Play Therapy for Teens?

Clinicians who work with children and teens are sometimes faced with a unique challenge: getting them to talk!

Parents often will say that they are not sure if therapy is going to work for their teen, because they hate talking.

The idea that therapy is boring, interview-like, and involves the client sitting still on a couch is a stereotype that comes from movies and shows. This is not a realistic depiction of what it is like to work with kids or even teens!

Another common misconception is that play therapy is only for children ages 10 and under.

Just like kids, teens are a difficult age group to get to talk to adults about what they are struggling with.

Additionally, if a teen is finding therapy boring, they are probably not going to want to go every week.

A creative approach to therapy--such as play therapy, art therapy, and other therapeutic activities--is actually right on-par with the age group that teenagers are in.

Some adults may find this surprising, because some teens have the typical “too cool” attitude towards play. However, when it comes to an adult trying to understand and help them work through their struggles, a teen is going to be a lot more receptive to someone who is not pressuring them to talk about it constantly or act like an adult.

When you think about it, teens have to sit in school ALL DAY and get asked questions. If you have a teenager, you KNOW they come home burnt out from it. Teens hate being asked questions, and you have probably found yourself in an “I don’t know” war with your teen when they get home from an eight hour day of school.

Therapy would be no different; most adolescents in the “I don’t know” age group don’t want to sit down and be asked questions about their problems. They are so much more likely to follow through with therapy if they know it is going to involve different activities.

Creative approaches like art and play therapy involve an indirect exploration of something that the client may be struggling with. 

This is another reason why this works amazingly with teens; they don’t have to sit there and attempt to come up with responses (that they usually don’t have) about why they feel how they feel or do what they do. 

They are simply able to just be there, feel appreciated, have consistency, and navigate their feelings without having to force words.

Play therapy is about free expression. It is not threatening or aggressive, it does not feel like a huge burden, and (BONUS) it’s not boring. 

All of these things are pretty perfect for the developmental stage of teens. Plus, it’s hands-on, which typically means the skills that are learned are more likely to be applied in the home and school setting.

Moreover, when play or art therapy is paired with the strengths-based approach, therapists are allowing the client to explore talents or interests that they may not have prior, while also boosting the client’s confidence. 

If you have a teen in your life, or remember being a teen, you know that confidence is something that can often be lacking at different points of that developmental stage. It’s a hard age to be! Being in a judgement-free environment can really encourage the teen to try things that they may not feel comfortable trying in school or with peers, and realize they really have a knack for it!

Creative expression in therapy is a great way to work with a teen’s self-esteem because there is no way to be “bad” at it, it isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it's purposefully geared toward their interests. 

Therapists will always meet the teens where they are at and utilize their strengths in creative therapy.

So, if you’re a parent of a teen and you are feeling like talk therapy is not working for them, there’s a chance you’re right about that!

But don’t worry because play and art therapy are not just for kids. They are both great forms of therapy for an adolescent. They are very emotionally engaging, fun, can help the teen explore creative outlets in a judgement-free zone, and can teach important life skills.

If you want to learn more or want to give it a try, schedule a consultation with a therapist today and request creative therapy!