What Actually Happens During a Play Therapy Session?
Play therapy sessions tend to last approximately 45 minutes to 1 hours. At Roubicek & Thacker, our play therapy sessions are 50 minutes long. Upon arrival to the first session, the child is invited into the Play Therapy room. Sometimes, if they are feeling a bit nervous, they can have their parent or caregiver accompany them into the room for the first time. Ideally, the caregiver will take this opportunity to remind them of where they will be waiting for them at the end of session and leave the room as soon as the child appears comfortable enough.
During the first session, the Play Therapist will introduce the playroom in an age appropriate manner, expressing that the child is allowed to play spontaneously and freely so long as there is always safety. The first 4-6 sessions likely consist of the relationship building phase, where the therapist allows the child the freedom and space to explore the playroom, sets boundaries if necessary that encourage self-awareness and safety, observes the child as they explore, and begins to help the child feel safe and comfortable. During these first 4-6 weeks, the therapist will likely engage in play interpretations, where the therapist processes any possible clinical issues that the parents/caregivers may have revealed and how these concerns apply during the play session.
The amount of time that it takes for a child to build a therapeutic relationship varies greatly depending on the child and the reason for beginning therapy. Some children become comfortable, talkative, and expressive within the first 2-3 sessions, some children and those who may have endured trauma, abuse, social anxiety, separation anxiety, or more significant challenges, may take upward of 6-8 weeks to feel safe expressing their innermost selves with this new adult figure (therapist).
Once a relationship is established, a Play Therapist takes on the role of interpretation and communication of what may be going on internally for a child.
As a Play Therapist, I hold a core value that a lot of my work happens outside of the playroom as well. I am more than happy to offer 10-15 minute phone calls where we can discuss anything present in the child’s life that may help me with my work during sessions. If you are interested in extended time where we can discuss parenting interventions, suggestions, and specific concerns with your child, I maintain 2-3 session times open throughout my weeks where I can meet individually with parents/caregivers via Zoom or in person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we do play therapy every other week instead of every week?
Of course! This is always an option and is helpful when cost is a concern. For me, scheduling bi-weekly play therapy is something that I am happy to work with whenever the therapy work revolves around things such as emotion processing, behavior concerns, or progress maintenance. Bi-weekly play therapy is not recommended for children who have experienced trauma, abuse, specific anxieties, or when there are family dynamics occurring within their lives that may be causing significant stress.
What kind of toys are there in the play therapy room?
I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to design and create the Playroom here at Roubicek & Thacker. Each and every toy in the play room is placed and chosen for a specific purpose. There are no electronics allowed in the playroom, as it is a place for processing complex experiences and emotions. All parents/caregivers are welcome to explore the playroom and ask any questions about what is available during the initial intake meeting when the child is not yet present. The PlayRoom is designed from a therapeutic standpoint as opposed to an academic classroom, thus there are several therapy games, a Sandtray, lots of symbolic characters, animals, and miniatures, there is an open dollhouse, and so much more. Each item was hand chosen by me & selected for the intention of offering children as many modalities for processing and communicating through play!
Why does “just playing” help work through behavior issues?
Play is a universal language of children. Similarly to the way that an adult might come into therapy and talk about their day, at a young age, children do not process verbal memories and emotions in the same ways that we do. For instance, if an adult gets into a car accident, they are able to go into a therapy session and discuss how that car accident impacted them, how they feel, and what anxiety has come up for them since then. For children, they engage in this kind of processing through play. In addition to how children use play as their way of processing, I create intentional and focused activities, conversations, and opportunities that allow the child to engage in emotion regulation, impulse control, exploration of emotion, mindfulness awareness of thoughts and feelings, as well as working alongside parents on how to address concerns that come up at home!
What ages is Play Therapy most appropriate for?
The most common ages for Play Therapy are 3-years-old to 10 years old. Where the more expressive and directive therapies, such as Sandtray Therapy or Expressive arts are appropriate for all children, adolescents, and even adults!
Roubicek & Thacker Counseling is Fresno’s premier provider of individual, couples, family, and group therapy. We offer in-person and online remote therapy sessions. Contact us today to change the way you feel.