Plush toys have long been a source of comfort, peace, and warmth for years. These soft toys not only attract kids to them but also have an impact on adults. Plushies can be in different shapes, sizes, or even designs of characters, but there is one thing in common and that is they can stimulate the release of happy chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin.
This is mainly why a lot of therapists have started including plush toys in their therapy sessions. Plush toys, like a strawberry bunny plush or any other plush, can offer emotional support to a person in these sessions. In this blog, we will discuss more about why plush toys are increasingly being associated with therapy.
What is Therapy?
Therapy is a common collaborative meeting between a person and a professionally trained counselor or psychologist. This meeting mainly involves the person opening up to the therapist about their past, struggles, triggers, and anything in an effort to navigate through their thoughts and complex emotions. Some common ways of coping involve lessening suffering, enhancing relationships, addressing anxiety or depression, and seeking healthier methods of addressing stress.
There are numerous strategies, such as talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and mindfulness, and the sessions are normally private and tailored to your needs, which can trigger the release of happy chemicals. Some of these brain chemicals that are affected by therapy include mood, stress, and resilience. Although these changes differ in individual patients and type of therapy, some of the often-mentioned chemicals include:
- Dopamine: The one that deals with reward, motivation, and learning. Therapy may assist by making oneself more engaged in meaningful activities and making oneself more committed to healthier behaviors.
- Serotonin: Its functions are important in mood, sleep, and appetite. More stable serotonin stimulation can be achieved by better coping and less overthinking.
How Do Plushies Help In Therapy Sessions
Therapists tread carefully when dealing with patients who are already struggling with their mental health. In order to make their approaches more soft and delicate, they utilize tools like plush toys. Plush toys offer a comfort and warmth that many kids and adults can feel safe in. Here’s why it is being popularized in the therapy sessions:
Safe Space for Expression
Plushies are able to help one get through a rough patch of feelings and may enable one to be less hesitant about expressing ideas. They also act as a grounding tool; a plushie to hug or talk to, can be a feeling of security and safety when one is going through a strong emotion or has become anxious.
Emotion Identification and Control
A plushie can be used in naming emotions and coping. People can make particular attributions to the plushie, such as what would you say to the plushie if you are feeling overwhelmed? This helps to recognize feelings and name emotions. It is possible to practice calming techniques or self-soothing and reduce aggressive communication in the low-stakes environment with the help of the plushie.
Social Skills and Communication
Plushies may also be used in therapy in role-plays and perspective-taking activities so that their patients can practice the responses and gain a better understanding of the opinions of others. They also facilitate story-building and metaphor.
Trauma-Informed and Self-Soothing Practices
The physical satisfaction of a plushie may make clients with a trauma history feel safe. It may be used to act as a self-soothing reminder between sessions, alerting the clients to use grounding strategies they learned during therapy, and as a reminder that they can use to regulate themselves.
Pediatric and Creative Work
In the case of children, plushies are non-scary and friendly, thus promoting interaction and discovery. Plushies are used in creative work to help with imaginative play, revealing feelings and memories that could be accessible without a direct conversation. Plushies contribute to helping younger kids face their troubling feelings or traumas in a much more delicate way.
What Plushies Are a Good Choice for Therapy Sessions
There are a variety of plush toys in the market, but not all of them are suitable for therapy sessions. For example, in a few considerations, a therapist has to keep in mind the age of their patient, their trauma triggers, and what offers the person instant relief. So, like if they are dealing with a kid, they could include much softer, lighter, and less complex plush toys that are warm in appearance. Here are just a few plush ideas:
Plush SpongeBob SquarePants - Heart Eyes Pink
A light-hearted, nostalgic cartoon character can be a safe choice for both kids and adults, as they are familiar and kids may already have a personality for it through the cartoons. It can boost a kid’s imagination to consider it as a friend and confide in it to feel better.
Hello Kitty Plush Toy
Hello Kitty is an iconic plush that is a much more popular preference of adults than kids. This plushie can become an instant source of serotonin for the many young adults who just need a squishy pal for a hug to feel better.
Conclusion
Plushies are a form of therapy for many people without professional sessions. The kawaii appearance can melt anyone’s heart, while their soft texture and felt can offer the best hugs for comfort. As these get popularized in the professional setting of offering emotional support, plenty of new approaches are being developed to stimulate the release of happy chemicals in people’s minds. Plushies are more than just a playtime toy now; they hold more meaning for a lot of people than ever before.