Child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) is a play-based family therapy model with a strong empirical foundation demonstrating its effectiveness for a broad range of issues that bring families with young children to counseling. CPRT is based on the filial therapy model introduced by Bernard and Louise Guerney in the mid-1960s, who promoted teaching child-centered play therapy principles and skills to parents to use during supervised parent–child play sessions. The CPRT model, a more structured and condensed version of the Guerneys’ model, was developed by Garry Landreth in the late 1980s and later formalized with a protocol and published treatment manual.

At the heart of CPRT is the premise that a secure parent–child relationship is essential for children’s well-being. The focus on promoting secure familial attachment relationships ...