If you are a parent in San Jose wondering whether play therapy is right for your child, this post is for you.
I'm Hannah Ly, a play therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist in San Jose, CA.
Finding the right support for a child who is struggling emotionally or with their behavior can feel overwhelming. If that is where you are, it makes sense.
Many parents are curious about pediatric play therapy but aren’t sure what it involves or whether it would suit their child.
So, what exactly is play therapy?
It is therapy that lets children express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences through play, with a trained therapist, in a room built for kids.
It can help a lot for kids who struggle to put their emotions into words.
As a therapist who focuses on child therapy, I want to help you understand how play therapy can support your child's emotional growth and healing.
A lot of parents worry about bringing their kids into a sterile therapy office, which can feel intimidating for the child and the whole family.
Play therapy happens in a relaxed, kid-friendly playroom where your child can feel comfortable and free to be themselves.
Your child won’t be sitting across a desk from someone. They’ll be playing, and the play is the therapy.
Below, I’ll walk through how play therapy can help with struggles like anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, and even trauma.
As a trained child therapist, I hear the same myths about play therapy over and over, so I want to clear them up and help you make a decision that feels right for your family.
And asking about therapy doesn’t mean you’ve failed your child.
The best parents ask for help.
Myth 1: Play Therapy is Just Play; It's Not Real Therapy
One of the most common myths about play therapy is that it is just playtime.
Play is at the center of it, because play is a child’s main way of communication and emotional expression.
Child therapists know that children often can’t explain their feelings and experiences with words alone, and that is where play therapy comes in.
Through play, children can show their emotions in a way that feels natural to them.
Play therapists use specific techniques, like
- Sand tray therapy (children build scenes with miniature figures in a sandbox)
- Art therapy (drawing or painting their feelings)
- Narrative play therapy (using stories to process what happened)
These help child therapists guide children as they explore their emotions and find healthier ways to cope.
What a child does in the playroom gives child therapists a window into the child’s inner world, which is where emotional healing and growth start.
Myth 2: Only Children With Severe Issues Need Play Therapy
Many people mistakenly believe that play therapy is only for children with severe emotional or behavioral difficulties. That misses most of the children play therapy can help.
Play therapy can help with a lot of everyday struggles, including
- Anxiety
- Family changes like divorce or relocation
- School bullying
- The aftermath of trauma
Play therapy helps children build emotional resilience, find coping strategies, and practice social skills, whether their struggles are big or small.
During play therapy sessions, child therapists encourage children to express themselves through play, their first language. That lets them show their feelings and experiences in a way that feels safe.
Therapists watch the child’s play patterns and how they interact, and that tells them a lot about what the child is feeling and thinking.
Play therapy also helps with big life transitions, like changing schools or losing a loved one, by giving children a secure place to process their emotions and work through the changes.
Because it centers on each child’s own experience, play therapy supports healing and growth, and it can help children face hard things with more confidence.
Child therapists guide this process, and their training is what makes the playroom feel safe enough for that growth to happen.
Myth 3: Parents Are Not Involved in the Process with Play Therapy
Another common myth is that parents have to stay on the sidelines during play therapy, left out of what happens. But in my child therapy practice here in San Jose, I emphasize a collaborative approach that involves parents at every step.
Through parent coaching, parents get to understand what we are doing in therapy and why. That can include
- Regular updates about the child’s progress
- Joint sessions where parents can observe and participate
- Specific guidance on how to support their child at home
I also use dyadic parent-child interactions in child therapy, where the parent and child work together in session.
This strengthens their bond, and it helps parents practice responding to what their child is needing in the moment. Practicing in session gives parents a clearer picture of their child’s behavior and emotional responses, which makes it easier to support them at home.
When parents have strategies that work for their family, what happens in therapy carries over into daily life. Children don’t grow up in a vacuum, so parent involvement is a big part of therapy. It is how the emotional and social growth from the playroom makes it home.
Myth 4: Play Therapy is a Quick Fix
Yes, play therapy can make a real difference for a child, but it’s not a quick fix.
Play Therapy takes time, patience, and a strong commitment from both the child therapist and the family.
This is especially true for children dealing with trauma, attachment issues, or special situations such as adoption, foster care, or divorce.
Every child moves at their own pace. Some show changes quickly, while others take longer to open up and engage, especially if they have had disruptions in their early relationships.
For children with a history of trauma or attachment challenges, building trust can take time, and therapy has to be shaped around what they have been through.
The goal of play therapy is lasting change in a child’s behavior and emotional health, not a temporary fix.
That means building a safe and trusting relationship where children can express themselves freely, work through their feelings, and slowly develop healthier ways to cope.
By taking each child’s whole story into account, child therapists can help with deeper healing and connection, which makes room for emotional resilience, better communication, and positive changes in behavior.
Myth 5: Play Therapy is Not as Effective as Traditional Talk Therapy
Some people assume that play therapy is less effective than talk therapy, even for children.
In fact, play therapy can be far more effective for young children, whose brains are still developing and who may not be ready for talk therapy yet.
It uses play, a child’s first language, so they can express their thoughts and feelings in a way that feels safe and instinctive.
Play therapy offers a developmentally appropriate way to address children's emotional and psychological issues. It gives them room to explore their feelings and experiences without the pressure of adult expectations.
In contrast, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions can sometimes feel dull or disengaging for kids. This can make it challenging for them to connect with the material.
It makes sense to want to avoid bringing your child to sessions that feel intimidating to them.
Fortunately, child therapists who specialize in play therapy make therapy something kids actually want to come to, with a lot of fun and engagement built in.
Through imaginative play and creative activities, these therapists help children work through what is hard in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.
Over time, this can lead to real breakthroughs for your child, emotionally and socially, without the resistance that often comes with sitting in a chair and talking.
Choose a Pediatric Play Therapist in San Jose: Get Started Today
To pull it together:
- play therapy is real therapy
- it isn’t only for severe problems
- it includes parents
- it takes time
Most of these myths come from the same place. It looks like play, so it is easy to assume not much is happening.
But play therapy is aimed at lasting change in a child’s emotional health, and the play is the therapy.
For children who can’t yet put their feelings into words, play therapy is often a better fit than talk therapy, not a lesser one.
With room to express themselves and approaches that fit their age, children can work with child therapists toward healthier ways of coping and positive changes in behavior.
I have worked with children since 2012, and today I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in play therapy for children and adolescents in the San Jose area. My training in different play therapy techniques helps me build a playroom where children feel safe enough to express themselves.
Working with kids is what I have done, in one form or another, for most of my life, and helping them through emotional, behavioral, and social struggles is what I love.
As a child therapist, I believe therapy should be shaped around each child. If you are considering play therapy for your child, that is a thoughtful step. We are glad to answer your questions and help you figure out what your family is needing.
If you want to learn more about how play therapy could help your child, I’m happy to talk. Together, we can figure out the best next step for your child.
We start with a free 15-minute consultation, where we can talk about play therapy, parent coaching, and how we can support your family. Schedule your call whenever you are ready.
About the Author: Hannah Ly, Pediatric Play Therapist
Hannah Ly is a pediatric play therapist based in San Jose who works with children and teens struggling with big feelings and hard behavior. Play is how she connects with her young clients, and it is how they show her what they can’t yet say. As a child therapist in San Jose, she shapes therapy around each child and what they are needing. Hannah also offers parent coaching for families going through trauma and stress, because parents need support too. She works with older kids as a teen therapist, and she loves helping kids of every age be seen for who they are.
