Play therapy

basic tenets of the approach, the view of the child and his or her capacity to change, the role of the therapist, the goals of therapy, and the unique characteristics of the approach. Adlerian parent consultation is also described. Because most children under the age of 10 do not have the abstract reasoning and language skills to verbally process their thoughts, feelings, reactions, and attitudes (Bettelheim, 1987; Piaget, 1962), many professionals who work therapeutically with children use toys, art, and play as a vehicle for communicating with young children. In play therapy, the play can be a means for (a) establishing rapport with children; (b) helping adults understand children and their interactions and relationships; (c) helping children reveal feelings, thoughts, reactions, and attitudes that they have not been able to verbalize; (d) constructively acting out feelings of anxiety, tension, or hostility; (e) teaching children social skills; (f) providing a way for children to explore their desires and goals; (g) creating a relationship in which children can test limits, explore their perceptions of themselves, others, and the world; and (h) providing an atmosphere in which children can gain insight about their own behavior and motivation, explore alternatives