What is Play Therapy?

For all mammals, humans included, play is a form of language. For children, it is the quintessential way of communication and a key component of natural development and growth. Play Therapy uses the symbolic expression of play for therapeutic healing. The following videos, created by the Association for Play Therapy, show an introduction to Play Therapy. For more information, check out their article here: “Play Therapy Makes A Difference.”

There are a wide variety of play therapy styles. Below are descriptions of the types of play therapy that I specialize in.

  • Sandtray Therapy, a niche within play therapy, is a hands-on, creative therapy. Rather than relying on talking alone, Sandtray serves as a blank canvas for the symbolical expression of our world. Sessions may be directive (with a prompt) or non-directive (no prompt). Additionally, I may offer to use Sandtray Therapy during family or couples therapy sessions.

  • Filial Therapy is a form of play therapy intended for families; it is also commonly referred to as Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT).

    Filial Therapy equips parents/caregivers with the skills of CCPT, teaching them how to conduct weekly intentional play sessions with their child. This type of therapy empathizes play-therapy psychoeducation & aims towards decreasing problematic behaviors by increasing a parent & child’s attunement and connection to each other.

    I conduct Filial Therapy sessions with individual families and in group form.

  • CCPT is a researched-based non-directive form of play therapy developed specifically for children by Virginia Axline in the 1940s. This style of therapy allows a child to use play as a symbolic language for voicing and processing various emotions and behaviors in a way that encourages healthy brain development. While cases can vary, CCPT’s duration averages around 25 - 30 weekly sessions.

    In addition to standard CCPT, I may integrate other directive play therapies (such as bibliotherapy and psychoeducation) if I believe it is relevant to the child’s experience and could enhance the child’s developmental growth while in therapy. I can provide more details about how I integrate other play therapies & psychoeducation during intake and consultation sessions. Parents/Caregivers may request I omit directive interventions if desired.