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Happy International Play Therapy Week! 🎉

What is play therapy—and how is it different from simply using games and activities in therapy sessions?

This is a common and critical question for mental health professionals working with children. While games, art, and activities are often part of therapy, play therapy is a distinct, evidence-based clinical approach grounded in child development, theory, and the therapeutic relationship.

In this special International Play Therapy Week conversation, I’m joined by four play therapists who share their personal journeys into play therapy and why they chose this work. Together, we explore not just what play therapy is—but why it matters so deeply for children and families.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• What defines play therapy as a therapeutic modality
  
  
  
• Why play therapy is more than “using games in therapy”
  
  
  
• The three essential components that differentiate play therapy from expressive activities and interventions
  
  
  
• How understanding these differences improves clinical decision-making and therapeutic outcomes for children
  
  
  
• Real-world experiences from play therapists who have seen the power of play therapy in action
  
  
  

Play therapy has become a leading approach for helping children process trauma, regulate emotions, and heal within safe therapeutic relationships. Gaining clarity about what play therapy truly is—and what it is not—supports ethical practice, stronger case conceptualization, and greater confidence in clinical work.

Join us in celebrating International Play Therapy Week by deepening your understanding of play therapy, hearing from fellow play therapists, and reconnecting with the heart of why this work matters.

Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills