How Play Therapy Can Help Strengthen Family Relationships

Play therapy is an excellent form of therapy that can help a child work through any type of issue they may have. Play therapy is also an opportunity to get the parent(s) involved to help their child work through those issues. Through the play therapy process the family relationships can become strengthened, which will help the child recover from the issue they are coping with. To help further understand how play therapy can help strengthen family relationships and what a typical play therapy session would be like, I have interviewed therapist Karen Pernet LCSW RPT-S.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
"My professional training has included an MSS in clinical social work from Bryn Mawr College in 1986. I have certificates and/or specialized training in Gestalt Therapy, EMDR, Filial Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, Somatic Experiencing and Parent-Child Trauma Treatment. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Board Certified Diplomate (BCD) in Clincial Social Work and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor and Certified Filial Therapy Trainer

At my first clinical position I began working with children and parents as a psychotherapist and decided I needed more training. In the process of looking for training I discovered the field of play therapy and have been interested and involved ever since."

How can play therapy strengthen family relationships?
"Parents are the most important people in a child's life and play is the language of children. If parents are involved in the treatment and are taught by the play therapist how to enter their child's world through a certain kind of non-directive play therapy called Child Centered Play Therapy, they will learn the tools that will help them to better understand their child, as well as learn helpful ways to set limits and provide structure. Parents essential become the healers of their child. The therapist acts as both a professional working through the child and family issues and as a coach by teaching skills so the parent is able to conduct the sessions. In return the child benefits by the deepened relationship with the parent. This kind of therapy is called Filial (meaning parent-child) Play Therapy."

What would a typical play therapy session be like for a family?
"There are many kinds of play therapy as there are many kinds of talk therapy. I am answering the question as it pertains to Filial Therapy. There is a sequence to Filial Therapy in which the therapist does an assessment, which often involves observing the family play and additionally an activity such as creating a puppet show or making a family drawing. The assessment is done over 4 sessions, 2 of which involve the parents only. The therapist often does a child centered play session with the child in which the child chooses the activities from a playroom which has a variety of toys to encourage the imagination-for example, toy dolls, cars, trucks, a doctor kit, dress up clothing, aggressive toys such as dinosaurs, play swords and non-look alike guns and art supplies. The therapist is empathic with the child, joins in the play if invited and only sets limits when needed for safety. This is humanistic therapy in which the underlying philosophy is that healing comes from acceptance and a safe caring relationship and that healing and growth are the natural directions that children as well as adults go towards. The parents observe the session and later discuss it with the therapist (without the child being present.) If the parents are interested, the therapist will train them in 3 or 4 sessions to conduct the play sessions in the office, then will supervise them doing the sessions and lastly help them move the sessions home. The therapist will also help them generalize the themes and skills from the sessions to every day life. For example if the child has problems following rules, the therapist and the parent will develop ways to use the limit setting procedures in the play sessions at home or in the community.

This is a process therapy rather than a problem solving therapy, meaning the relationship between parent and child is key. Parents can expect to be fully involved in this therapy and in the process learn invaluable tools."

What advice do you have for someone who is considering play therapy for his or her family issues?
"Parents can go to the Association for Play Therapy website and look for play therapists in their area (www.a4pt.org). All Registered Play Therapists are licensed psychotherapists who have received training specific to play therapy. Whatever kind of therapy a parent is seeking, they need to feel comfortable with the therapist and their approach. Many therapists that work with children use some play, but aren't trained in play therapy, so it is important to ask about their training as well as their treatment modality. It is very important to establish what kind of involvement the therapist expects and see if that is comfortable for them. No matter what kind of play therapy methods are used, parents need to be involved in some way, whether it is by monthly meetings or total involvement in the process as in Filial Therapy."

Thank you Karen for doing the interview on how play therapy can help strengthen family relationships. For more information on Karen Pernet or her work you can check out her website on www.growththroughplaytherapy.com.

Recommended Readings:
How Play Therapy Can Help a Child Deal with Feelings of Anxiety
How Teens Can Benefits From Play Therapy
How Play Therapy Can Boost a Child's Self Esteem