ABSTRACT
Young children have not yet completely mastered the abstract symbols and concepts necessary to verbal communication and may have insufficient experience in the use of language to adequately express their thoughts and feelings (Hansen & Stevic, 1969; Walsh, 1975). Since children use play to express feelings, explore relationships, and explore themselves (Barlow, Strother, & Landreth, 1985; Nelson, 1968), play is the logical medium through which to communicate with children who are experiencing some type of difficulty in their lives. Play therapy, a therapeutic interaction between a child and a therapist through the utilization of toys or other play materials, is one of the most widely accepted methods of working with children who are exhibiting some type of emotional or behavioral problem (Phillips, 1985).
