Play Therapy
“Without play, learning and evolution are impossible” — Stephen Nachmanovitch
“In play we
manifest fresh, interactive ways of relating with people, animals,
things, ideas, images, ourselves…to play is to free ourselves from
arbitrary restrictions and expand our field of action. Our play fosters
richness of response and adaptive flexibility. This is the evolutionary
value of play – play makes us flexible. By reinterpreting reality and
begetting novelty, we keep from becoming rigid. Play enables us to
rearrange our capacities and our identity so that they can be used in
unforeseen ways” (Nachmanovitch, 1990, p.43).
Winicott (1971)
says, “it is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child
or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it
is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self”
(p.54).
In The Therapeutic Powers of Play,
Shaefer (1993) lists the benefits of play as development of therapeutic
rapport, understanding, increased self-esteem, problem-solving,
emotional release, adjustment to trauma, and practice of new behaviors
and insight.
More elusive to
scientific documentation is the spiritual aspect of play. Fred Donaldson
(1995) says that in original play we are seeking the experience of
being alive. Donaldson considers children his teachers and one child in
particular, named Paul, made a lasting impression on him. Paul was five
years old and dying of leukemia. His parents had asked Donaldson to
limit Paul’s play activities; fearing play would further shorten his
life. One day Paul called a meeting of his parents and Donaldson and
asked permission in engage in full-out play knowing that it could speed
his impending death. His parents consented, and indeed, Paul died one
month later. This experience provoked in Donaldson a question about
playing and survival. When researching the roots of the word, Donaldson
found that survival came from the Latin super (beyond), and vivere (to
live); meaning to outlive or live beyond (Donaldson, 1995). We interpret
survival as living longer. But in Paul’s story we could interpret his
desire to play as a move towards survival of his spirit; living beyond
the restrictions imposed upon him by his disease and the adults in his
life.
Play is a
creative activity. It asks us to drop the roles we take on, come into
the present moment, and allow ourselves to be moved. In playing,
alternative possibilities may be revealed and help to shake our habitual
thoughts and behaviors. It is in this, that the therapeutic power of
play lies. As we embrace the possibilities, our lives have the
opportunity to unfold in ways we could never imagine.
References
Donaldson, F. (1993). Playing by Heart. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc.
Nachmanovitch, S. (1990). Free Play: The Power of Improvisation in Life and the Arts. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Schaefer, C. (ED). (1993). The Therapeutic Powers of Play. New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc.
Winnicott, D.W. (1971) Playing & Reality. London & New York: Tavistock Publications.
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