Parent Involvement in Play Therapy

At Mindful Connections Counseling, we recognize that parents and caregivers are a vital part of the therapeutic process.

You are the first to notice when your child is struggling. You use your intuition and skills to support them through these struggles, and you take the brave step of seeking professional help when needed. Our therapists are committed to ensuring that your involvement continues throughout therapy, keeping you informed and engaged in what’s happening in the playroom.

You support therapy by:

  • Providing essential background information during the intake process.
  • Collaborating with our therapists to establish treatment goals.
  • Offering regular updates on your child’s functioning at home and school.
  • Giving your child opportunities to practice skills outside of the playroom.
  • Learning new parenting techniques that best suit your family’s needs.

Our therapists use a variety of evidence-based interventions to support your child’s therapeutic goals, including Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), Adlerian Play Therapy, Theraplay, AutPlay®, TraumaPlay™, and Play-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) / Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Each modality invites your involvement in different ways. Below, we’ll outline what to expect with each approach. You’ll also hear from our talented therapists about what they value most in partnering with parents and the rewarding aspects of these collaborations!

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

CCPT uses play as a medium for children to express and process their thoughts and emotions. Therapists create a safe, empathetic, and accepting environment where children can express themselves through toys, which allows them to communicate in ways they might not be able to verbally. CCPT is a non-directive approach, meaning that rather than explicitly teaching skills, therapists trust that children will naturally move toward healthier behaviors when they feel fully seen and heard. 

Typically, parents do not join CCPT sessions but collaborate with therapists through consultation meetings every 4-5 sessions. During these meetings, therapists share important therapeutic themes, such as a decrease in a child’s need for control or an increase in their ability to self-regulate. Therapists may also coach parents on using CCPT skills at home, strengthening the parent-child connection. Therapist Karen says: “As a person-centered therapist, I love teaching parents how to connect with their children through play. By teaching parents how to recognize and validate their children’s feelings while problem-solving, parents learn to feel empowered and strengthen their relationships with their children”. 

Adlerian Play Therapy

Adlerian play therapy is based on the work of Terry Kottman uses the power of play to help children explore their feelings, gain new connections, understand their behaviors, and build healthier patterns of thinking. It’s an approach that emphasizes social connection, personal responsibility, and the development of a positive sense of self. Research has shown that Adlerian play therapy can be particularly helpful for children struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, behavioral struggles, sibling rivalry, trauma, and changes or difficulties in family dynamics.

To understand Adlerian Play Therapy, it is important to acknowledge the 4 key phases of therapy:

  • Phase 1 is the engagement phase, where play therapists are focused on building an egalitarian relationship with children and parents. This means our primary goal is to ensure both our child client and their parents experience a support, engaging, encouraging, and trusting relationship with the play therapist. 
  • Phase 2 is the assessment phase. During the assessment phase, the play therapist learns about our client’s past including early memories and family history. This typically happens through directive play therapy interventions, traditional assessments that we provide to parents, and through parent sessions. 
  • Phase 3 is the insight phase. Throughout the insight phase, play therapists aim to help children see their situation in a new perspective. The goal is to help children gain insight into any challenges or difficulties, and find a new way to view their situation. 
  • Phase 4 is the reorientation phase, which involves change. During this phase, the play therapist works with their client to use new insight gained throughout the course of therapy to respond to future situations. The play therapist might practice strategies with their clients in session and give their clients follow up activities to do at home to reinforce new insights gained. 

Parents play an important role in the play therapy process in Adlerian Play Therapy and may join in sessions depending on goals set throughout the course of therapy and the play therapists’ recommendation. It is important for play therapists to meet with parents during the beginning of therapy for the intake session, and in ongoing parent sessions approximately every month in the beginning. Therapist Rosalie says “I sincerely value the knowledge, wisdom, and transparency parents bring to our office. Through Adlerian Play Therapy, I am able to support families, and especially my child clients, in piecing together aspects of their struggles to help develop clarity, connections, new insights, and skills for children and families.”

