Children who are coping with a hospital stay, a long-term (chronic) illness or both may feel as if they have no power or control. They can feel afraid, sad, confused, anxious or lonely and may have trouble expressing these feelings with words. As a result, they can show signs of this stress through crying, clingy behavior, tantrums or acting out.

At Children’s Health℠, our play therapy program can be consulted by your medical team to improve the mental health and well-being of children who are coping with complex medical situations in the hospital or at home.

Research shows that play therapy for children can help them regain control over stressful situations and reduce their anxiety, fear and other negative reactions. It also helps them understand their medical treatment and develop better skills for coping with serious illness.

Our program also offers optional child-parent relationship training to teach parents ways to strengthen their relationship with their child through special playtime sessions together.