Skip to main content
HomeSpecialistsBusinessBlogContact us
العربيةFor care providersBook a session
Skip to article text

Play therapy for children: What happens in sessions and how families take part

Fahad AlmalikMedical review: Tatmeen team9 min read
طاولة خشبية عليها ورقة ملونة وأقلام شمعية وصلصال ومكعبات، وبجانبها كرسي صغير.
Article contents
  1. When to ask for an assessment
  2. Before treatment and inside a session
  3. How play can serve a treatment goal
  4. Choosing a practitioner and taking part without pressure
  5. A short note for the first appointment
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Sources and references
  8. Writer and reviewer

If a professional has suggested play therapy for your child, you have a right to understand how the play relates to the concern that brought you there. Having toys in a room does not, by itself, make an appointment therapy. Play therapy involves a therapeutic relationship with a qualified practitioner1, an approach and goals that fit the child. The practitioner may give the child room to lead the play or use structured activities, depending on the approach and need.

The first step is understanding what your child is facing, then choosing suitable help. You do not need to know the diagnosis or buy special toys before asking for an assessment.

When to ask for an assessment

Children sometimes become worried, angry or less interested in play without having a disorder. Seek an assessment2 if a difficulty persists, causes significant distress or affects sleep, school, relationships or daily life. You can start with your child's doctor or a mental health professional experienced in assessing children. Describe what you have noticed rather than trying to work out the cause on your own.

For example, “They refuse to go to school, complain of stomach pain in the mornings and have missed several days” is more useful information than “I think they need play therapy.” An assessment considers school and family circumstances, health, development and what the child actually needs. The plan might involve family support, work with the school or a specific treatment; it need not involve play sessions.

If your child's behaviour is unsafe, or they talk about hurting themselves or someone else, seek immediate professional help. If there is an immediate danger to safety, seek emergency help at once. Do not wait for a routine appointment2 or for weeks to pass.

Before treatment and inside a session

The practitioner may begin by meeting with you5 to ask about your child's development, health, routines, recent changes and life at home and school. They also listen to the child in a way that fits their understanding and communication. Observation, questionnaires or information from school2 may be used when needed; there is no single set of tests required for every child.

After the assessment, discuss what you want to become easier in your child's day and how to work towards it. A goal might be asking for help or managing a situation that disrupts daily life. Ask how your child will take part, what your role will be and when you will review the plan. The approach and number of sessions depend on their needs. You should understand why the approach was chosen and what you will be watching for together.

In a hypothetical example, a child builds a tower of blocks. It falls, and they say, "I don't want to carry on." The practitioner might ask, "Would you like to try together, or choose something else?" Depending on the session's goal and approach, this could be an opportunity to ask for help or work with frustration. Another session might involve talking or a shared activity with a caregiver.

How play can serve a treatment goal

A child may express an experience or feeling1 while acting out a situation or making something that they find hard to describe in a long conversation. Depending on the approach and plan, the practitioner can use that interaction to work towards an agreed goal, such as expressing a need or handling frustration. Play offers a way to take part; it does not promise to reveal everything a child feels.

Playing with your child has a place in your relationship and everyday life. It can simply remain time you spend together. In therapy, the practitioner chooses an approach based on the assessment, works towards agreed goals and maintains boundaries and safety. A child's choice of toy might start an interaction or conversation. Do not use it at home to extract a confession or decide "what they are hiding."

Play therapy is also not one single method. Ask whether the activities will be structured, whether the child will lead, whether the plan includes parent training and how these choices address the difficulty that brought you there.

That detail matters when discussing benefits. A preliminary study involving 30 schoolboys3 in Iran found improvements in measures related to school refusal and anxiety after a cognitive-behavioural group intervention using play. This is a finding for a particular approach and group, not proof that every approach involving play suits every child.

For a condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder in children, NICE guidance includes recommendations for trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy4, depending on age, symptoms and when help is sought. Having an upsetting experience does not, by itself, mean a child has PTSD. The point is that treatment choices need assessment and evidence relevant to the condition, rather than an appealing name.

Choosing a practitioner and taking part without pressure

Do not rely only on the title “play therapist” or a course certificate. Ask about their core professional qualification and authorization to provide care where they practise, as well as training, supervision and experience in the proposed approach and with children who have similar needs. The Association for Play Therapy distinguishes professional qualifications from specialty credentials6. Its US credentials do not, by themselves, establish authorization to practise in another country.

Before starting, ask about potential benefits, risks and alternatives, how distress during the work will be handled and whom to contact with concerns. Ask who gives consent to treatment7 and how the plan will be explained to your child and their views included according to their understanding. Agree what information you will receive, what remains private and when safety concerns require information to be shared. Do not promise your child that “everything will stay secret between you and the practitioner.”

