Meet eight-year-old Maya (fictional character). She had always done well in school, but over a few months her teacher noticed she’d become unusually quiet. She stopped volunteering answers, avoided group work, and would get visibly anxious before presentations. At home, she began complaining of stomach aches most mornings and begged to stay off school.
Her parents initially thought it was just a phase, but things escalated when Maya started tearing up her homework if she made small mistakes. One evening, after getting a single spelling word wrong, she crumpled the page and said, “I ruin everything.”
When her parents tried to talk to her about it, she insisted she was “fine” and couldn’t explain why she felt so upset.
They eventually took her to a play therapist. Instead of sitting face-to-face and asking lots of questions, the therapist introduced drawing and storytelling activities. Maya created a story about a character who lived in constant fear of being judged and “getting things wrong,” imagining that everyone was watching and waiting for mistakes.
Through these sessions, it became clear Maya had developed intense anxiety and perfectionism, likely triggered by a mix of academic pressure and social worries. She struggled to say this directly, but her stories revealed how harshly she judged herself.
With ongoing support, Maya learned ways to manage her anxiety—like breaking tasks into smaller steps and challenging her “all-or-nothing” thinking. Gradually, she became more willing to participate in class again and less distressed by mistakes.
Children often don't have the vocab to say how they are feeling or what they are thinking, and they also might not understand their thoughts or feelings. Play therapy is a structured, therapeutic approach primarily for children aged 4–12, using play as a natural medium for children to communicate, express emotions, and process complex feelings. It helps them to make sense of the world, build confidence, and manage their emotions.
Maya is just one example of how play therapy can help, and I have seen how the power of play in a therapeutic situation can make such a difference in a child's life. It's the child that does the work, because, as therapists, we help children to help themselves! Find out more about how it works in future posts!
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