Theraplay is a therapy for children and their families/caregivers which is play-based. It can help reduce aggression, anger, and disruptive or oppositional behaviours. It can also help children who present as shy, withdrawn, clingy, insecure, or who have difficulties making friends. Where children have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect, Theraplay can help children move forwards and increase the security of their attachments to caregivers. Theraplay can also be helpful for children with traits or diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in aiding communication, social skills, emotional regulation and learning to take direction.
Theraplay was developed over 50 years ago and is used around the world. Evidence around the effectiveness of Theraplay is good and increasing, and it works using methods recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Theraplay works by creating playful and caring child-adult interactions which develop attachments between child and caregiver(s). For example, by maximising levels of non-verbal, face-to-face emotional communications involving rhythm, eye contact, and attuned responses of pacing and intensity that leads to developing positive neural connections in the brain.
Theraplay is organised around 4 dimensions which are considered beneficial for children’s development and resilience: structure, engagement, nurture and challenge. The Therapist works to support the caregiver in providing these to the child and to provide support in a way that can establish safety, increase social engagement, expand emotional regulation, and support the development of positive self-esteem for both the child and the parent.
The first session involves an assessment where the caregiver will be given set activities to play with the child, observed by the Therapist from another room. Together with an initial discussion with the Therapist, this session will help them identify needs which future Theraplay sessions can help to address. Subsequent sessions may then involve the Therapist and the caregiver completing set activities together with the child.
You will be helped to identify goals or problems involving your family/children that you would like to address in therapy. Theraplay is a different approach to therapy as it is not a talking therapy; it involves completing activities and games together in planned sequences which work to address the underlying causes of difficulties.
Theraplay can be especially effective for looked after or fostered/adopted children as it can help a child and caregiver form strong secure attachments with each other and support normative child development. Theraplay can provide wider benefits which are often especially important for looked after or adopted children, such as increasing emotional regulation and self-esteem, reducing jealousy and insecurity, and helping young people become more comfortable with expressing emotions and accepting care from caregivers after experiences which may have led to increased self-reliance.
It is also useful to note that Theraplay can be really helpful for caregivers. Theraplay can help people tailor the care they provide to children utilising principles which can assist with child development and bring about benefit described above.
Agreeing as a family to participate in Theraplay means that you are investing time, money and energy in a process and you want to get the best possible outcome. Those that find the biggest successes in Theraplay are those that fully commit to the process and are prepared complete activities which may be outside of your comfort zone, and who are also prepared to continue using skills gained in therapy at home. Theraplay can give you new practices and routines to use at home which, if utilised, will significantly increase this therapy’s effectiveness.
If you think that Theraplay may be of benefit to your child or loved one, please contact a therapist that uses Theraplay principles such as Sam to find out more and arrange an initial phone call.
1Theraplay® is a registered service mark of The Theraplay Institute.
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