Play Family Therapy

Given that family therapists work with the entire family, it is important to have interventions that include children. Play therapy is an approach where children are encouraged to act out their feelings through play and other creative arts activities. Play family therapy is an effective way to engage everyone and is not only developmentally aligned with children’s needs; it is also experientially therapeutic for adults. Historically, play therapists have worked primarily with children individually, and family therapists have felt unprepared for how to integrate children effectively. However, family play therapy has emerged in the field and uses play scenarios to assess family dynamics and to intervene in ways that can transform systemic functioning.