Veronica Ruiz-Ashwal, LMHC
Veronica Ruiz-Ashwal, LHMC is an experienced play therapist serving the greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida area with bilingual skills in Spanish. Play Therapy is excellent for children, adolescents, and families in solving behavioral problems and creating new paths to success. She tailors her approaches to each individual family and patient in. Call Veronica Ruiz-Ashwal today! (954) 583-8831 Ext. 360
Play Therapy
More and more, people are realizing the power of play and humor in promoting positive relationships and mental health. Play therapy is a type of psychological, educational, and developmental intervention that is designed to help children grow up as happy and well-adjusted as possible. It involves the use of play to communicate with children and to help children learn to solve problems and change their negative behaviors. It can also involve the entire family. Play is the primary way that children learn about the world, understand how different things work, express their thoughts and feelings, develop their physical skills, develop mental skills, as well as develop effective social skills and bonds.
As children grow, their use of language becomes more sophisticated, but throughout childhood, they usually express much more of themselves in their play. As a therapist watching children engage in play we often learn more about their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and struggles than by talking with them. Play therapy creates a safe atmosphere where children can express themselves, try new things, learn more about how the world works, learn about social rules and restrictions, and work through their problems. Play therapy gives children an opportunity to explore and open up more than usual.
When we, as adults, encounter a tough problem, we often think about it for a while, look at it from different angles, determine our options, and sometimes talk about it with someone we trust. During play therapy, children do these same things using their imaginations. The activities that happen in a play therapy session can be quite varied. It may involve toys, or books or role play. The goals are to teach the child a new skill or to help the child understand something to promote positive changes in the child and the entire family.
FREE Telephone consultations are available by calling 1-800-714-COPE / 954-583-8831 or at (954) 583-8831 or CLICK HERE and let our therapists make a difference in your life today! COPE is located at 6950 Cypress Road Unit 103 A in Plantation, Florida. We are located within the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area.