ABSTRACT
Many forms of therapy, particularly the psychotherapies, are based upon an assumption that the client is a willing participant who actively wishes to change. The reality is that many children come unwillingly to the therapist and respond only because they have been brought. The basic elements of counselling and psychotherapy have shown a tendency to converge over the years, with much cross-fertilisation of approach and technique resulting. Counselling uses a variety of techniques to help people, but often involves assistance to help them express emotion over painful events, communicate their feelings more accurately, and develop problem-solving behaviour. Play is important because it is way a child gains an understanding of world. It is not surprising then that play should be seen as obvious medium by which to work therapeutically with a young child. The evolution of the treatment has continued with separate theories of approach giving way to a collection of techniques and ways of thinking drawn from various sources.
