How Can You Help Your Child Through the Process of Therapy?

Navigating the therapy process can be challenging for both you and your child. As a parent, your involvement and support are crucial in fostering a positive therapeutic experience. Here are some suggestions you can take to help your child feel comfortable and supported throughout their therapy journey.

Prepare Your Child:

Explain what play therapy is in simple terms. You might say, "You are going to see Golnaz for a special playtime. She has lots of toys, and you can play with any toys and games you want. You can talk to her if you want to, or you may not want to talk to her—this is totally up to you."

Provide Consistent Attendance:

 As much as possible, be consistent in your attendance. Consistency helps your child build trust with me. Trust is key in any therapeutic relationship.

Share Information:

In our initial parent session, share any significant events with me. During the therapy process, if you see any changes in behavior, talk to me. Providing updates and feedback helps me tailor my sessions to your child's needs.

Avoid Pressure to Talk:

Avoid pressuring your child to talk about specific issues. Allow the therapy process to unfold naturally. Encourage your child to express themselves freely during therapy.

Be Patient:

Therapy can be slow, and you may not see immediate results. Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Trust me and the process without pushing for quick results.

Don’t Ask Questions About Therapy:

While I understand you are curious about what your child did during the therapy session, please resist this urge. Asking questions can put pressure on them to comment on something they are still processing and may have difficulty understanding.

Don’t Ask Them to Behave:

Please don’t ask your child to “be good.” Allow them to feel free to express themselves. Sometimes expressing negative feelings in an uncensored way is critical, much like when an adult sees their therapist and gets angry with them when they don’t understand.

Dress Them in Old Clothes

Play therapy can be very messy. To avoid any anxiety, help your child wear something old.

Respect Confidentiality

Understand that while you may be curious about what happens in therapy sessions, confidentiality is crucial. Trust the process and allow the therapist and your child to work through issues together.

Don’t Take Therapy Away as a Form of Punishment

Therapy is a crucial part of your child's healing process. Do not use the removal of therapy as a punishment.

Take Care of Your Emotional Needs

Supporting your child through the play therapy process can be emotionally daunting. Ensure you have your own support system.

Please contact me if you have any questions.