Your role might include review meetings5, joining some sessions or learning responses to use at home. Ask for clear instructions instead of trying to provide therapy from an article. Tell the practitioner about helpful and worrying changes2. Increasing distress should not automatically be treated as evidence that therapy is working.

After agreeing with the practitioner how to prepare your child, you might say: “We're going to meet someone who can help us understand what's making your day difficult. You might talk or play, and you can ask what will happen.” If your child asks, “Will you stay in the room with me?” and you do not yet know the arrangements, you can say, “We will ask the practitioner how we will start and where I will be.” Pass on the question and ask for an explanation your child can understand, rather than promising an arrangement that has not been agreed.

After a session, give your child room to talk if they want to. Avoid questioning them about every toy or asking them to prove they “benefited.”

A short note for the first appointment

Write what you know and leave what you do not:

  • What has changed? A specific example, when it started and where it happens most.
  • How does it affect the day? Sleep, school, play, relationships or health.
  • What have we tried? What helped a little or made things harder.
  • What does my child need at the appointment? A language they understand, time to get acquainted or an adjustment that meets their needs.
  • What is my main question? Why this approach? How do I take part? How will we know if the plan needs to change?

This note is optional. It is not a test or a requirement for getting help.

At review meetings, look with the practitioner for meaningful change outside the room: being better able to attend school, express a need or manage a situation that was disrupting the day. Your observations may be mixed: "Getting out to school is easier, but sleep hasn't changed." Describe what has improved and what remains difficult, rather than only saying the session went well. Enjoying a session helps you understand the child's participation, but it does not, by itself, establish the treatment's result. Agree what happens next2 if expected improvements do not occur or sessions become exhausting or unsuitable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is play therapy for children?

Play therapy involves a therapeutic relationship with a qualified practitioner, an approach and goals that fit the child. Having toys in a room does not, by itself, make an appointment therapy. The practitioner may give the child room to lead the play or use structured activities, depending on the approach and need. Play therapy is not one single method, so you have a right to understand how the play relates to your child's concern.

How do I know if my child needs play therapy?

Start with an assessment rather than a type of therapy. Seek one if a difficulty persists, causes significant distress or affects sleep, school, relationships or daily life. The plan might then involve family support, work with the school or a specific treatment; it need not involve play sessions.

If your child's behaviour is unsafe, or they talk about hurting themselves or someone else, seek immediate professional help. If there is an immediate danger to safety, seek emergency help at once. Do not wait for a routine appointment or for weeks to pass.

What happens in a play therapy session?

The practitioner may begin by meeting with you to ask about your child's development, health, routines and life at home and school, then listen to your child in a way that fits their understanding. After the assessment, you agree on a goal, such as asking for help. If a child's tower of blocks falls and they say, "I don't want to carry on," the practitioner might ask, "Would you like to try together, or choose something else?"

Is play therapy effective?

It depends on the approach and the condition, because play therapy is not one single method. A preliminary study involving 30 schoolboys in Iran found improvements in measures related to school refusal and anxiety after a cognitive-behavioural group intervention using play. That is a finding for a particular approach and group, not proof that every approach involving play suits every child. Treatment choices need assessment and evidence relevant to the condition, rather than an appealing name.

What is a parent's role in play therapy?

Your role might include review meetings, joining some sessions or learning responses to use at home. Ask for clear instructions instead of trying to provide therapy from an article, and tell the practitioner about helpful and worrying changes. After a session, give your child room to talk if they want to; avoid questioning them about every toy or asking them to prove they “benefited.”

Writing and article review

Fahad AlmalikWritten byFahad Almalik

Content writer and researcher at Tatmeen, writing in Arabic and English about mental health and everyday life, from relationships and stress to work, habits, and family.

Tatmeen teamMedical reviewTatmeen team

Every Tatmeen article is reviewed by care providers licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, so what you read is accurate and trustworthy.

How we write and reviewSpotted an error? Tell us

This article builds understanding and does not replace a licensed care provider.

Need someone to talk to?

Tatmeen's licensed care providers are available around the clock, and the app's urgent consultation connects you with one within minutes.

Talk to a care provider

In immediate danger?

If you or someone you know is in danger, call an ambulance on 997 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Emergency numbers

Was this article helpful?

Add us to Google
All articles

Talk to a care provider

Your session, remotely and your way: voice, video or text.

  • Licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
  • Available around the clock
  • Complete privacy and confidentiality
All care providers

One step for you, start now

Download Tatmeen to explore care providers and booking options.

  • Smart matchingFour quick questions suggest the right care provider
  • Urgent consultationTalk to an available care provider within minutes
  • Free psychological measuresMore than 20 tests to understand how you are doing

Scan to download