My Child Is Struggling. Should We Go to a Play Therapist?

Image is of various toys on top of a colorful and playful background with the words "let's play."

Source: Lyrica Fils-Aime/Canva.

The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development" (Association for Play Therapy, 2024). Toys and objects offer words to a child who has little language skills, and a play therapist has specialized in engaging, assessing, and treating the child with this modality based in play.

Here are some things to know about play therapy as a therapeutic modality:

1. The term "play therapy" is not always used to describe this professional therapeutic technique that is managed by a professional society with strict standards. Clinicians who use play or toys in their sessions but have not studied play therapy and have not received the credential from the Association for Play Therapy are not play therapists and are misusing the term.
2. Play therapy is not just playing with toys with a therapist. Play therapy is grounded in a set of rules, guidelines, theories, and research. Each play therapist aligns themselves with psychotherapeutic tools to use within the play. Play therapists vary from letting the child lead the session to being directive in their sessions. Play therapists may use differing tools to reach their clients' goals.
3. A clinician who wants to become a play therapist must:
   • Show that they have earned a graduate mental health degree and are a licensed mental health professional.
   • Have had a certain amount of clinical hours.
   • Complete 150 hours of coursework and obtain 50 hours of play therapy-specific supervision.
   • After receiving the credential, take ongoing education courses in play therapy to maintain it.
4. Play therapists can focus on one specific methodology or integrate multiple modalities into their practice. They can maintain solely a child-centered and child-led approach, or they can use a mixture of techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and others.

• Show that they have earned a graduate mental health degree and are a licensed mental health professional.
• Have had a certain amount of clinical hours.
• Complete 150 hours of coursework and obtain 50 hours of play therapy-specific supervision.
• After receiving the credential, take ongoing education courses in play therapy to maintain it.

Play therapy is a wonderful way to work with children as a child’s language is play. Play therapists can work with families on attachment, traumas, anxiety, depressive symptoms, understanding a chronic illness, understanding feelings about domestic violence, and can offer children a reliable, consistent, healthy relationship with an adult.

Play therapy, as with most psychological and white-centered techniques, has work to do to ensure that it is an anti-racist and anti-oppressive therapy. However, a clinician with an anti-racist praxis can integrate their knowledge about race and identity into their work with children and families.

Oftentimes, parents and educators question whether a child who is struggling or causing harm to others should be “rewarded” with play.

The idea behind using play therapy even after a child has done something “wrong” is that play can access a deeper level of consciousness. It can create new neural pathways in the brain, build more positive experiences during a time when those are lacking, and access metaphors for a child struggling to communicate with the adults in their life.

Play therapy is a great option for parents who are receiving calls from a school about their child’s behavior or concerned about a transition in a child’s life.

To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.