Therapeutic Play - Play Therapy - Theraplay, which one is best for your child

A child going into therapy is not a judgement or a statement against the parent(s), it does not mean that the parent(s) have failed.  A parent cannot be a therapist for their child because the role of parent is so important in itself so the best thing you can do for your child is bring them to a trained and accredited Psychotherapist and/or Play Therapist.

As a Clinical Psychotherapist and Play Therapist I am almost a non-person within the therapy as the child will work best when they can see themselves reflected in both me and the environment.  I can have only one primary client in the play therapy relationship, the child and the parent(s) are a secondary client.  This is not to say that a parent won't be involved in or a part of their child's therapeutic process, this would be both unrealistic and unhelpful to the child...remember the child is with me for 1 hour a week but with their parents for the remainder of the time and the best outcomes occur for children who have parents who are supporting the therapy at home.  To all parents I say, YOU are the expert on your children.  When issues arise for the parents the Play Therapist can meet with you and offer some cognitive advice and support while referring you to a therapist of your own with whom you can fully work through these issues.  I would always meet with the parent(s) first to ascertain the level of support for the therapeutic process but also to gather background information on the child, the family and the history of the issue precipitating the referral to therapy.

Parents will often ask if they are over reacting and would therapy perhaps do more harm than good if it's not warranted.  Firstly, a good clinical psychotherapist will conduct a thorough assessment for therapy with your child after which they will meet with you to advise what, if any, treatment is recommended.  If your child does not require therapy at this time you will be told that.  In terms of play therapy specifically it is worth noting that in any case the provision of play does not have to be about a problem, all children can benefit from the provision of 'Therapeutic Play'...Play Therapy is different because there will always be pre-therapy considerations before commencing Play Therapy.


Note: Play Therapy vs Therapeutic Play: In Play Therapy (relationship based intervention) the focus is on the therapy itself whereas in Therapeutic Play (activity based intervention) the focus is solely on the play.

For a child the 'doing' of the play can be enough without using words or verbalising what is going on.  It doesn't have to happen at a cognitive level, indeed much of this work is at an unconscious level.  If you are employing play therapy as a means of preparing the child for a future event you would use words and/or name what is going on but if using Play Therapy as a means of processing a past event you would not necessarily use words.

Note: In expressing themselves children experience themselves; the therapist must create an expressive atmosphere.  The therapist enables the child  to become reassured but does not reassure them

Theraplay uses elements of play therapy but is focused on working with both parent(s) and child together to build/repair attachment wounds in the relationship, it is therefore attachment based (play) therapy.  Another way Theraplay is different from Play Therapy is that the Therapist and the parent(s)/Care-Giver are the play objects in the room, they are the most enticing things in the room for the child and while you will have play and creative materials available, these materials do not in themselves mediate the development of feelings.  Another explicit difference between Theraplay and Play Therapy is that the therapist will direct the parent in the activities, direct them to notice the child's expressions and behaviours, to engage in a particular way, to engage in touch/contact that is nurturing without being over stimulating.  Parents will also be advised of a number of activities they can employ at home in between sessions.

It is always very difficult to quantify the duration of therapy because it is absolutely dependent on the child and particular situation but in general we can expect to see a positive change in behaviours over the course of 12-14 weekly play therapy sessions.  With Theraplay the average intervention is 24 weekly sessions with one session per quarter in the year following treatment.  Again these are average guidelines and may differ from one individual to the next.

For more information on any of the above you can contact me on +353 (0)1 6976568 or joanna.fortune@solamh.com See www.solamh.com for more information about our work