What is Play Therapy?

Child-centred Play Therapy is an evidence-based approach, that is non-confrontational and developmentally way of supporting children. Play Therapy taps into children's natural mode of expression and communication: play.

Play Therapy at Flourish Play Therapy and Counselling is delivered by an accredited Social Worker with a Masters of Play Therapy.

Harnessing the Therapuetic Powers of Play, Play Therapy can help children navigate and make sense of complex emotions and life experiences. This safe and supportive environment promotes:

Emotional Wellness: Helping children identify and regulate their emotions.
Social Connection: Enhancing social skills like empathy, cooperation, and negotiation.
Self-Esteem: Boosting confidence and problem-solving skills.
Resilience: Allowing children to experiment with real-life scenarios in a low-risk setting, building coping strategies and emotional strength.
Trauma Recovery: Providing a space for children to process difficult or traumatic experiences, fostering healing without the pressure of verbalizing intense emotions.

Through play, children can rehearse real-life situations, express big feelings, and explore their sense of self. Play builds empathy as children role-play different perspectives, and it supports their emotional development by offering a safe place to experiment with new coping strategies and understand the consequences of their actions.

When Play Therapy can help

Play therapy can support children dealing with a variety of challenges, including:

Understanding different neurotypes (e.g., ADHD, autism) and building strengths-based support strategies
Develop enhanced social and play skills
Adjusting to kinship care or foster care
Low self-esteem or lack of confidence
Coping with separation or divorce
Grief, loss, and trauma
Struggling with anxiety or depression
Exploring gender expression and identity
Overcoming school or social difficulties (including bullying)
Managing chronic illness or medical trauma
Resolving sibling or family conflicts
Navigating peer relationships

At Flourish Play Therapy and Counselling, we offer three types of Play Therapy: Learn to Play, Humanistic Play Therapy and Filial Therapy. These approaches allow us to tailor our therapy to meet the unique needs and goals of each child and family.

create a picture of a pastel flower flourishing for a website for paediatric counselling.jpg

Learn to Play

Learn to Play (LTP) is a child-centered, directive therapuetic approach designed to help children develop key skills through the natural medium of play. Rooted in humanistic principles, LTP recognizes children as active participants in their own learning journey. Central to this approach is the use of pretend play, which is a powerful developmental tool for fostering growth in areas such as language, creativity, emotional regulation, social competence, and problem-solving.

Pretend play has been shown to promote essential cognitive and emotional skills, including logical sequencing, flexible thinking, and emotional integration. However, many children struggle with initiating or sustaining pretend play, which can delay their social and cognitive development. LTP Therapy assesses a child’s current pretend play abilities and works to bridge the gap if those skills are behind developmental norms.

Through the guidance of a trained Play Therapist, children engage in developmentally appropriate play activities that challenge and expand their abilities. By improving their pretend play skills, children are better able to express themselves, understand their emotions, and relate to others, especially their peers.

LTP is beneficial for a variety of children, including those with:

Mild deficits in pretend play
Learning difficulties
Language delays
Developmental delays
Autism, Down Syndrome, or other neurological conditions

The therapeutic benefits of LTP include:

Enhanced emotional regulation and self-esteem
Improved social skills and creativity
Better language development and narrative understanding
Strengthened problem-solving and metacognitive abilities

By integrating the Therapeutic Powers of Play, LTP helps children make meaningful progress in an engaging, supportive, and developmentally appropriate way.

For more information see the Learn to Play website.

Humanistic Play Therapy (HPT) is a child-centered, non-directive approach rooted in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT). It creates a safe, nurturing space where children can freely express themselves through play. With a wide range of materials at their disposal, children are encouraged to explore, express their emotions, and engage in symbolic play. The therapist’s role is to offer warmth, acceptance, and non-judgmental support, allowing the child to take the lead and ensuring that the therapy unfolds at their own pace, based on their unique needs.

Key Benefits of Humanistic Play Therapy

HPT empowers children to grow, explore their potential, and build confidence. This approach is particularly effective for children aged 3-13 who may be facing challenges such as:

Grief or trauma
Social difficulties
Anxiety or depression
ADHD, Autism, or developmental delays
Behavioral issues

Research shows that HPT can significantly benefit children with low self-esteem or moderate behavioral challenges (Wilson, Ryan & Guerney, 2005; Bratton, Ray, Rhine & Jones, 2005). By harnessing the Therapeutic Powers of Play, HPT helps children process difficult emotions, improve communication, and develop vital social and emotional skills.

As children lead their play in a safe and supportive environment, they can gain greater insight into their feelings, boost their cognitive abilities, and experience lasting therapeutic growth (Landreth, 2012; Gardner & Yasenik, 2012). Ultimately, this transformative approach helps children better understand themselves and the world around them, promoting long-term emotional well-being and resilience.

For more information see this website, called Evidence Based Child Therapy.

Humanistic Play Therapy

Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy (FT) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that focuses on improving communication and strengthening the bond between parents and children. The word "Filial" comes from the Latin words Filius (son) and Filia (daughter), reflecting the connection between parents and children. This therapy teaches parents the skills needed to engage in therapeutic play with their children, enabling them to become the primary support in their child’s emotional and behavioral development.

How Filial Therapy Works

Filial Therapy is based on the principles of Play Therapy, but it uniquely empowers parents to play a central role in their child’s therapy. Through parent training, parents learn essential skills like:

Empathetic listening
Structuring play sessions
Using imaginative play
Setting boundaries and limits

After receiving training, parents engage in supervised play sessions with their child, guided by a therapist. These sessions help parents better understand their child’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors by observing them during play, which is considered the "language of childhood." This approach provides insights into what might be influencing a child’s behaviors, while also fostering a deeper emotional connection between the parent and child.

Benefits of Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is especially helpful for children aged 3 to 12 who are experiencing challenges such as:

Social issues
Behavioral problems
Emotional regulation difficulties

This therapeutic approach strengthens family bonds, boosts parental confidence, and helps reduce negative relational patterns. By actively participating in their child’s therapy, parents gain the skills needed to support their child in managing their emotions and behaviors, making Filial Therapy an effective tool for both children and families.

Research showing the effectiveness of Play Therapy

Research into the effectiveness of Play Therapy highlights its transformative impact on children’s mental health. Reviews of over 200 studies demonstrate that Play Therapy significantly reduces common childhood challenges such as impulsivity, anxiety, depression, social difficulties, academic struggles, and more (Bratton, Ray, Rhine & Jones, 2005; LeBlanc & Richie, 2001; Lin & Bratton, 2015; Pester, Lenz & Dell’Aquila, 2019; Ray et al., 2015). This compelling evidence underscores the power of Play Therapy to create lasting positive change.

For more details on the research behind Play Therapy’s effectiveness, click the button below.

Play Therapy Research - Click here

Powered and secured by Wix

Flourish Play Therapy and Counselling