Glossary
What is play-based counselling?
Also called: play counselling, therapeutic play, play therapy for children, child play counselling
Definition
Play-based counselling is counselling that uses toys, art, sand and games as the main way a child communicates, so children who can't yet put feelings into words can still work through them.
What it means
Young children rarely explain their worries by sitting down and talking about them. They show them in play. In play-based counselling the counsellor provides a room with carefully chosen materials, such as small figures, puppets, clay, paints, a doll’s house and a sand tray, and follows the child’s lead. The counsellor watches, reflects back what they notice and responds through the play itself.
Parents often ask whether this is the same as play therapy. In the UK, “play therapist” usually refers to someone with a specific postgraduate play therapy qualification, and bodies such as BAPT and PTUK register them. Play-based counselling is counselling, delivered by a trained counsellor who uses play as the main tool. The two overlap a great deal, and it is fair to ask any practitioner exactly what they are trained in.
What it can look like for your child
A child whose parents have separated might set up two houses in the sand and move a small figure back and forth between them. A child who was frightened by a hospital stay might give a teddy one injection after another. A child who is anxious about school might play the teacher and be very strict. None of this needs to be explained by the child for it to be useful.
How counselling can help
Play lets a child return to a difficult experience at a distance, at their own pace and with an adult who stays calm. Over time many children become less stuck in the same feelings. We work this way with most children under about eleven, and we keep you updated on themes without breaking your child’s trust.