Using Play to Help Children Cope With Chronic Pain: A New Role for Counselors

This article explores the use of play and expressive arts to treat children with chronic pain, an underreported and undertreated health condition. While there is a growing body of research using play techniques with children in medical and surgical settings, little research was found specifically with children experiencing chronic pain. Counselors can move to the forefront of helping children cope with chronic pain by integrating recommended techniques in treatment.