As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. You notice when something seems off, when they’re struggling, or when their usual spark dims. While adults can talk through their problems, children naturally turn to what comes most easily to them: play.
Play therapy harnesses this natural tendency, providing children with a safe space to express themselves and process difficult emotions or experiences.
But how do you know if your child would benefit from play therapy?
1. Big, Overwhelming Emotions
Does your child seem to experience emotions that feel too big for their little body? Children who would benefit from play therapy often struggle with intense feelings that show up as frequent meltdowns, explosive anger, or complete withdrawal from family activities.
You might notice your child going from happy to devastated in seconds, or becoming so overwhelmed that they can’t calm down for extended periods. Play therapy helps children develop healthy coping strategies for managing intense emotions. Through play, they can practice expressing feelings safely and learn techniques to regulate their emotional responses.
2. Sudden Changes in Behavior
Children typically develop consistent patterns in their daily routines and preferences. When these patterns shift dramatically without a clear explanation, it may signal underlying stress or emotional struggles.
Maybe your child, who once loved school, now cries every morning at drop-off. Maybe your independent child has become extremely clingy, following you from room to room.
These behavioral changes often indicate that something is troubling your child, even if they can’t articulate what’s wrong. Play therapy provides a non-threatening way for children to explore and address whatever might be causing these shifts.
3. Difficulties After Major Life Changes
Life transitions can be particularly challenging for children, whose world feels most secure when it’s predictable. Major changes like divorce, moving to a new home, starting at a new school, or welcoming a new sibling can create significant stress.
Play therapy offers children a safe space to work through these life transitions. Through play, they can process their feelings about change, develop coping skills, and gradually adjust to their new circumstances.
4. Trouble with Social Skills or Friendships
Social relationships become increasingly important as children grow, but not all children naturally develop the skills needed for successful friendships. You might notice your child struggling to make friends, having difficulty keeping friendships, or frequently getting into conflicts with peers.
Common social challenges include trouble sharing, difficulty communicating needs or feelings appropriately, problems with taking turns, or not understanding social cues from other children.
In play therapy, children can practice social skills in a low-pressure environment. They learn important concepts like empathy, cooperation, and effective communication through guided play activities that feel natural and enjoyable.
5. Trauma or Ongoing Anxiety
If your child has experienced a traumatic event or struggles with persistent anxiety, they need tools to process these difficult experiences. Trauma can result from obvious events like accidents or loss, but also from experiences that might seem minor to adults but feel overwhelming to children.
Ongoing anxiety might manifest as constant worry, difficulty sleeping, fear of separation, or physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches without a medical cause.
Play therapy provides a gentle, child-friendly approach to trauma processing and anxiety management. Children can work through difficult experiences at their own pace in a safe, supportive environment.
Taking the Next Step
If you recognize several of these signs in your child, play therapy might be a valuable resource for your family.
Play therapy can help children develop emotional regulation skills, process difficult experiences, and build confidence in their ability to handle life’s challenges. Most importantly, it meets children where they are, using their natural language of play to promote healing and growth.
If you’re considering play therapy for your child, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can help you determine whether play therapy would be beneficial and create a treatment plan tailored to your child’s specific needs.
Published by Mary Ellen Benz on November 3, 2025
