Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is one of the few play therapy treatment models that has been researched and shown to be effective. It combines two essential ingredients to support early childhood mental health: play and caregiver-involvement.
Because young children have not developed sufficient language, they need a different way of "talking about" their experiences than older kids and adults. Play is a child's natural language, obtained before words and sentences, so play is an integral part of a developmentally appropriate therapy option for a child. Child Parent Psychotherapy is a form of play therapy that involves play in every session, using fun and engaging toys, games and activities.
Yet play on it's own might not be enough to support a child's rapid social, emotional and physical development if the child has been through a traumatic or stressful experience. What's best for a child long-term is a strong and secure relationship with a parent who can interpret the child's play expressions and respond in helpful ways. CPP is a unique form of play therapy because it involves the parent or caregiver in every session, and the parent and therapist work together to understand, interpret and validate a child's expressions. A parent is a child's whole world, and the most important person to them. In cases where the child has been traumatized or stressed, the child's #1 need is for their parent to understand and support them. Parents in CPP develop a rich, complex and nuanced understanding of their child, and build their own sensitivity and resilience around talking to their child about the trauma and the stress that the family has been through. The parent helps the child describe their experiences in developmentally appropriate, healthy and accurate ways that help the child actually cope with what they've been through. This makes CPP an unforgettable experience that parents and kids reference and build on for their whole lives.
Because young children have not developed sufficient language, they need a different way of "talking about" their experiences than older kids and adults. Play is a child's natural language, obtained before words and sentences, so play is an integral part of a developmentally appropriate therapy option for a child. Child Parent Psychotherapy is a form of play therapy that involves play in every session, using fun and engaging toys, games and activities.
Yet play on it's own might not be enough to support a child's rapid social, emotional and physical development if the child has been through a traumatic or stressful experience. What's best for a child long-term is a strong and secure relationship with a parent who can interpret the child's play expressions and respond in helpful ways. CPP is a unique form of play therapy because it involves the parent or caregiver in every session, and the parent and therapist work together to understand, interpret and validate a child's expressions. A parent is a child's whole world, and the most important person to them. In cases where the child has been traumatized or stressed, the child's #1 need is for their parent to understand and support them. Parents in CPP develop a rich, complex and nuanced understanding of their child, and build their own sensitivity and resilience around talking to their child about the trauma and the stress that the family has been through. The parent helps the child describe their experiences in developmentally appropriate, healthy and accurate ways that help the child actually cope with what they've been through. This makes CPP an unforgettable experience that parents and kids reference and build on for their whole lives.
