You Are Never Too Old For Play Therapy - Andrea Beavers

Can you do play therapy as an adult? The short answer is yes, absolutely. Let’s dive deeper into the why. 

The purpose of play therapy is to address emotions, experiences, behaviors, and social skills, in an evidence-based way. For adults, it is a great way to connect with their inner child too (Olson-Morrison & Hudspeth, 2017; Schaefer, 2003). Of course this can all be done with traditional talk therapy or other intervention types. More and more mental health agencies and therapists are using play therapy techniques with adults. Play therapy allows for a gentle way to express and explore difficult topics. 

Now that we understand the purpose of play therapy, let’s explore what it can entail and different ways it can be applied. 

• Playdoh or sculpture or clay 

  • This play therapy skill can be a helpful tactile intervention. 

  • It can be used in a couple different ways including grounding via the temperature, smell, or texture of the playdoh or clay, expression of anger by pounding, smashing, or throwing it, fidgeting, or sculpting shapes that express emotions, struggles, or relationships. 

• Expressive arts

  • According to the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA), expressive arts in therapy is a way to assist with healing, promote growth, and can help people explore their emotions, stress, and trauma through various art forms (2024). 

  • Expressive arts include and are not limited to visual arts, dance, music, drama, role playing, writing or journaling, photography, and incorporating nature into sessions. 

  • Some examples of what some interventions might look like include making a playlist that represents the relationships or various life events in your life, making different masks that represent who you are around people versus in a private space, acting out different experiences you have had or would like to work through, walking in nature during sessions, being mindful and staying grounded in the present moment, or drawing what shame or other emotions look or feel like to you. The options are really limitless and just require a little creativity.  

• Sand tray 

  • Sand tray is exactly what it sounds like. It involves sand in a tray with objects in it that are used to help soothe (like a rake or stamp) or represent something (ie different animals, mountains, shells, stones, buildings, symbolic objects, etc). 

  • Sand tray can be structured where a therapist will ask a question or provide a situation for you to explore or unstructured where the client gets to determine how they want to use the sand in session. 

  • Sand trays can be used to help people create and reflect on their worlds. The experience can be conscious or subconscious that the therapist can help the individual explore (Doyle & Magor-Blatch, 2017).

• Games

  • Games can include card games, board games, dice games, and charades. 

  • Games are a great way to practice emotional control, social skills and positive social interactions, rule following, increase and express intellect, and navigating experiences of winning and losing (Garrett, 2024). Games can also help develop a sense of safety within the therapeutic relationship. 

  • A great example of what a therapeutic use of a game would look like would be Uno. The therapist and client work together to establish the addition of therapy-related rules to the game. Some example rules could be assigning each color a certain emotion. So when you use a wild card and pick a color, tell the therapist about a time you felt that emotion recently or act out what nonverbal cues are linked with that emotional expression. Another rule could be when using a reverse card, tell the therapist about a time where you wish you could go back and do something differently in your life. The options are truly endless. 

• Toy phones, puppets, stuffed animals, dolls, and action figures

  • I know what you are thinking, this one might be a stretch and sound uncomfortable. However, using these props are a great way for someone to distance themselves from their stories and experiences in a helpful way. Creating distance can help someone explore their emotions and reactions in a controlled setting and safe space. The props can be used for storytelling, role-playing, and within the expressive arts or sand tray categories. Toy phones or real phones can be utilized to help individuals practice phone calls they are anxious about (Garrett, 2024). 

Now that you understand how play therapy can be incorporated in sessions, let’s dive into specific benefits for adults who participate in play therapy. 

When addressing subjects such as trauma and grief, play therapy can provide a safe, non-verbal outlet, expression, and relief of different emotions. As mentioned above, different forms of play therapy such as playdoh, clay, sand tray, and expressive arts can be used to help ground someone experiencing dissociation or a flashback (Perryman et al., 2019). Expressive arts are a great way to address symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and more. Role playing or storytelling can help adults manage life transitions, change, and reduce stress. It can also help improve communication by offering less formal ways of expressing tough and complex emotions (Olson-Morrison, 2017). Play therapy has also been utilized in settings that work with dementia or geriatric patients. It has been shown that play therapy can help provide sensory and emotional stimulation and reduce feelings of loneliness for older adults (Jamei et al., 2024). 

Something important to remember is that not all therapists are trained or well-versed in play therapy techniques. If you are interested in trying play therapy as an adult, it is important to talk to your therapist about it and what that might look like in your sessions or on your treatment plan. It is also important to experience some level of resistance or hesitation when trying play therapy as an adult for the first time. It can feel vulnerable and uncomfortable because it is new and different than what you might normally be used to in a therapeutic setting. Just remember that you can opt out at any time and you are in control of what you want to work on or practice in a play therapy setting. 

References 

Doyle, K., & Magor-Blatch, L. E. (2017). “even adults need to play”: Sandplay therapy with an adult survivor of childhood abuse. International Journal of Play Therapy, 26(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000042 

Garrett, A. (2024, July 23). 10 favorite play therapy interventions for adults. Garrett Counseling. https://garrettcounseling.com/10-favorite-play-therapy-interventions-for-adults/ 

Jamei F, Saleh Moghadam AR, Mazlom SR, Namazinia M, Asghari Nekah SM, Mohajer S. Effect of group play therapy as holistic geriatric interventional modality on feelings of loneliness among older people: A randomized control trial. Geriatr. Gerontol. Int. 2024;24:1067–1076. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.14972

Olson-Morrison, D. (2017). Integrative play therapy with adults with complex trauma: A developmentally-informed approach. International Journal of Play Therapy, 26(3), 172–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000036

Perryman, K. L., Blisard, P. N., & Moss, R. (2019). Using creative arts in trauma therapy: The neuroscience of healing. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 41(1), 80-94.

Schaefer, C. E. (2003). Play therapy with adults. J. Wiley. 

What is Intermodal Expressive Arts?: IEATA: International expressive arts therapy association®. IEATA. (2024, May 11). https://www.ieata.org/what-is-intermodal-expressive-arts/