ABSTRACT
Conceptualization refers to the formation of ideas or concepts which will incorporate theoretical perspectives to demonstrate why play for adults may be utilized within healthcare provision. Play is considered by many psychologists to be a process, particularly in relation to the emotional and mental processes involved when play occurs. Play therapy derives from the creation of an intense relationship between therapist and client in which play as opposed to talking is used as the primary means of communication and problem resolution. One in four adults and one in ten children and young people, have been diagnosed with a mental illness in the past year. Linking the provision of play in adult healthcare into varying theoretical frameworks, enables the modelling of integrated systems that demonstrate how play can contribute to the healing process, as well as being a means of prevention and protection from the stresses and strains associated with modern life.
