What is Play Therapy?

Written by Ronel Carver

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is therapy specifically adapted to meet the developmental level and psychological needs of children. Children, unlike adults, are not developmentally advanced enough to express their problems, reflect on the root causes of their behaviour, or assist in the process of collaborative problem solving with the therapist. A trained Play Therapist (a Psychologist who has been trained to work therapeutically with children), knows how to engage with children so as to assess what it is they are struggling with and what can be best done to help them and their families.

Through play children:

Explore the world through their senses and develop gross and fine motor competencies

Experiment with identities, roles and real world scenarios through imaginative play

Learn how to problem solve

Process feelings and emotions

Learn self-regulation and self-awareness through burning off excess energy, sensory integration, and working through boredom and silence

Learn how to interact with other children and adults in socially appropriate ways


Play should be the primary route through which children learn for at least the first 7 years of their life. This is when the foundations of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development are laid and this is a critical period of development. Emotional safety is key to healthy development during these years. When children do not feel safe, they are not in a regulated brain state and are not in the ideal frame of mind to learn and grow optimally.


The process of Play Therapy

Whatever the presenting concern is the Psychologist will book an intake session with the legal guardian(s) of the child (without the child present) to conduct a thorough history taking and explore the concerns of the caregivers. Once it has been established that Play Therapy would be the best route to address these concerns, then the Psychologist will require 3 sessions with the child. The Psychologist will work to establish emotional safety for the child so that the child can relax and be comfortable playing with and talking to the therapist. During observation and play the Psychologist will assess the child for any issues with:

Attention and concentration

Cognitive and motor development

Emotional and social development

Themes related to the presenting concerns

Any other concerning themes or styles of play


Once this initial assessment has been conducted, legal guardians of the child will be contacted to schedule a thorough feedback session to explore noted concerns and discuss plans to remedy these concerns. The Psychologist will advise whether further play therapy sessions are recommended and whether any other referrals are suggested. The Psychologist will also be happy to engage with the child’s school should they require any assistance as well.