Josh’s play therapy story- giving Josh a voice

Josh (9) was referred to Platform for Life by his school. He was struggling to control his behaviour, both at home and in school. Often Josh would hide under the table and not participate in class, and be disruptive. In his early years he had experienced trauma and now lives with adoptive parents. Josh also has severe speech and language difficulties.  

When we received Josh’s referral we spoke to his Mum who feared that if Josh didn’t receive support appropriate to his needs, his behaviour would deteriorate, and eventually he would refuse to attend school.  

Play therapy was the most suitable approach to help Josh explore his feelings. For the first few sessions the therapist had to encourage Josh out from under the table.

Eventually Josh became enthusiastic with the choice of resources but found it challenging to stay within the boundaries of the room. His play was energetic, physical and vocal, often calling out and shouting. The toy characters Josh played with would sustain injuries and this type of play continued for many weeks. During this time, he shared many frustrations; not being understood in class and sometimes at home, how difficult friendships were, how he felt that he had no friends and not feeling confident with anything he tried to do.  

During therapy Josh was given the space to express his frustrations safely using the toy characters. He slowly became less physical in his play; he stopped the characters fighting and instead they began to nurture each other, cooking and making food. Josh became more able to regulate his emotions and began to explore practical ways of communicating when he didn’t feel understood.  

Play therapy gave Josh a voice. He no longer felt the need to hide under the table. Teachers reported he was more confident and able to let others know when he didn’t feel understood. He was able to concentrate and participate in class, improving his ability to learn and develop friendships. 

For Josh’s Mum she shared her relief that Josh was a happier and more confident child who now enjoyed going to school.