Is Play Therapy Working?
Understanding Your Child’s Progress
Starting play therapy for your child can bring relief, hope, and sometimes questions about whether it is truly helping. Play therapy is a specialized form of child therapy designed to support children in expressing emotions, building coping skills, and navigating challenges in a safe environment. Families I work with in San Luis Obispo and across the Central Coast often wonder how to tell if the therapy is making a difference.
Progress in child therapy can be subtle and gradual. Children communicate through play, so changes may show up in small ways before becoming more noticeable in everyday behavior. Understanding these signs can help parents feel confident that play therapy is working.
Signs Your Child Is Benefiting from Play Therapy
Greater Emotional Expression: Children may begin using play, drawing, or storytelling to show feelings they previously found difficult to express. They may also be verbalizing their feelings more or may be more expressive of a variety of emotions.
Improved Coping Skills: Play therapy offers opportunities for children to practice problem-solving, managing frustration, or expressing anger in safe ways. Parents may see that their child is more willing to stick with a task, even if they are finding it difficult.
Enhanced Social Awareness: Over time, parents often notice more empathy, cooperation, or positive interactions with peers and family members. Children may be more likely to try and repair a relationship or apologize, after they have said or done something hurtful.
Although these changes might start small, consistent sessions with a skilled play therapist or child therapist can support lasting emotional growth. Many parents on the Central Coast find it helpful to celebrate small wins, like their child talking about feelings or showing an increased ability to calm themselves in stressful moments.
It can Get “Worse” before it gets Better
Sometimes, as children are doing the important and difficult work of therapy, emotions are brought to the surface. This is a difficult experience for anyone and especially for children, as they are still practicing and learning the skills they need to manage these feelings long-term. As children are processing through their emotions and experiences, some of the behaviors that brought them to therapy may become more intense or more frequent. In some cases a new troublesome behavior may appear for a short time. These behaviors are often short lived, but this is commonly a part of the process of therapy, and it is important for parents to trust their child and trust the process. As the child continues to practice new ways of managing their emotions and handling problems in the playroom, they learn more effective ways of engaging in their day-to-day lives. It is so important for parents to continue to validate the child’s feelings during this process, even though there may have to be limits set around inappropriate behaviors.
Supporting Your Child Between Sessions
Parents can reinforce the work done in therapy and help children apply new skills at home:
Encourage Open Communication: Listen actively and validate your child’s feelings without judgment.
Observe and Reflect: Pay attention to how your child plays and expresses emotions, noting any progress.
Maintain Consistency: Keeping regular sessions and predictable routines helps reinforce emotional stability.
Working closely with a trained child therapist can provide guidance and practical strategies for parents, helping children grow in emotional resilience and social confidence. Play therapy can be an essential tool for families looking to support healthy development and well-being.
References
Axline, V. M. (1969). Play therapy. Ballantine Books.
Landreth, G. L. (2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Ray, D. C. (2011). Advanced play therapy: Essential conditions, knowledge, and skills for child practice. Routledge.
Schmidt, M. E., & Vandewater, E. A. (2008). Media and attention, cognition, and school achievement in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 122(5), 1460–1469.
