A PMHNP receives a referral for a 4-year-old boy who witnessed a house fire and now exhibits nightmares, regressive thumb-sucking, and repetitive aggressive play with toy firefighters. The child cannot articulate his emotional distress verbally. The PMHNP recommends play therapy rather than a talk-based approach. A colleague questions why a non-verbal modality was selected. What is the strongest evidence-based rationale for choosing play therapy with this child?