Does Play Therapy Work? The Science Behind Its Success

I love it when parents question or even challenge if play therapy will be an effective strategy for their child. It tells me that they care deeply about their well-being and only want to invest in the best possible option. What I love even more? Sharing with parents how powerful play therapy can be as a "bottom-up" (or body-up) approach to support their child’s emotional and social development! 

If your child is struggling with behavior issues or big feelings, you may be considering play therapy as a resource and you might be wondering about the following questions.

Play Therapy Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Aren't you just playing?

   GREAT question. The short answer is no, a well-trained play therapist should not just be an expensive play buddy. For starters, we need to redefine play! As adults, it's easy to see it as "childish" or something we do when we are little but the reason play is so powerful isn't related to stuffed animals or race cars, it's all about the NERVOUS SYSTEM state a child is in while they are playing. The fun part is this also applies to adults. Think about the last time you were super relaxed, laughing hysterically at a joke, or lost in a hobby or adventure. When our body is in this state of "play" we are 5x more likely to take a risk, learn something new, and integrate trauma. A trained therapist knows this and uses play as the vehicle for change and learning to boost social and emotional development.

2. How is my child learning something new?

   I once worked with a ten year old girl who came to therapy for school related anxiety. Because our sessions were online due to the Covid Pandemic, we developed a fun routine of dancing and laughing together as a way to start our sessions. One day her mom entered her room and said, "This doesn't look productive at all!" While I compltely see where she was coming from, I invited the mom into a parent session so that I could explain the logic behind the laughter. I shared with her that joy and movement is actually the MOST productive thing a child can do to integrate learning and that "acting serious" (aka talk therapy) actually repels learning for most children.

3. My kid plays all day. Why should they play more?

   Another great one. I can promise you that therapeutic play is NOT the same type of play your child engages in in other settings. Our sessions always have a goal we are working towards and our therapists meet regularly with families to make sure they understand the strategy behind the play.

4. Is my child too old for play therapy?

   As I mentioned above, adults need "play" the SAME way children need play. Because of this, there isn't an age cut-off for play therapy! What we find is that younger children enjoy more pretend play, and our older pre-teens or teens enjoy more creative/artistic play that involves art therapy, music, movement, and sometimes improv or role playing.

5. How does play therapy help with anxiety or meltdowns or confidence?

   The answer to this question is all about strategy. For example, the play therapist of a 3 year old might lean into pretend play and help a toddler who struggles with tantrums build up their frustration tolerance, or the ability to stay regulated throughout the day. The therapist will use themselves as a tool (their own level of presence, attunement, and safety) and a toy such as a talking dinosaur to help strengthen this ability to regulate. On the other hand, a teen therapist may lean into poetry as a form of play and creative connection to tap into a teens inner resilinece skills they didn't know they had!

It is perfectly OK to have questions and you are not the only one wondering if it will work. 

But the short answer is yes—play therapy is a highly effective and evidence-based approach that supports children's emotional, social, and brain development. AND play therapy works for kids, preteens and teens of all ages. Let’s explore why.

How Play Shapes the Developing Brain

Traditional approaches teach that learning is “serious” and must happen in a formal, methodical manner. If this were true, we would simply teach kids about their feelings, give them some flashcards to memorize, and POOF! They would have emotional mastery. 

But thanks to neuroscience research, we now understand that the more FUN a child is having while they are learning, the more they retain the material AND step into emotional and behavioral control. 

So to put it simply… play therapy works because it’s fun. 

When a child is playing, multiple areas of their brain are stimulated, including the areas related to problem-solving, emotion regulation, and social skill development. Our skilled play therapists are trained to closely attune with a child’s play to make sure they are working on the part of the brain or nervous system that needs the most support. This helps strengthen certain neural circuits and connections in a child's brain, which expands their window of tolerance and provides them with a solid foundation for lifelong learning and resilience.

Why Play Works in Therapy

While adults express themselves through words, children express themselves through play. 

It is their natural language! A play therapist will be able to notice the strengths and challenges going on in a child’s life based on how they play and what they play with. 

Unfortunately, this is a missed concept that many well-meaning child professionals tend to forget. Too often, children are held to the same level as adults when it comes to mental health and the very high expectation that they should be able to express their feelings verbally. 

Although children are not mini-adults (and shouldn’t be held to the same standards) they do have an incredible ability to learn and grow but they need the right environment to do so! 

