confident about your play therapy skills requires training and supervision. Training teaches you what to do and knowledge about play therapy themes. Play therapy supervision/consultation teaches you how to apply what you’ve learned in trainings with your specific clients and their specific needs in play therapy. Play therapy supervision was a total game-changer for me when I was first learning play therapy twenty years ago.
Takeaways
1. Play themes are the ways in which children use play to work through their psychological, social-emotional difficulties and how this shows up in the play therapy sessions.
2. There are 5 general categories of themes that are common in play therapy sessions. These show up in the sessions based on the ways in which your client uses the therapeutic powers of play to access healing.
3. Play therapy supervision/consultation is an important part of your learning process. Investing in yourself to get access to good play therapy supervision/consultation provides you with invaluable support to grow your skills and help your clients achieve amazing results in treatment with you.
Check out my YouTube Channel where I post all the replays of my weekly Livestream episodes discussing play therapy. You can watch a replay discussing this week’s article about play therapy themes. Click here to watch the replays: Yes! I want to watch the replays!
Want to learn how to help your clients achieve maximum results in play therapy and feel confident in your play therapy skills?
Play therapy supervision/consultation is the best way to achieve that goal. Schedule a free 30-minute video call to see how I can help you level up your play therapy skills and get amazing results for your clients: https://calendly.com/cathispooner/30min
Categories: : Play Therapy
