How long does play therapy take?

The number of play therapy sessions varies for each child and this will be discussed at reviews. Allow at least 6-8 sessions to allow your child to build a rapport with the therapist and adapt to the play room.  The therapist will usually meet with parents/carers at this point to discuss progress.

It is important to remember that children work through their difficulties at their own pace and the therapist supports and respects how each child responds to the process. Often, it may take many weeks to see noticeable changes, and behaviours may become more prominent as the child learns new ways of thinking, understanding and behaving.

Each play therapy session varies in length but usually last about 30 to 50 minutes. Sessions are usually held weekly. Research suggests that it takes an average of 20 play therapy sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred for treatment. Of course, some children may improve much faster while more serious or ongoing problems may take longer to resolve (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002).