BRINCAR É COISA SÉRIA: o brincar como processo simbólico e terapêutico na psicologia junguiana

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the relevance of play in childhood for human development, understanding it as a symbolic language capable of expressing emotional and psychic contents. Historically, play activity has often been reduced to a form of entertainment or a means of dissipating children's energy. However,contemporary studies demonstrate that play plays a fundamental role in the cognitive, emotional, and social development of the child. Grounded in the Analytical Psychology of Carl Gustav Jung and other Jungian authors, especially in the concepts of the collective unconscious, archetypes, and symbolism, this study seeks to understand how play can function as a mechanism for the expression of the Self and for psychic elaboration in childhood. Methodologically, this is a qualitative bibliographic research, based on classical works of analytical psychology and developmental psychology. The results indicate that play allows children to symbolize internal experiences, experiment with social roles, and elaborate emotional conflicts, contributing to psychic integration and identity construction. It can be concluded that play is a central element in children’s emotional development, being essential for the formation of a balanced personality.