CHILD-CENTERED PLAY THERAPY: THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING IN THERAPEUTIC SETTING

Abstract

Considering that, for a long period in history, childhood was not recognized as a stage of development, and children were considered "miniature adults" (Ariès, 1986), it is understood that, over time, childhood was gradually socially and historically constructed, and children began to have their rights, and development during this phase of life began to be better studied and understood. Thus, it is worth noting that, with an understanding of this phase, playtime began to be seen as an important aspect of development because through play, a child can experience their authenticity, with acceptance and understanding from the people around them being important factors for healthy development. In this work, the objectives are to understand play therapy and the importance of play during child therapy sessions; to conceptualize play therapy from a Person-Centered Approach perspective; to justify how children express themselves through their play; and to explain how a psychologist can facilitate the process of building a child's subjectivity. To do so, an analysis of different bibliographic sources from books, scientific articles, and dissertations is conducted through analytical research and literature review. It starts from the hypothesis that, through play, children experience important events in the formation of their subjectivity. Even before communicating with words, children play with the people around them; thus, playfulness can be considered as the first source of child communication.