Opinion: Screens Have Made Play Therapy Better
Play therapy has long been understood as the most effective form of treatment for childhood mental health disorders. And it makes sense, play is the language of children. Like talk therapy, play therapy has a wide range of interventions. These styles range from very structured sessions where games and art support children in growing their emotional vocabulary, to non-directive play where a therapist’s presence and feedback supports a child’s maturation.
But research shows that the most effective play therapy approaches are the ones that include both the caregiver and child. Having facilitated therapy using many of these evidence-based approaches, I have found that my favorite – and most importantly my clients’ – is something called Filial Play Therapy. A type of play that often requires caregivers to use screens.
Filial Play Therapy is a modality where the therapist teaches caregivers how to play therapeutically with their children. After learning the basic skills of Child-Centered Play – an evidenced-based type of play therapy – caregivers facilitate play with their child, either in the office or through recording, followed by weekly feedback from a therapist. But now, with Zoom and other video call platforms, parents can skip the recording or office visits and do it live from their living room!
Whereas before screens, the family would come to my office for Filial, and I would sit in the corner as play unfolded; now with screens, families can participate from home and receive real-time feedback while on a video-call.
As nerve-wracking as virtual Filial Therapy sounds, caregivers have overwhelmingly enjoyed this method for the following reasons:
The immediate feedback lowers their feelings of anxiety during the play session – they don’t need to wait for a later feedback session with the child not present
There’s no driving necessary, nor taking their kid in to be “seen” be a professional – and many children don’t even notice the video call since caregivers black-out the screen
Caregivers feel a greater sense of control and authority as the only adult in the room — instead of the therapist looming in the corner helping when things go awry, the caregiver practices how to effectively manage behavior (with in-ear support!)
Most forms of virtual therapy involve clients communicating with a therapist through a screen, but virtual Filial Play Therapy is inherently different. Caregivers are wholeheartedly interacting with their child, their child isn’t staring at a screen, and the therapist gets a unique view into family interactions that rarely show in the office. If you are interested in learning more about Filial Play Therapy, I encourage you to read my article about it here, and reach out for a free consultation by giving us a call or completing the form below to see if this modality is a good fit for your family.