Play Therapy
Therapeutic play services for children and teens in Omaha, NE.
When Talking Isn’t Enough
We don’t rely on “talk therapy” alone. We recognize that children and youth often can’t fully put their experiences into words, so our approach meets them where they are.
If you have a child or youth that struggles with any of the following, there are ways we can help:
- Out of control emotions and behavior
- Intolerances and rigidity
- Refusal to follow directions
- Trouble with peers
- Academic concerns
- Reactivity to trauma or troubling experiences
Play therapists use toys to help build on the natural way children learn about themselves and the world around them
How Play Therapy Helps
We use Play Therapy to help children express their emotions and thoughts. Play Therapy is a set of strategic methods that uses a child’s natural desire to explore and experience the world through play. Play Therapy allows a child and their family to meet and respond to mental health needs, learning disorder complications, and developmental needs without relying solely on verbal input. Therapists specializing in treatment for children and adolescents believe that play is the best way to reach the child and develop healthy communication and self control. Play Therapy can help you and the child transform those negative behaviors, allowing you to see the sweet child underneath the behavior. Play Therapy is a treatment that involves the child and the adult. While we teach the child ways to cope and express themselves in healthy ways, we also work with the grown ups to learn more ways to parent and see beyond the behaviors that naturally make you want to pull your hair out. The anger and frustration can become a thing of the past for both of you!
Supporting Children Through Therapeutic Play
If you find yourself ready to do some hard work with your child, learn new ways of coping, and face the discomfort in change you have come to the right place! There are multiple therapists on staff at Unity that have the specialized training and/or certifications to work with children through the vehicle of Play Therapy. Instead of requiring children to sit on a couch to talk about their feelings, your therapist will use specific toys and games that promote emotion regulation and the opportunity to learn better coping skills.
Your Child Can Have Healthy:
- Communication
- Emotional expressions
- Problem solving
- Social skills
- Conflict resolution
- Behavior
- Cognitive development
