Play Therapy to Help Children Cope with Grief and Loss

Children face many losses as they grow up, and cope with the resulting grief without the life experience, support systems, or strategies of adults. Many children experience the illness or death of a loved one. In recent years, more children are experiencing decreased life consistency and stability from parental unemployment, home loss/relocation, military parent deployments, and family separations. All of these losses involve a similar grief process and are influenced by development, family dynamics, and psychological, physiological, social, and cultural factors. This course will help therapists increase sensitivity to the phenomenon of loss and grief in children and develop effective play therapy treatment plans for grieving children.