I just watched this video of a Ted talk about play therapy with traumatised children. Although I am not a trained play therapist, I use toys and the essence of play in my art therapy practice with all children, adolescents, and adults. I see play as the key to allowing ourselves to relax and be in touch with our true natures, through building trusting safe relationships leading to improved resilience and ability to lead a healthy happy life. As Paris says in the Ted talk, before we can play we have to feel safe and secure – a basic need according to Maslow’s hierarchy of need.
See Paris’s Ted Talk: Trauma & Play Therapy: Holding Hard Stories
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Thrive with Art Therapy 