Play Therapy

Play therapy can be used to provide a diagnosis in children who present with behavioural or emotional difficulties. The therapist provides a safe space with a large selection of toys—particularly toys that lend themselves to role-play games, such as dolls, stuffed animals, cars, and so on—and child-friendly décor and furniture, and gives them time and space to engage with their surroundings. For the purpose of diagnosis, the play is non-directive; in other words, the therapist facilitates, observes, and ultimately draws conclusions, but does not intervene to direct or influence how the child plays. The toys they choose to play with, the way in which they play, and the extent to which they engage with their therapist all indicate reasons why they may be behaving the way they do.

Play is also used in a number of therapeutic approaches. If a child persistently displays inappropriate behaviours, for example, directed play can be used to help them to unlearn the problem behaviour and to learn a new, more useful behaviour. This form of play has much in common with cognitive behavioural therapy, in that it involves the therapist helping the patient to create positive change through practical means. Therefore, it is possible to integrate elements of CBT to play therapy to enrich the therapeutic experience. This approach is called Cognitive Behavioural Play Therapy (CBPT). CBPT can be helpful in the treatment of the following cases: separation anxiety, anxiety, trauma, sleep disorders, conduct disorders, however, doesn’t necessarily involve overcoming difficulties, and can be used as a means for prevention and as a model for learning new skills eg social, organisational.

Play therapy is extremely important in the treatment of children who have been traumatised. There are many potential causes of trauma, which can include sexual, physical or psychological abuse, bereavement, experiencing or witnessing an accident, and more. Both directive and non-directive therapy can be used in helping traumatised children to work through their feelings and start to heal.

Play therapy has been proven to help children with a wide range of problems. Through play, they can process the difficulties in their lives and reach a better place, while also clearly communicating with their therapist and providing insights into their inner lives. It can also be used in the context of family therapy, in which it has been seen to improve communication between parents and their child or children, while giving the therapist useful insights into the family dynamic. Parents can also be taught some basic techniques so that they can continue the therapy at home, and further help their child to recover from trauma and/or resolve any behavioural problems they may have.

Parents can engage in a type of therapy called Filial therapy alongside or once play therapy has ended. This approach aims to improve parenting skills and strategies to understand their children better, strengthen family relationships, decrease levels of stress, and respect the importance of play for their child. It is particularly helpful for families who are experiencing highly stressful or significant life events, such as hospitalization, traumatic events, loss, relocation to a different country, moving house, or welcoming a new family member. Using this type of approach alongside play therapy helps parents become agents in their child’s therapeutic process, as parents are typically the closest observer’s of their child’s behaviours, and as such, are the most suitable for implementing these types of strategies.

Filial therapy consists of five main stages:

1. The therapist will demonstrate the play sessions to the parents, to provide insight into the sessions and the process.
2. The therapist informs the parents about setting up a play space and teaches effective parenting skills (structuring, listening empathetically, enhancing child-led imaginary play and limit setting).
3. Parent-child play sessions begin and are supervised by the therapist in the filial therapy room. Parents apply the skills learned in the previous phase and debrief these with the therapist after
4. Play sessions will now take place in the home environment. The therapist will work closely with the parents to recognize and discuss the themes they observed in the child’s play, the process of the sessions, changes in behavior, and exploring parents’ feelings and thoughts.
5. The end of Filial therapy will take place once significant improvements are seen and the initial goals of therapy are met.

If you would like to talk to someone about play therapy in Ireland, or the treatment needs of your child or family, please get in touch with the Private Therapy Clinic on Whatsapp message at: 7511116565 email, chat bot or book online to arrange an appointment.

You may also want to read about our child therapy service.

Guerney, L. (2001). Child-Centered Play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 10(2), 13-31.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0089477

Landreth, G.L. (2012) Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203835159

O’Connor, K. J. (2000). The Play Therapy Primer (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ, US: John Wiley & Sons Inc.