Play therapy with children: Its relevance and utility in the Indian context

Abstract

Among the psychotherapies commonly used with children, play therapy is one of the favoured ones. The rationale for the therapy is that children find play to be a natural medium of expression. Although play has long been recognized to have therapeutic value, systematic research into various aspects of play as a form of therapy in children has not been forthcoming. Given the qualitative nature of the interaction and the difficulty in quantifying subtle aspects of a child’s expressions (both verbal and otherwise), most practitioners of play therapy in clinical settings have done so on a hunch that it works. However, with the current emphasis on meta analyses, efficacy and effectiveness research and evidence based practice, it is necessary that all practitioners of psychotherapy re-examine these aspects of their practice. This article attempts to evaluate play therapy, its historical development and the schools of play therapy, its theoretical foundations, its clinical utility, the research endeavours and its relevance in the Indian context.