Description
Working with parents and caregivers can be one of the most rewarding—and also one of the most challenging—aspects of play therapy practice. Many therapists feel confident in the playroom, yet less certain when it comes to engaging, communicating, and collaborating with the adults around the child. This 4-session Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course is designed to strengthen knowledge, skills, and confidence in working effectively and therapeutically with parents and caregivers to enhance outcomes for children.
This course explores the essential role that parents and caregivers play in supporting a child’s therapeutic journey. Drawing on attachment theory, systemic thinking, trauma-informed practice, and reflective approaches, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how parental relationships and dynamics influence the therapeutic process. The training will also focus on building strong, collaborative alliances with parents, even in the presence of anxiety, difference, or relational complexity.
Across the four sessions, participants will engage in reflective practice and develop practical strategies for communication, engagement, and collaboration. The course will explore both the opportunities and challenges that arise when working with parents, including managing difficult dynamics, navigating differing expectations, and maintaining professional boundaries. Emphasis will be placed on developing a thoughtful, confident, and ethically grounded approach that supports meaningful change for children through strengthened parental involvement.
Course Aims
To deepen understanding of the role parents and caregivers play in supporting therapeutic outcomes for children.
To apply key theoretical models to parent–therapist engagement and systemic practice.
To build practical skills for communication, collaboration, and alliance-building with parents and caregivers.
To equip therapists to navigate complex parent–therapist dynamics with confidence, ethics, and sensitivity.
To develop a reflective, systemic, and trauma-informed approach to working with families.
Course Structure
Session 1: Attachment, Parenting Styles and the Role of Parents in Play Therapy
Exploring attachment theory, relational patterns, and how parenting styles influence the therapeutic process and the child’s presentation in the playroom.
Session 2: Communication and Engagement Strategies
Developing confidence in communicating with parents, building therapeutic alliances, and fostering engagement even in challenging circumstances.
Session 3: Challenges and Complexities
Working with resistance, conflict, differing expectations, safeguarding concerns, and emotionally charged parent–therapist dynamics.
Session 4: Supporting Change Through Parental Involvement
Understanding how change is sustained through caregivers, and how to support reflection, emotional insight, and relational shifts at home.
