Why Play Therapy Works (Even When It Might Not Look Like It)

By Lucas Watling

You might be wondering what therapists mean when they recommend play therapy for your child. You might be thinking “is my child going to therapy to just play the whole time?” or “how is play going to help them make progress towards their goals?”. Those concerns are completely understandable. This post is designed to provide you with some insight into how play therapy can be truly transformative even when it might not look like it on the surface level. 

One of the most important things to understand is that children do not communicate the same way us adults do. As adults, we are generally expected to explain what we are feeling and experiencing with words. Children, especially younger children, are still developing those skills. Their emotions are often expressed through behavior, imagination, movement, play, and interaction with the world around them. Play is a child’s natural language of expression at this point in their life. A child-centered approach allows therapists to help children feel more in control and empowered in their ability to express themselves in an environment free of judgment and pressure. At River Grove Therapy, we are committed to working with children using Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) which is grounded in strong research to be effective with young children ages three through eleven. W

e also integrate trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming approaches throughout the play therapy process to ensure that the experience is empowering for every client based on their individual needs and goals.

Through play, your child can begin to process experiences, explore emotions, build confidence, practice problem solving, and develop healthier ways of coping. Sessions may involve games, art, storytelling, imaginative play, movement, sensory activities, or simply building a safe and trusting relationship. Therapists are constantly paying attention to and verbalizing observed themes, emotional expression, patterns, regulation, communication, attachment, and the child’s overall sense of safety during sessions. Sometimes themes might look very obvious, such as acting out fears through dolls or pretend play. Other times it can look much more subtle. Children are also more open to growth when they do not feel overly pressured, therefore, play therapy allows for an environment that feels safer and more natural to them to practice new skills, explore difficult feelings, and engage in the therapeutic process. Sometimes the early stages of therapy are focused less on addressing behaviors and more on building trust, emotional safety, and regulation skills. Just because a child leaves therapy saying they “played a game” does not mean meaningful therapeutic work was not taking place. In fact, some of the most impactful moments in child therapy can happen through play, connection, and experiences that do not initially look like traditional therapy at all! 

Throughout this process, a therapist will partner with you as a parent to help enhance progress outside of session. A therapist will provide insight into themes that show up in child sessions while maintaining your child’s confidentiality when it comes to specific session details. That way, the child’s relationship and trust with the therapist can be maintained and you as a parent can still have an idea of your child’s progress in therapy as well as what skills are being worked on.

Noticing progress from play therapy certainly takes a lot of patience, which I understand can be frustrating. Progress in therapy in general does not always look immediate or linear. In play therapy especially, progress is building beneath the surface long before your child is able to directly verbalize it. You might also be wondering what progress will actually look like. Progress may begin to show up at home, in school, in friendships, and within family relationships. A child who once struggled to express frustration might begin using words more often instead of shutting down or acting out. Another child may slowly become more confident socially, more flexible during transitions, or better able to calm themselves after becoming overwhelmed. These changes are often gradual and can sometimes be easy to miss at first because they develop through repeated experiences of safety, regulation, connection, and skill-building within therapy over time. While the “play” happens in the therapy room, the emotional growth and coping skills developed through those experiences can help support children far beyond the session itself.