FAMILY VALUES — AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE IN


6 SEPTEMBER 2021 Harnessing the power of play


Education & schooling 9


Did you know that before Covid-19 hit, an estimated 20% of UK children would face mental health problems in any given year(1) While


? the full impact of the


pandemic on children’s mental health can’t yet be quantified, the widespread consensus is that it will have exacerbated an already serious issue. In March 2021, NHS data showed that referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services had more than doubled since 2020(2) Te answer could be found in play.


.


Although prized in our early years, the magic of play becomes a distant memory for most as soon as we reach adolescence, yet its healing powers can be immense. Research under- taken by Play Terapy UK (PTUK) suggests that therapeutic play is a highly effective mental health inter- vention with success rates between 73 and 84% (3)


.


What is Play Therapy? Play Terapy enables


the expres-


sion of thoughts, feelings and emotions through play and creative arts. Te use of a variety of media, such as paint, clay, music, sand and puppetry, allows children to explore what they’re feeling, without needing words to articulate it. Although used with all age groups,


this intervention is particularly effective for primary aged children.


How does it work? While the power of play can be underestimated by adults, for children it’s a natural method of learning, and using it as way to express themselves makes sense to them. It allows them to ‘play out’ what they struggle to say or explain


and discover how to cope with diffi- cult feelings, leading to a healthier, happier way of being.


What makes it effective as an early intervention? A child may not have the words to describe how they feel or why they behave as they do. Tey may not be able to recognise what they find difficult, or explain this when asked. It’s therefore often hard for children to talk about their prob- lems and so conventional therapies based around conversation may not be suitable. By contrast, Play Terapy has been


developed in line with the specific needs of children, so can engage and support them in ways that other interventions can’t. Play Terapists are experts


within their field and undertake rigorous


academic and clinical


training before qualifying. All ther- apists registered with PTUK must complete its university-accredited postgraduate training programmes, and once qualified continue to be supervised by an Accredited Clin- ical Supervisor and regularly attend professional development courses.


Why is early intervention so important? Although thought to have been coined in the 1500s, the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ is still relevant in today’s world and under- pins many aspects of modern life, from health and social care to finan- cial planning and business strategy. Addressing an emotional or


behavioural issue quickly can avoid it escalating into a crisis later. Not only does this prevent unnecessary suffering but reduces the resources required to fix it, which could save the UK billions of pounds(4)


and


prevent our already stretched chil- dren’s mental health services being put under further pressure.


Do you know a child who might benefit from Play Therapy? Do you have


what it takes to train as a Play Therapist? Find out more at playtherapy.org.uk or call 01825 761 143


(1) Mental Health Foundation, 2005, ‘Lifetime Impacts: Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health, Understanding the Lifetime Impacts’ (2) Hill, A., 2021, ‘Young mental health referrals double in England after lockdowns’, The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/15/ young-mental-health-referrals-double-in-england-after-lockdowns] (3) Thomas, J. and Lambert, S., 2017, ‘Outcomes of Developing a Clinical Evidence Base for Play Therapy’, International Journal of Play and Creative Arts Therapies Research, Vol 1, No 1, pg. 12 – 40 (4) Powell, T. and Gheera, M., 2021, ‘Early Intervention – A Background Paper’, House of Commons Research Briefing [https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9292/CBP-9292 pdf]


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