Yes and no... children process their world through play. Which means that when children are working, they’re working through play.

The toys, books, and games are tools selected for a Play Therapy room with intentionality. These tools help children process and express what’s happening for them.

Play Therapy differs from regular play because it is an intentional, therapeutic process guided by a trained professional.

Regular play is spontaneous, imaginative, and primarily for enjoyment; Play Therapy uses specific techniques (including reflection and structuring) to address emotional, behavioral, social, or developmental concerns.

In Play Therapy, children use toys, art, and storytelling as symbolic tools to communicate things they may not be able to express with words.

The therapist observes patterns in the child’s play, provides a safe and accepting space, and helps facilitate emotional growth.

In free, spontaneous play there is no therapeutic goal. In Play Therapy, there is an intentional process that works to foster self-awareness, problem-solving, and emotional regulation in a child-centered, non-directive way.

Your child may find therapy fun, but there may be times that therapy is not fun and may challenge your child.

Setting the expectation to “have fun” in therapy unintentionally undermines the purpose of Play Therapy.

Play Therapy is a space where children are free to explore all of their emotions; including enjoyable and difficult ones, without external pressure to engage in therapy in any specific way.

Children might use play to process things like grief, trauma, anxiety, or anger. So, setting up the experience as something that should be fun might make them feel like they are "doing it wrong" if their experience isn’t always fun.

Instead, it is more helpful to let your child know that therapy is their time and they are allowed to play however they need to. Doing this helps reinforce the idea that therapy is a safe space for self-expression without there being any expectations.

It depends. Parents play a vital role in the therapeutic process; and parents can expect to be in regular communication with the therapist.

Depending on what that child is working on, the therapist might suggest parent-child activities in the therapy room or invite the parent to observe a session here and there.

It is important to discuss your concerns and questions with the therapist to determine the best course of action; which may change throughout the therapeutic process.

Progress in Play Therapy is often noted by observing changes in your child's emotions, behaviors, and coping skills.

Progress in therapy is gradual and signs of improvement may include; improved emotional regulation, reduced number of tantrums/outbursts, increased confidence/self esteem, improved social interactions, and being able to communicate their thoughts and feelings more clearly.

Other indicators might look like a decrease in anxiety or behavioral issues, increased problem-solving skills, and an increased tolerance for handling frustration or disappointment.

Virginia Axline was a pioneer in child-centered play therapy and her 8 principles are the heart of this counseling approach.

Axline's 8 principles:

1. The therapist develops a warm, friendly relationship with the child, in which good rapport is established as soon as possible.

2. The therapist accepts the child exactly as they are.

3. The therapist establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship so that the child feels free to express any feeling fully.

4. The therapist is alert to recognize the feelings the child is expressing and reflects those feelings back in a manner that leads to self-understanding.

5. The therapist maintains a deep respect for the child's ability to solve their own problems if given the opportunity. The responsibility to make choices and to institute change is the child's.

6. The therapist does not attempt to direct the child's actions or conversation in any manner. The child leads the way and the therapist follows.

7. The therapist does not attempt to hurry the therapy along. It is a gradual process and is recognized as such by the therapist.

8. The therapist establishes only those limitations that are necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of their responsibility in the relationship.

No. Therapists providing play therapy are not custody evaluators and cannot make recommendations regarding custody, visitation, or parental rights. Those decisions are outside the scope of practice for a therapist. The therapeutic role is to support the child emotionally and developmentally.