Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate form of psychotherapy that uses play, the natural language of children, to help them express, understand, and work through difficult emotions. Rather than relying on verbal conversation (which most children under 10 cannot sustain in a therapeutic context), play therapy uses toys, art materials, sand trays, puppets, and imaginative scenarios to allow children to communicate their inner world. Research shows play therapy is effective for children experiencing anxiety, behavioural difficulties, trauma, grief, family disruption, and social challenges. In my experience across three decades of child psychology, play therapy is often the most powerful way to reach a child who is struggling but cannot tell you why.
Why Children Cannot Just “Talk About It”
When adults are distressed, we can usually put words to our experience. Children, particularly those under 10, do not yet have the abstract thinking and emotional vocabulary required to identify, label and discuss their internal states in the way adult therapy demands. A six-year-old who has witnessed a hostile separation does not say “I feel abandoned” — instead they might have a tantrum before school, start wetting the bed again, become clingy or aggressive, or develop stomachaches with no medical explanation. Play therapy meets children where they are, using a medium they already understand as the vehicle for therapeutic change.
How Play Therapy Actually Works
At Anna Cohen and Co, our clinicians draw from several evidence-based models. Child-centred play therapy (Axline, Landreth) provides a safe, accepting environment where the therapist follows the child’s lead, based on the principle that children have an innate capacity for growth when given a trusting relationship, unconditional positive regard, and freedom to express themselves. Directive play therapy introduces specific activities to address particular issues, such as a feelings game to build emotional vocabulary or a sandtray scene representing a difficult experience. Filial therapy is an approach I am particularly passionate about, and it aligns closely with the Regulated Parenting Model™ I have developed over my career. Filial therapy trains parents to conduct structured play sessions with their child at home, strengthening the parent-child relationship itself — often the most powerful therapeutic tool available.
What a Play Therapy Session Looks Like
A well-equipped playroom contains real-life toys (dolls, dollhouse, medical kit), aggressive-expression toys (punching bag, foam swords) that give a safe outlet for anger, creative materials (art supplies, clay, sand tray), nurturing toys (soft animals, baby dolls) that address attachment needs, and fantasy toys (dress-up, puppets, masks) that let children explore power, identity and fears from a safe psychological distance. Over treatment, play typically moves from exploratory and tentative early on, to deeper themed play in the middle phase (a child who witnessed family violence might repeatedly crash cars; a grieving child might bury toy animals in the sand), to more resolved play later that includes solutions, coping and mastery — with parents reporting corresponding changes at home.
What Play Therapy Helps With
- Anxiety and worry (separation anxiety, generalised anxiety, specific fears)
- Behavioural difficulties (aggression, defiance, emotional outbursts)
- Trauma (abuse, neglect, witnessing family violence, accidents, medical procedures)
- Grief and loss
- Family disruption (parental separation, new siblings, relocation)
- Social difficulties (making friends, peer conflict, bullying)
- Low self-esteem and confidence; selective mutism; adjustment to illness or disability
What Parents Need to Know
Play therapy is confidential — the therapist shares general themes and progress but not a play-by-play, which is essential for the child to feel safe (safety concerns are always communicated). Change takes time: most children benefit from 12 to 20 weekly sessions, and consistency matters. Your role is important — the therapist typically includes parent sessions every 3 to 4 weeks to share observations and provide strategies, and in filial therapy your role is central. It might look like “just playing,” but the therapeutic relationship, the carefully selected materials, and the therapist’s skilful reflections are what make it therapeutic rather than recreational.
Where to Access Play Therapy in Sydney
Anna Cohen and Co offers play therapy for children aged 3 to 12 at three locations:
- Inner West: 397 Darling Street, Balmain NSW 2041
- Eastern Suburbs: 269 Bronte Road, Waverley NSW 2024
- Blue Mountains: Suite 6, Level 1, 68-74 Katoomba Road, Katoomba NSW 2780
Medicare rebates apply with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (up to 10 sessions per year at $145.25 with a clinical psychologist, or $98.95 with a registered psychologist).
Book a consultation: Call 02 9555 1168 or visit annacohenandco.com.au/contact
About the Author
Dr Anna Cohen is a Senior Clinical Psychologist (AHPRA PSY1176554, Doc.Clin.Psych) with over 30 years of experience in child and family psychology. She is the founder of Anna Cohen and Co and co-founder of Kids and Co Clinical Psychology, the developer of the Regulated Parenting Model™, and the author of four published parenting books including Skilful Parent Happy Child and Taming Teens.
