Therapeutic Play in Pediatric Health Care Settings

Catalog description

This course will review play and its many functions in the hospital setting such as recreational play (to facilitate normalization), developmentally supportive play, and procedural and medical play (to support procedures and establish control). It will focus in particular on therapeutic play and its role in facilitating the expression of emotions, alleviation of stress, increase of coping skills, and mastery of the healthcare experience. Participants will explore what they can learn from observing play, how it can inform their assessment and interventions, and they will learn about different formats of therapeutic play. Cultural perspectives as they relate to engaging in play will also be discussed.