Theraplay

Theraplay focuses not just on the individual child, but on the parent-child relationship. Because of this, parents are involved in every session. Therapists guide the parent-child dyad through playful activities designed to enhance attachment, safety, and the regulation of difficult behaviors. The process begins with an observation session to assess the dyad’s strengths and challenges, followed by collaboration with parents to set goals related to the dimensions of nurture, structure, engagement, and challenge.

Every 4-5 sessions, therapists and parents meet to review progress, often viewing portions of recorded sessions to celebrate successes and refine skills. Parents are encouraged to practice these games at home. As therapist Rosie explains, “It’s so rewarding to watch a parent shift from fearing their child’s behaviors to feeling confident in their ability to provide structure while also being playful and nurturing. My goal is to gradually step back and position the parent as the responsive leader.”

AutPlay®

AutPlay Therapy supports neurodivergent children by celebrating their strengths while addressing daily challenges such as anxiety, social conflicts, sensory needs, and self-esteem. Unlike ABA, which often focuses on prescribed goals, AutPlay empowers families to create personalized, realistic goals. Therapists partner with parents to shift from a deficits-based approach to one that emphasizes the child’s unique abilities.

During treatment, therapists gather detailed information through intake forms, assessments, and observations of parent-child interactions. Parents may join full or partial sessions to review skills and celebrate progress. Every 4-5 sessions, therapists meet with parents to discuss challenges and progress at home and school. Therapist Priscilla says: The AutPlay approach aligns perfectly with the affirming care I strive to provide. I find it incredibly rewarding to collaborate with families on better understanding and implementing their child’s unique abilities!”

TraumaPlay™

TraumaPlay therapists understand that healing from extreme stress occurs within the family context. Parents are active participants throughout the treatment, which begins by enhancing a child’s sense of safety, emotional literacy, and coping skills. The therapy helps children process trauma narratives in developmentally appropriate ways.

Therapists educate parents about the neurobiology of trauma, attachment, and emotional regulation. Parents also learn to play three key roles in their child’s healing:

  1. Safe Boss – Ensuring safety through structure, boundaries, and predictability.
  2. Nurturer – Soothing the child through distress.
  3. Storykeeper – Helping the child hold and understand their difficult experiences.

TraumaPlay typically involves a mix of child-only, parent-only, and parent-child sessions.

Play-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) / Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Play-based CBT and ACT help children understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an engaging, non-judgmental way. In CBT, therapy focuses on identifying and correcting cognitive distortions through self-talk and coping strategies. ACT, on the other hand, helps children accept difficult emotions through mindfulness while pursuing their personal values.

Therapists work with parents to define goals and create individualized treatment plans that determine the level of parental involvement. Therapists may:

  • Invite parents into full sessions periodically.
  • Invite parents into the final 15 minutes of sessions.
  • Schedule consultations every 4-5 sessions.
  • Assign family homework, such as implementing reward systems or practicing relaxation techniques at home.

Therapist Carolyn shares, “I love helping parents understand brain science so they can respond to their child’s behavior in a more effective way. It builds their confidence in facing parenting challenges”.

At Mindful Connections Counseling, we recognize that the involvement of parents and caregivers is essential to a child’s therapeutic success. Our therapists are committed to providing you with support and guidance to help your child make progress, overcome challenges, and strengthen your relationship. By working together, we can create a supportive environment that enables your child to grow and reach their full potential. Thank you for being an important part of this process!

Sources:

Center for Play Therapy

What is Theraplay? – Theraplay

Adlerian Play Therapy: Healing Through Belonging

AutPlay Therapy

TraumaPlay Institute

Child Well-Being through Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy

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Rosanna (Rosie) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15+ years experience helping diverse children and families find healing, balance, and joy. Rosanna is a senior associate clinician at Mindful Connections Counseling. To inquire about services with Rosie, visit our contact page here: https://mindfulconnectionstx.com/contact/