Play Therapy

Play Therapy is an evidence-based mental health intervention designed primarily for children to express, process, and resolve psychosocial challenges through play—their natural medium of communication.

Facilitated by certified practitioners, it leverages specialized toys, games, and creative activities to help children develop healthy coping mechanisms, build emotional regulation, and improve social skills.

The professional you will be working with may use any of the methods below to support your child's developmental journey:

Types of Evidence-Based
Approaches
1. Non-Directive (Child-Centered) Play Therapy: Allows the child to lead the play sessions autonomously in a safe environment, fostering self-expression, self-efficacy, and internal problem-solving skills.
 2. Directive Play Therapy: Uses therapist-guided games, structured role-play, or targeted stories to address specific issues like anxiety, anger management, or social challenges.
 3. Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy (CBPT): Integrates CBT principles into playful activities to help young children recognize negative thought patterns, manage behavioral triggers, and learn adaptive coping strategies.
 4. Filial Therapy / Relationship-Focused Play Therapy: Involves training parents and caregivers in basic play therapy skills to strengthen family bonds, improve attachment security, and resolve behavioral issues at home.
 5. Sandtray & Expressive Play Therapy: Utilizes miniatures, sandboxes, puppets, and art materials to help children project complex trauma, emotional stress, or internal conflicts visually and symbolically.

As an adjunct treatment alongside pediatric medical care, school interventions, or family counseling, evidence-based play therapy delivered by certified practitioners helps children navigate trauma, behavioral difficulties, neurodevelopmental challenges, and emotional distress in a safe, developmentally appropriate way.

How this card works: after you buy it, we match you with a practitioner for this service and you book a time with them. Until you are matched, practitioners see only your age, area, sex and ethnicity (if you have added them in Arcadia), never your name or contact details.