This is why play therapy is so effective. Let's think of a beautiful metaphor of a baby plant. When this little plant is getting ready to grow and sprout bright green leaves, it first needs sturdy roots that can soak up any nutrients it needs from the soil. Think of play therapy as the nutrient-rich soil, allowing your child to FIRST grow strong, sturdy roots, which eventually grow beautiful, healthy, vibrant leaves.

What Are The Results of Play Therapy?

✅Improved Parent-Child Relationship

✅Improved Social Skills

✅Stress Resilience 

✅ Improved Frustration Tolerance

✅Improved Emotion Regulation

✅Decreased meltdowns and tantrums 

The absolute best part of play therapy is that it should be FUN and highly enjoyed by your child. If your child is not excited to attend play therapy, this could be a sign that it's not the right fit.

The Evidence Behind Play Therapy

What's even more exciting is that there are an abundance of studies that back up the efficacy of play therapy! Enrolling your child in play therapy should not feel like a guessing game.

Studies have shown that play therapy can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma in children. This Major Meta-Analyses on Play Therapy tracked and followed children for years and found a strong correlation with positive outcomes in children with AHHD, sensory processing challenges, emotion regulation issues, and behavioral challenges.

The Association for Play Therapy also cites numerous studies demonstrating that play therapy leads to significant improvements in children facing challenges such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, grief, and family transitions like divorce.

What Does a Play Therapy Session Look Like?

In a play therapy session, the therapist creates a warm, welcoming environment filled with carefully selected toys, games, and art materials. A good play therapist spends time to make sure the selected items are attuned to the childs interests, challenges, and therapy goals. Our therapists take a child-led approach, which helps a child build confidence and trust in a new environment. Once this trust and sense of sfatey is established, the therapist will then begin to intervene in the play, making sure they are directly supporting the next developmental level of the child.

For instance, a child struggling with anxiety might gravitate towards play themes that involve "something bad happening," and this will cue the therapist to enter as the "good guy" to support a child's sense of safety, well-being, and regulation. This is why play therapy can be so impactful for children overcoming a traumatic event or struggling with PTSD.

Another example might be a child coming in for grief counseling, looking to work through a family member they recently lost or have support making sense of their parents' recent divorce. This play therapy session might involve more art and drawing to create symbols out of the loss and help the child find safety again through the powerful relationship with their therapist.

Are Parents Involved in a Play Therapy Session?

We LOVE parents at Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles! We believe parental involvement is one of the most important pieces to a child's well-being and we gladly involve parents, especially in the beginning phases of therapy. Feeling intimidated by being observed by a play therapist? You're not alone! Rest assured that your actions are NOT under a microscope, instead your play therapist will be focusing on how to involve you in the play so that everyone can feel comfortable playing together. Are you a parent who struggles with pretend play? Again, I hope you know you are not alone and this is something important to bring up with your play therapist, who can provide you with important yet simple strategies to better connect with your child.

Can Play Therapy be Used at Home?

Absolutely! A successful outcome for us means success at home, not just in the walls of a therapy room. Throughout our therapy process, we frequently involve and teach parents important aspects of play therapy that they can practice with their child at home. The goal of practicing these tools at home is to 1) improve their relationship with their child 2) reduce challenges and power struggles and 3) most importantly to increase family JOY. Shared joy is possible, your family simply needs the right practices in place.

Your therapist might recommend simple activities like playing board games, cooking a meal together, more time outdoors, etc. Or they will recommend strategies that are related to the mental health of parents such as stress reduction techniques, couples counseling, or breathing techniques to use when your child is having a rough day. At CTC we believe that mental health (aka the state of a parent's nervous system) is the #1 most important factor that influences a child's wellbeing, which is why we prioritize it from the very beginning.

Final Thoughts

Play therapy is far more than “just play.” It’s a proven, science-backed approach that meets children where they are and helps them grow emotionally, socially, and neurologically. If your child is facing challenges, play therapy can be a transformative tool for healing and development.

As you consider this option for your child, know that you’re not just providing them with a way to have fun—you’re giving them the tools they need to thrive.

If you have questions or are curious about how play therapy might benefit your child, don’t hesitate to reach out to a licensed play therapist. Your child’s journey to healing and growth can start with the simple yet profound act of play. Book your Thriving-Child Strategy Call today, we look forward to partnering with you!