--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Play Therapy is based upon the fact that…" description: "\"Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child's natural medium of self-expression. It is an opportunity which is given to the child to 'pl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/virginia-axline-61203_adults_play-therapy-is-based-upon-the-fact-that_530590.jpg" --- # Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the… ![“Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child's natural medium of self-expression. It is an opportunity which is given to the child to 'play out' his feelings and problems just as, in certain types of adult therapy, an individual 'talks out' his difficulties.” quote by Virginia Axline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/virginia-axline-61203_adults_play-therapy-is-based-upon-the-fact-that_530590.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/virginia-axline-61203_adults_play-therapy-is-based-upon-the-fact-that_530590.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/virginia-axline-61203_adults_play-therapy-is-based-upon-the-fact-that_530590.jpg) > “Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child's natural medium of self-expression. It is an opportunity which is given to the child to 'play out' his feelings and problems just as, in certain types of adult therapy, an individual 'talks out' his difficulties.” [Virginia Axline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-axline/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Play therapy leverages children's innate play to let them express and work through feelings, similar to adult talk therapy. **In simple terms:** Play lets children express feelings like talking does for adults. Key Takeaway Use play to help children process emotions. Themes therapy play expression child development Mood supportive hopeful Type therapeutic educational When to use this quote - school counseling - family therapy - special education - trauma recovery - parent‑child bonding Key Concepts psychology education developmental therapy Questions to Reflect On - How can play be integrated with other therapeutic methods? - What limits exist for play‑based interventions? A Different Perspective Play may not address deeper cognitive issues alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-expression/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/) ## Related quotes > [Cognitive therapy is based on the idea that when you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel and behave.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/cognitive-therapy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-when-you-change-the-way/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [You see a child play, and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play a child says things without uttering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-erikson/you-see-a-child-play-and-it-is-so-close-to-seeing-an-artist-paint-for/) [Erik Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-erikson/) > [I don't think we would be specifically remaking "Child's Play 2" and "Child's Play 3". I imagine we'd be dreaming up whole new stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/i-don-t-think-we-would-be-specifically-remaking-child-s-play-2-and/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [Cooking ought to be, quite literally, child's play. And every child ought to have access to the game. Just don't tell them it's healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-coontz/cooking-ought-to-be-quite-literally-child-s-play-and-every-child/) [Stephanie Coontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-coontz/) > [“Current interventions in use with children include psycho-pharmacological treatments, play therapy, psychological debriefing and testimony therapy, but this was Nazi Germany in 1945!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/current-interventions-in-use-with-children-include-psycho/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [I thought if I can do something more playful and light like my play BEYOND THERAPY, it might be a money maker. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-durang/i-thought-if-i-can-do-something-more-playful-and-light-like-my-play/) [Christopher Durang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-durang/) > [The mind grows by self revelation. In play the child ascertains what he can do, discovers his possibilities of will and thought by exerting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-frobel/the-mind-grows-by-self-revelation-in-play-the-child-ascertains-what/) [Friedrich Frobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-frobel/) > [I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-messi/i-have-changed-nothing-my-style-of-play-is-still-that-of-a-child-i/) [Lionel Messi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-messi/) > [In play, the child is always behaving beyond his age, above his usual everyday behaviour; in play he is, as it were, a head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-s-vygotsky/in-play-the-child-is-always-behaving-beyond-his-age-above-his-usual/) [Lev S. Vygotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-s-vygotsky/) > [The main characteristic of play - whether of child or adult - is not it content but its mode. Play is an approach to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bruner/the-main-characteristic-of-play-whether-of-child-or-adult-is-not-it/) [Jerome Bruner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bruner/) > [Childhood’s work is learning, and it is in his play...that the child works at his job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-pratt/childhood-s-work-is-learning-and-it-is-in-his-play-that-the-child/) [Caroline Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-pratt/) > [There are few places outside his own play where a child can contribute to the world in which he finds himself. His world: dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-spolin/there-are-few-places-outside-his-own-play-where-a-child-can/) [Viola Spolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-spolin/) > [I had a teacher in Paris, who said that if an actor forgot what it's like to play as a child he shouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/i-had-a-teacher-in-paris-who-said-that-if-an-actor-forgot-what-it-s/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [In play, a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play, it is as though he were a head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-vygotsky/in-play-a-child-is-always-above-his-average-age-above-his-daily/) [Lev Vygotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-vygotsky/) > [Play is a child's work and this is not a trivial pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/play-is-a-child-s-work-and-this-is-not-a-trivial-pursuit/) [Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/) ## More by Virginia Axline > [Enter into children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-axline/enter-into-children-s-play-and-you-will-find-the-place-where-their/) [Virginia Axline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-axline/) > [Perhaps it is easier to understand that even though we do not have the wisdom to enumerate the reasons for the behavior of another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-axline/perhaps-it-is-easier-to-understand-that-even-though-we-do-not-have/) [Virginia Axline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-axline/) > [... when horizons grow or diminish within a person the distances are not measurable by other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-axline/when-horizons-grow-or-diminish-within-a-person-the-distances-are-not/) [Virginia Axline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-axline/) > [Asking questions in therapy would be so helpful if anyone ever answered them accurately. 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