REASONING AND MENTAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THE AREA OF PSYCHO-PEDAGOGY

FOCUSING ON PLAY THERAPY AS A LEARNING METHOD

Abstract

The Association for Play Therapy has defined it as "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process in which trained psychotherapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help subjects prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development." This indicates that play therapy is a therapeutic modality firmly based on theoretical models, play therapy also indicates that psychotherapists strive to recognize and utilize the powers of play, also known as change mechanisms, which are the active forces within play that help patients overcome their psychosocial and behavioral difficulties to achieve positive development. From the above considerations, we can understand play as a process and a space for creativity, therefore, potential and learning, is a key factor when it comes to involving it in psycho-pedagogical therapy. It is necessary to understand how the spaces of play and transition are established, to understand how the psychic constitution and, consequently, the development of imagination takes place. The process of authorship is intimately linked to the learning process, just as learning is related to the capacity to play, to take the object and transform it, to create it, constructing new meanings, new possibilities, and new learning.  Although not all results have supported the use of play therapy as a viable intervention, the authors focus mainly on significant findings regarding the effectiveness of play therapy as a methodology for the modification, reformation and integral development of children and adolescents. Initially, a compilation of data was made, extracted from psychology books, psychopedagogy, scientific journals, scientific articles, press, theses, and degree projects, among others, which have resulted in valuable background for the development of this work. In the elaboration of the theoretical framework, the main topics were developed, such as the definitions of play therapy, psychopedagogy, reasoning and learning.