Children diagnosed with cancer not only suffer the physical effects of treatment with weeks and months in hospital with treatment lasting up to 3½ years but there is also the devastating psychological impact. This funding will help us provide Play Therapy, which is a child-led form of counselling for children who are experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Children explore and make sense of difficult life experiences, feelings, and emotions. Most younger children don’t have the vocabulary, emotional understanding or maturity to express themselves so, through the language of play, they are able to work through their problems and express how they are feeling. The Play Therapist is trained to analyse, identify and interpret information and thereby help develop healthier ways of communicating, increase self-esteem, build on their resilience, and develop ways of emotional and self-regulation. Children with cancer often experience a loss of control, become fearful or anxious from pain or trauma from treatment and loss of self-esteem. However, a Play Therapist is trained to be able to identify meanings using puppets, toys, role-play, musical instruments and art for children to play out and therefore communicate their sense of trauma and life experiences.
