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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.
Some are marriage and family therapists, school counselors.
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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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