A Parent's Guide to Play Therapy

May 20

Written By

Play therapy is an effective, creative approach that meets the child where he or she is, and utilizes their language, play! The saying goes, toys are children’s words, and play is their language. Children are typically better able to express themselves and their emotions nonverbally through expressive ways like play and art.

Although it has the word “play” in its name, and children typically love going, it is often hard work for the child. When placed in the right therapeutic environment, with a good therapist relationship, a child will gravitate towards acting and working out tough problems that cannot be verbally expressed.

Therapeutic play is very different than regular play. Play Therapists are trained to recognize themes in play, promote emotion regulation, self-control and mastery. There are different types of Play Therapy theoretical models. Two of the main distinctions in Play Therapy approaches are directive and non-directive. Some therapists use a blend. Directive simply means instruction (sometimes the child will have activities to do in session or take home sheets). Directive approaches are best with ages 6+. Non-directive relies more on trusting the therapeutic process and holds the belief that the child, when given the right environment and support, will have the natural ability to heal. Non-directive is ideal for younger clients, non/pre-verbal clients, and autistic children. Children 10–18 can still benefit from Play Therapy using directive approaches or Sandtray Therapy.

The Intake Session

Before the Intake session, you'll speak with our administrative assistant, Breanne. She will gather some information over the phone, then send you the electronic intake forms to fill out before meeting with the therapist. This will give your therapist an idea of the presenting issues and difficulties your child is facing.

Your first appointment will involve meeting with your child’s therapist and sharing more relevant information/details to follow up the paperwork you completed. This is called the Intake Session. Some therapists will request that you come without your child, or bring someone to watch your child while you talk to the therapist.

At Sunny Path Counseling, you can decide to bring your child to meet the therapist and see the play room or therapy room. We respect the wishes of parents of younger children who choose to speak privately to the therapist before bringing the child to therapy.

Parental Involvement

The therapists at Sunny Path recognize that it takes a village to raise a child, and behavior is unlikely to change if it just done one hour a week. Here are some various example of arrangements you could make with your child's therapist:

meet with the therapist for a few minutes before or after every session
meet with the therapist for a longer amount of time every third/fourth session
Get an email of therapy updates and skills to implement at home (not many do this)
Come at the end of the session so the child can teach you the skills learned in therapy
Complete take-home work with child and implement strategies into the home

As you can see, what is expected on your end as the parent changes depending on the therapist’s style, the age of the client, and whatever is agreed upon at the intake session.The intake session is a good time to come with a list of concerns about the child including any recent life changes, troubles at school or home, traumas, or family history of mental health concerns. We will send you a form after the initial phone call which will also give you a chance to tell us. Also be sure to share what is great about your child so the therapist knows that, too!

Before you go to the intake session, have an idea of the end goal in sight. As the therapists like to call it the “Miracle Question”, if you woke up tomorrow, and you knew your child did not need to be in therapy, what would your child be doing differently? Discuss ideas for what a treatment plan and therapy goals could look like. Also be committed to the consistency required for therapeutic progress. This includes knowledgeable of costs, projected length of treatment time (typically 6mo-1 year), and sign any releases of information that your therapist could use to contact other professionals or family that may have information relevant to treatment. Think, doctors, prior therapists, and teachers to name a few.

Preparing Your Child for Therapy

After the intake session is a great time to start talking up all the perks of going to Play Therapy to your child. “I just met a new friend, and she’s got a cool job. She’s a Play Therapist! She plays with kids and talks to kids to help them feel better! I’m so jealous you get to go see her play room!”You may want to keep a journal so you can write down progress you see, goals you’re working on, tips from the therapist, and to keep track of appointments. Keep in mind, Play Therapy can be messy work, and your child should wear appropriate attire for working with various mediums such as art materials, water, and sand.

While Your Child Attends Therapy

Even though a child is encouraged to practice therapy skills throughout the week, it is up to you to guide your child and encourage your child at home to keep practicing skills learned in therapy. If you work as a team with the therapist, you’ll be able to implement strategies in the home and maintain a stable environment for your child.

How to Encourage Therapeutic Progress

Therapists will encourage you to praise the positive behaviors (keeping in mind that end goal vision) and ignore negative behaviors (except safety concerns). It is important that when you decide to ignore negative behaviors, do not give in. The negative behavior will most likely escalate (screaming louder) before it stops, and when it stops, praise! ex: “I like the way you said ‘please’ and asked nicely.”Take note of those improvements that you praise. This way you can keep track of them, share nice examples with the therapist, and continue to stay in the habit of looking for improvements.When your child has a bad day, or maybe slips into those negative behaviors, reflect what you see (emotions) in your child, and that you hear what the child is upset about.“I see that you’re angry, and you want candy right now.” Then, follow up with your concern, “but it’s almost time for dinner, and I’m worried you’ll get full.” And repeat. For a great book on recognizing your child’s lagging skills and how to talk to your child about solving problems together, check out The Explosive Child, by Ross W. Greene. Here is a great Therapy Goals Worksheet to begin completing. Make homework fun! Have your child teach you therapy skills and grade you for modeling those skills!

What if my child doesn't want to go?

Most children are running through the doors to go to Play Therapy.Sometimes, a child will be anxious about going. It isn’t uncommon for a child to have some unconscious resistance about therapy because of the deep emotional work that is to be faced. As a cheerleader and a guardian, encourage the child to go independently. If your child has severe separation anxiety, try giving your child your keys to take back with them to the session as reassurance that you won’t be leaving them. Most of all, during therapy, your job is to be patient and trust the process. Understand that it takes time to do work in therapy, just as it would a full grown adult. Understand that the therapeutic relationship is important, and it is important that you go to scheduled appointments and be part of a team to help your child.

After Play Therapy

Usually, play therapy is a weekly process. As your child begins to close in Play Therapy, appointments may be made less frequently, for a smoother adjustment for your child. Your therapist will have been preparing your child for the termination of therapy.Of course, bad days and set-backs are to be expected, especially with major life transitions or tragedies. Remember the skills you have learned and the progress you have made. Keep your therapist’s card in case you need to consult about re-entering Play Therapy (it is not uncommon for kids to revisit therapy at later developmental stages). Hopefully Play Therapy will have not only have helped your child to learn how to self-regulate his/her emotions, but also taught you some skills as a parent and as your child’s #1 cheerleader. Above all else, Play Therapy does 3 things: uncovers, expresses, and resolves.