The Power of Play: How Play Therapy Helps Children Heal and Grow
Children often don’t have the words to express what they’re feeling. Big emotions like fear, sadness, anger, grief, and anxiety can feel overwhelming—especially when a child doesn’t yet have the emotional vocabulary to explain what’s happening inside. This is where play therapy becomes such a powerful and effective tool for healing.
At Sunrise Counseling in Dallas, we believe that play is far more than “just fun.” For children, play is communication. Through toys, games, art, movement, and imagination, children show us their inner world—and with the help of a trained therapist, they learn how to understand their feelings, build coping skills, and grow in confidence.
What Is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a specialized form of counseling that uses play as the primary way children communicate and process emotional experiences. Rather than relying solely on conversation, which can be difficult for young children, play therapy meets kids at their developmental level. A skilled play therapist uses age-appropriate tools—such as dolls, action figures, sand trays, art supplies, board games, and pretend play—to help children safely explore their thoughts and emotions.
In the therapy room, children are given permission to express themselves freely. Over time, patterns emerge in how they play, what themes repeat, and how they interact. These patterns give the therapist valuable insight into what the child may be struggling with and how to best support them.
How Play Therapy Helps Children Heal
Play therapy supports children in many powerful ways:
1. Emotional Expression Without Pressure
Children often act out what they cannot yet explain. Through play, they can express fears, worries, anger, loss, and confusion in a safe and non-threatening way. This reduces emotional buildup and helps prevent behavioral outbursts at home or school.
2. Building Healthy Coping Skills
A therapist gently introduces coping strategies during play—such as deep breathing, problem-solving, calming techniques, and emotional labeling. Over time, children begin to use these skills outside the therapy room.
3. Improving Behavior and Self-Regulation
As children learn to better understand their emotions, big behaviors often decrease. Tantrums, aggression, withdrawal, and defiance can improve as children gain more emotional control.
4. Strengthening Confidence and Self-Esteem
Play therapy helps children feel seen, understood, and valued. As they experience success and mastery in play, their confidence grows—often carrying into school, friendships, and family relationships.
5. Healing from Trauma and Life Transitions
Children who have experienced trauma, grief, divorce, medical procedures, bullying, or sudden changes can use play to process what happened in a safe and supported way. Healing doesn’t always require retelling painful events with words—sometimes it happens through story, art, and imagination.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
How Therapy Supports the Whole Family
While play therapy focuses on the child, its impact extends to the entire family. Parents are often included in parts of the process through parent consultations and skill-building sessions. Families gain:
A better understanding of their child’s emotional needs
Tools to respond calmly and confidently to challenging behaviors
Improved communication and connection at home
Greater peace of mind knowing their child is supported
Therapy is not about “fixing” a child—it’s about empowering the whole family system to grow stronger together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Play Therapy
How do I know if my child needs therapy?
If your child is showing ongoing anxiety, mood changes, frequent meltdowns, school difficulties, sleep issues, regression, or struggles with transitions, therapy may be helpful—even if the concern feels “small.”
What ages benefit from play therapy?
Play therapy is typically used with children ages 3–12, but elements of play-based techniques can be helpful for teens as well.
How long does play therapy take to work?
Every child is different. Some children show improvement in a few weeks, while others benefit from longer-term support. Consistency makes a big difference.
Will I be involved in my child’s therapy?
Yes. Parents are an important part of the process. You may not be in every session, but your therapist will regularly update you and provide guidance for supporting your child at home.
Is play therapy just playing games?
While it may look like simple play on the surface, play therapy is a structured, evidence-based form of treatment guided by trained professionals.
About the Author
Janie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with a deep passion for helping individuals and families heal and grow. A Dallas native, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sociology from University of Texas at Dallas and completed her Master’s degree in Counseling at Texas Tech University.
In addition to her counseling credentials, Janie is a certified Special Education teacher and Dyslexia instructor, and she has advanced training in Complex Trauma therapy. She brings a warm, well-rounded approach to her work, serving adults, couples, families, children, teens, and older adults facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, learning differences, eating disorders, life transitions, and relationship concerns.
Outside of the therapy office, Janie enjoys reading, playing pickleball and golf, and spending time with her family and energetic dog.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If your child is struggling emotionally, behaviorally, or during a difficult life transition, play therapy can be a powerful step toward healing. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
Here’s how to get started:
Reach out for a consultation. Contact our office to discuss your concerns and learn how play therapy can support your child.
Schedule an intake appointment. You’ll meet with a therapist who will listen to your goals and create a personalized plan for your child.
Begin the healing journey. With consistent support with our child therapist, your child can begin building the emotional tools they need to thrive.
At Sunrise Counseling, we are honored to walk alongside families as children heal, grow, and rediscover their joy through play.
Mental Health Services at Sunrise Counseling in Dallas, TX
Sunrise Counseling offers a variety of mental health services in our Dallas TX-based therapy office and offers telehealth therapy to those residing in Texas and Colorado. Mental health services we provide at Sunrise Counseling include: