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Welcome!
 Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the NVAPT website. The links on this
page
should provide you with answers to many of your questions. If
you have additional questions, please
use the "contact" link and it will provide you with email information
on our board members. Check out our upcoming events to learn
more about the branch meetings. Thank you for your interest
in NVAPT!
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What
is Play Therapy?
Play
therapy provides a therapeutic counseling setting where spontaneous,
experiential, creative activity provides a forum during sessions to
promote self expression, change and healing. The
clients are usually children; however, adolescents and adults can, and
do, benefit from play therapy as well. People of
all ages express themselves both verbally and
non-verbally. In play therapy, the client selects
toys (and in some modalities animals) for self reflections and
exploration of personal growth issues. Through
play, the client represents and processes their own unique inner world
and the dissonance with the larger world. Therapeutic play includes,
but is not limited to, activities such as drawing, using puppets, and
dramatic or fantasy activities. The play therapist facilitates this
experience by creating a safe and accepting environment for the client.
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Who
Benefits?
Play
therapy is helpful for children in a wide range of situations. For
example, children and adolescents who are coping with parental
conflict,
divorce, or who have witnessed domestic violence, can benefit
from play therapy. Also, children who have experienced loss, such as
illness or death of a loved one, or who have been traumatized by abuse,
disasters or serious accidents may also find play therapy helpful. In
play therapy, a child’s anxiety about a traumatic event can
be reduced, feelings are expressed, trust in self and others increases,
and a sense of competence is enhanced. Adults
benefit by using a non-verbal form of expression, adding fun and
spontaneity and previous stages of development to their sessions.
Who
Uses Play Therapy?
Play
therapy can be used by anyone who is professionally trained in this
modality to conduct therapeutic counseling.
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NVAPT
Mission Statement
The
mission of the Association for Play Therapy (est. 1982) and the
Nevada Association for Play Therapy (est. 2002) is to:
"Advance the
psychosocial development and relational health of all people through
play and play therapy by promoting: a) the understanding and valuing of
play and play therapy, b) the effective practice of play therapy
through training, research, and support, c) the recognition,
incorporation, and preservation of diversity in play and play therapy,
and d) the development and maintenance of a strong professional
organization to accomplish these tasks."
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