Play Therapy
Versus
Rock Climbing Therapy
What is Play Therapy
Play is the primary language of children. Through the play therapy process, children create play that
resembles the emotional experiences they are struggling with internally. These experiences usually
cannot be expressed verbally. Children will select special toys to include in their play and use those
toys to recreate issues that represent emotional conflicts that are important to the child. Beginning
with this expression, the child’s play evolves until the child gains a sense of understanding and
comfort over this situation.
When facilitated by a trained Synergetic Play Therapist®, play becomes focused on the purposes of
emotional healing. This leads to a reduction of symptoms (i.e. acting out and aggressive behaviors,
somatic complaints, withdrawal or regression, etc.) and the reestablishment of balance in the child’s
sense of well-being. In addition to helping facilitate a child’s integration of the challenging experiences
in their lives, a Synergetic Play Therapist® also works towards helping a child strengthen their
regulatory capacity and re-pattern their nervous system.
What is rock climbing therapy and how is it therapeutic?
Rock Climbing Therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic approach that uses rock climbing as a supplementary part of mental health treatment to improve emotional, physical, and psychological well being. It combines physical movement, emotional regulation, problem-solving, mindfulness, trust-building, and gradual exposure to fear and challenge. The climbing experience itself becomes a tool for psychological and emotional work.
Similar to other exercise such as running and yoga, climbing can lower stress and improve mood by increasing endorphins and dopamine, reducing cortisol (stress hormone), and creating a strong “present moment” focus.
Climbing especially demands attention to movement, balance, and problem-solving, which can interrupt anxious rumination in a way similar to mindfulness meditation.Especially when used in as a complementary activity along with other established psychotherapeutic methods, rock climbing has the possibility to:
-
Improve physical coordination, balance, and motor skills both on and off the wall
-
Create deeper and long-lasting moderation of the severity of the symptoms of depression and anxiety
-
Support new ways of learning, processing, and utilizing information that extend into other areas of life
-
Enhance sensory integration, with greater ability to respond and adapt to environmental changes
-
Build confidence and offer new tools for mental and emotional regulation
-
Establish new ways of communicating, including positive supportive language for the self and others
-
Create a container for mindfulness that can increase focus, motivation, and overcoming fears