Filial Therapy
"Birds fly, fish swim and children play" (Landreth)
What is Filial Therapy?
The word ‘Filial’ is Latin for ‘son or daughter’ and Filial Therapy may also be known as Child-Parent Relationship Therapy. Filial Therapy provides the significant adults in a child’s life (parents, foster carers, educators) with training in basic play therapy techniques so they can use these techniques with the children they care for.
With the support of a qualified Play Therapist, Filial Therapy empowers significant adults to become the therapeutic agents of change for a child. The Play Therapist provides training in the method, as well as ongoing supervision and guidance while families begin to navigate and resolve challenges.
The focus of Filial Therapy is the relationship between the adult and the child and is an intervention that can be delivered in an array of contexts including home, OOHC and education.
HOW DOES FILIAL THERAPY WORK?
Filial Therapy involves several stages. A Play Therapist will usually conduct an initial intake and assessment of the family. The Play Therapist may take some time to observe family interactions. Then, the Play Therapist will demonstrate the play therapy techniques and train the adults in basic play therapy skills over the course of a few sessions. After that, the Play Therapist provides direct supervision as the adults conduct sessions with the children. The 1:1 adult/child sessions will then begin and for the duration of the intervention, the Play Therapist provides ongoing support and addresses any challenges that may arise.
IS FILIAL THERAPY EFFECTIVE?
Filial Therapy is an evidence-based treatment that has been well researched. The research shows that Filial Therapy can benefit both adults and children by facilitating improved relationships. This then often leads to marked improvement in behavioural and psychosocial challenges that children and families may have been experiencing. Filial Therapy may also be effective in the prevention of future difficulties, as it addresses problems within the system and gives adults the tools that they can use to more effectively respond to their children. Filial Therapy may even be more beneficial than traditional play therapy, as it is often possible to see positive results in fewer sessions.
ISSUES TREATED WITH FILIAL THERAPY
Filial Therapy was initially designed to treat children experiencing social, emotional, or behavioural concerns and is used today to treat a wide range of childhood issues.
WHY FILIAL THERAPY?
Filial Therapy aims to both empower parents/teachers/carers and improve the relationship between the child and their significant adult. Over the course of Filial Therapy, the adult has the opportunity to learn a variety of methods for engaging the child while still maintaining limits.
Why Filial Therapy?
Filial Therapy can assist with social, emotional or behavioural struggles related to a wide range of childhood challenges including:
- Aggressive behaviours
- Attachment concerns
- Childhood trauma
- Inattention and hyperactivity
- Separation anxiety or anxious behaviours
- Chronic Illness or disability diagnosis
- Concerns related to foster care or adoption
- Oppositional behaviours
What To Expect:
Like learning any new skill, Filial Therapy requires time & dedication. Your Play Therapist will support you by:
- Observation and Demonstration
- Teaching of skills and techniques
- Supervision
- Mentoring
- Positive changes in the adult-child relationship
- Improvements in behavioural challenges