What is Play Therapy?
WRITTEN BY: Jasmine Berger
What is Play Therapy Used to Treat?
What is Play Therapy?
Maybe you landed here because you’re at your wit’s end. You’ve tried everything, read the books, talked to teachers, consulted your pediatrician, and you’re still not sure how to help your child. Someone recommended play therapy, and now you’re wondering, “How is playing going to fix anything?” Maybe you’re even thinking that play seems like a reward for all the behaviors you are hoping to address.
You’re not alone. Many parents feel confused or skeptical at first. After all, your child already plays at home, so how is this different?
At Bud to Bloom Play Therapy, we love the Gary Landreth quote “Play is the language of children, and toys are their words”. In play therapy, we use play intentionally as a tool for connection, healing, and growth. In the playroom a dollhouse becomes the place where a child processes the changes that come with a parent’s divorce. A baby doll allows a child to work through the arrival of a new sibling. Or maybe the toy cars help a child reenact a scary car crash. The possibilities are endless, as the toys can represent so much to your child and help them explore their internal and external worlds.It’s not just about having fun (though there’s plenty of that, too!). It’s about meeting children where they are developmentally and emotionally. Surprisingly play therapy can actually be HARD work for children just a therapy can be tough for adults.
What is Child Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate counseling approach designed to help children express their emotions, process experiences, and learn new coping skills, all through play. While adults may use words to explain their problems, children use play to make sense of their world and feelings.
There are two primary types of play therapy:
Directive Play Therapy: The therapist gently guides the play toward specific goals, using activities designed to help a child address certain issues. This may look like using games, activities, art or books in season to address concerns.
Non-Directive Play Therapy: The child takes the lead, while the therapist provides a safe, accepting space to explore freely. This type of play therapy allows the child to express freely at their own pace while the therapist provides responses to help the child feel understood and safe.
In either format, the therapist follows the child’s lead, paying close attention to the stories they tell, the roles they play, and the emotions they express through toys, games, and creative materials.
Even very young children (yes, even toddlers!) can benefit. We offer play therapy for 3 year olds, as well as counseling for 4 and 5 year olds all the way through 18. We also support families with infants and toddlers through infant mental health services such as Child Parent Psychotherapy, offering support that nurtures attachment and regulation from the very beginning.
Who is Play Therapy For?
Play therapy can support children ages 0–18, and it’s particularly effective for kids ages 3–12. These early years are when children are learning how to express emotions, form relationships, and navigate an ever-changing world, and sometimes big feelings get in the way.
At Bud to Bloom, we also use play therapy techniques with tweens and teens who might not feel comfortable talking directly about their experiences. For older clients, tools like expressive art, sand tray, or storytelling can help reduce pressure and increase openness. You can learn more about teen therapy services here.
We even integrate play-based interventions with caregivers and parents to strengthen family relationships and help you feel more connected to your child
What Is Play Therapy Used to Treat?
Play therapy is helpful for a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and relational concerns. If your child is struggling, chances are we’ve seen it, and we’re here to help.
Here are just a few areas where play therapy can be effective:
Anxiety & Depression
Just like adults, children experience worry, sadness, and hopelessness. But they often don’t have the words to explain what’s going on. Play therapy offers a safe and non-threatening way to explore these feelings, build coping skills, and increase confidence.
Trauma
Children who have experienced trauma, such as abuse, neglect, natural disasters, medical issues, or the loss of a loved one, often need extra support to process their experiences. In the playroom, children can safely re-enact and work through hard experiences at their own pace, with the support of a trusted therapist.
Behavioral Challenges
Play therapy helps us look beneath the behavior to uncover the feelings underneath. Aggression, tantrums, defiance, or withdrawal are often signs of unmet needs. Through play, children can express and release these emotions while learning skills to manage them differently.
Social & Relational Struggles
Whether it’s sibling conflict, peer issues, or difficulty connecting with adults, play therapy can help kids practice social skills, improve empathy, and build stronger relationships.
Neurodivergence
Children with ADHD, autism, or sensory processing differences often benefit from play-based approaches that support emotional regulation, flexibility, and self-awareness. Play therapy helps us support neurodivergent children in a way that honors their unique needs and strengths. Read more here about play therapy and autism here.
If you're searching for a child counselor near you, we’re here to help.
Play Therapy Benefits
The benefits of play therapy extend far beyond the playroom. Research from the Association for Play Therapy and other clinical studies has shown that play therapy helps children:
Express and process difficult emotions
Develop healthy coping strategies
Improve attention and impulse control
Strengthen relationships with caregivers
Build self-confidence and a sense of control
Improve decision-making and problem-solving skills
Experience emotional release and healing
You can find more information about the research behind play therapy and why it works here.
In short? Play therapy helps kids feel better, do better, and connect more deeply—with themselves and others.
How Long Does Play Therapy Take to Work?
This is one of the most common questions we hear—and one of the hardest to answer definitively.
The short answer: It depends.
The longer answer: Every child is different. The number of sessions needed will depend on the presenting concerns, the child’s history, the consistency of attendance, and the involvement of caregivers. Some kids show improvements within a few months. Others may need a longer-term relationship to fully process what they’re carrying.
At Bud to Bloom, most children attend therapy for 6–12 months, with some graduating sooner and others continuing longer. Therapy is not a quick fix. Real, lasting change takes time. We want families to have realistic expectations while also feeling hopeful. Healing isn’t linear, but it is absolutely possible.
We also know how important transparency is. That’s why we schedule regular parent check-ins to update you on progress, share insights, and give you tools to support your child at home.
Parent Involvement in Therapy
Even though we may be providing play therapy for 3-year-olds or other young children, we still prioritize confidentiality. Here’s why: children have very few spaces where they have control, feel truly accepted, or get a say in what happens. But in the play therapy room, we provide just that.
As children move through therapy, it’s not always neat, it can get messy (literally), loud, and children may explore things in less-than-perfect ways. Let’s be honest: there are parts of your own therapy journey you wouldn’t want others to hear either.
So in order for your child to fully show up, they need to know that what they say and do won’t be reported back. We allow them to play and express themselves freely, without fear of judgment or being “in trouble.”
While we won’t share every detail of what happens in the playroom (like what toys were used or exactly what was said), we will share important themes and emotional insights, like noticing signs of anxiety, grief, or perfectionism, so you can understand your child better and support their growth.
We believe parents are the most important people in a child’s life, and you play a vital role in the therapeutic process. Even though we wont share every delta there are key ways we involve you in treatment!
We involve parents through:
Regular check-ins and parent sessions
Skill-building strategies you can use at home
Collaboration on goals and progress
Your child’s therapist is on your team. We want to help your whole family thrive.
Play Is Powerful
We know it can feel strange to imagine that blocks, puppets, or sand trays could be the key to your child’s emotional healing, but we’ve seen the transformation again and again. When a child is given a safe space to process their world through play, real change happens.
If you're wondering whether this is right for your family, reach out. Whether you're looking for counseling for 5 year olds, therapy for 3 year olds, or a compassionate childhood anxiety therapist, we’re here to support you.
Where to Start Play Therapy Near St. Louis?
If you're ready to explore play therapy for your child, we’d be honored to support your family. At Bud to Bloom Play Therapy, our team of compassionate and experienced child therapists specializes in helping kids feel safe, seen, and supported.
We work with children as young as 3 all the way through adolescence, using play-based, trauma-informed approaches tailored to each child’s needs. Whether you're navigating anxiety, big behaviors, life transitions, or just want to strengthen your connection, we’re here for you.
Meet our therapists and learn more about our approach here.
Let’s help your child bloom—one playful step at a time.
