Taking Play Seriously

By Sara Chana Segal LMSW

Imagine the perfect therapist. 

When you think of an ideal therapist and the professional skills you'd expect them to possess, what pops into your mind? 

Perhaps diagnostic wisdom, empathic listening skills to be sure, along with a toolbox full of the latest cutting edge interventions, like cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, or EMDR. And to be sure, all of the above skills are vital in shaping a qualified and excellent therapist.

But what if I told you that one of the skills I find most powerful as a therapist is the capacity to play?!

When I was pursuing my Master of Social work degree, my favorite and perhaps, most informative class, was an elective on Creative Arts Therapy. In this course, we learned and practiced techniques from drama therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, and art therapy, each contributing its own set of tools to help utilize creativity in the service of healing

If you were to have peeked into our classroom on any given day, you might have been perplexed as to why a group of adults were engaged in activities that might seem more appropriate for a kindergarten class. You might have witnessed us dancing, singing, and acting out imaginary scenes. On a deeper level, what you have witnessed was a room full of grown adults reconnecting with the healing power of play. 

Kindergarteners intuitively understand the primacy of play in self-development and making sense of the world , but as adults we need to relearn this skill. 

In order to engage in play, one has to be able to be fully present in the moment and access the capacity for spontaneity. As we become older, it becomes harder to access this state of presence and spontaneity for a whole slew of reasons. We may carry memories of being shamed when we allowed ourselves to be free and spontaneous or we were not received well by others. 

Perhaps now, we’ve become preoccupied with responsibilities, with our minds often wandering between past and future, stopping briefly, if at all, to rest in the present moment.

On top of all this, 

Trauma robs a person of their ability to be in the present moment.

Since the past is constantly seeping into the present moment, in a phenomenon called, “trauma time.” My professor taught us how a person’s ability to be creative and spontaneous is a sign of health. To paraphrase her words,

If one cannot play, one cannot imagine, and if one cannot imagine, it’s very difficult to make shifts in their life.

Whereas trauma creates a sense of frozenness and stuckness - spontaneity is just the opposite. It’s the ability to be fully present in the moment. Jacob Moreno, the creator of psychodrama, described it as the ability “respond with some degree of adequacy to a new situation or with some degree of novelty to an old situation.” He viewed one’s ability to be spontaneous as an indicator and determinant of health. In the safety of the therapeutic setting, creative arts can help us re-engage our stiff muscles of spontaneity and play in a low-stakes environment.

Creative Arts can help us reconnect to the Magic of Imagination and the sense of FREEDOM it can bring. 

I’ve been humbled to witness adult clients picking up pastels and losing themselves in an expressive drawing for the first time in years as music plays softly in the background. I’ve also delighted in watching clients run their fingers through the sand in a sandtray as they create a scene from their internal landscape using figurines that look like children’s toys. 

Of course, this type of play need not be confined to the therapy room, as life is replete with opportunities to step into spontaneity.

Maybe it’s digging out that old set of watercolors that’s been collecting dust or really getting into your role when playing pretend with your kids. It could be making up silly lyrics to a great song on the radio or gathering a group of friends for a fun-filled game night. Tap into your inner child and have a blast!

Whoever knew that healing could be made of fun and games?!

If you’re feeling ready to dive in and get your hands messy with creative arts, we have just the thing for you! Our Open Studio is still running, snag your spot today to explore the benefits of play.

& if you’re looking for more one-on one therapy and support, reach out, we have an amazing team ready to walk with you!

Until Next time,

Xx Sara Chana