Using Therapeutic Play to Help Children Cope with Changing Social roles Within the Family after Death has Occurred

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Play can be beneficial and effective for children experiencing the stress, fears, and anxieties associated with illness or death by expressing their feelings into activity (Brown 2018). It can be difficult for children to verbally communicate complex emotions because they usually are unsure of what words to say to express their emotions. Therapeutic play is a great coping mechanism for coping with death because it allows children to express their emotions through play. Professionals working with children would be better equipped to meet children’s needs with a firmer understanding on the ways in which therapeutic play techniques can be incorporated into their practice. The impact therapeutic play makes can also be beneficial for families as it can help the families understand what the children comprehend which can lead to more efficient communication between members of the family. Professionals aim to assist children in reaching optimal outcomes, which in turn has beneficial impacts for the family overall.