Healing Trauma Through Play: The Power of Child-Centered Play Therapy
How play becomes a path to healing during Child Abuse Prevention Month
Written by: Holly Dudley
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month—a time to raise awareness, extend support, and highlight the ways we can help children heal from trauma. Whether a child has faced abuse, neglect, loss, or ongoing stress, these experiences can profoundly shape their emotional world. Healing begins when children are offered a safe, developmentally appropriate space to process what they’ve been through. That’s the heart of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)—providing children with the internal resources they need to make sense of their experiences and begin the journey toward healing.
Trauma in Childhood: What We May Not See
Childhood trauma doesn’t always leave visible scars. It can show up as meltdowns, hyper-vigilance, aggression, anxiety, or withdrawal. Sometimes, it looks like a child who’s “too much,” and other times, like one who’s silently hurting. For young children especially, recovering from trauma can be overwhelming—because they often lack the words, understanding, or self-regulation to process what happened.
That’s where Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) comes in.
In Child Centered Play Therapy:
The child leads the play, choosing how and what to explore
The therapist provides empathy, unconditional positive regard, and emotional reflection
The play becomes the child’s language for healing
It’s not about asking kids to “talk about the trauma.” It’s about creating a safe space where healing can unfold naturally—through metaphor, creativity, and connection.
Why it Works: The Research Behind CCPT and Trauma
The healing power of play isn’t just intuitive—it's evidence based.
Over the last decade, multiple studies and meta-analyses have shown that CCPT is highly effective for children recovering from trauma. It’s associated with measurable decreases in:
Post traumatic stress symptoms
Anxiety and emotional dysregulation
Aggressive or withdrawn behaviors
(Pester et. al 2019) Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) has consistently shown powerful results in helping children recover from trauma. In a 2019 meta-analysis, Pester, Lenz, and Dell’Aquila found that children who participated in CCPT experienced meaningful reductions in trauma symptoms and emotional distress—demonstrating the therapy’s ability to support healing in real and lasting ways.
(Parker et. al 2021) A 2021 meta-analysis by Parker and colleagues found that CCPT led to significant improvements in behavioral challenges, many of which are deeply rooted in early adverse experiences. These findings further affirm that play is not just a universal language for children, it’s also a powerful tool for trauma recovery.
(Anderson et. al 2023) Across countries and cultures, play remains a universal language. This shared language is not only instinctive but also deeply therapeutic. The widespread use of play-based interventions around the world reflects the power of play to connect, heal, and nurture across diverse backgrounds and experiences. Research continues to show that play is essential to psychosocial development, especially for children impacted by trauma and adversity. Anderson, Long, and Parker (2023) highlight that play-based interventions promote safety, resilience, and learning by helping children regulate emotions, build relationships, and regain a sense of control. Child-Centered Play Therapy taps into this universal medium, offering children a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive way to process difficult experiences, rebuild trust, and move toward healing, no matter where they are in the world.
(Ray et. al 2015) A 2015 review and meta analysis by Ray and colleagues examined CCPT in schools and found consistent, significant improvements in children’s emotional and behavioral functioning. Reinforcing its effectiveness as a developmentally appropriate intervention.
What Does Healing Look Like?
Healing isn’t linear, especially when there is trauma involved. But with the safety and consistency of the playroom (and play therapist), children begin to trust again—first in the playroom and in the relationship with the therapist, and eventually in themselves.
One small moment in the playroom can unlock big moments of healing:
A puppet who finds their voice
A sand tray that turns chaos into calm
A tower that stands tall again after being knocked down
These moments matter, and they’re often the start of something transformative.
Raising Hope
As we raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month, let’s also raise hope. Children are incredibly resilient. When they are given safe relationships and the space to process what they’ve been through, they can heal. Child Centered Play Therapy helps make that possible. It gives children the opportunity to be seen, heard, and supported—without forcing them to relive their trauma or “talk it through”.
If you know a child who is struggling, you don’t have to figure it out alone. A Registered Play Therapist (RPT) can walk alongside your child—and you—with compassion and evidence-based expertise.
References
Anderson, K., Long, S., & Parker, M. (2023). Promoting psychosocial wellbeing through the power of play unlocking children’s full potential for learning and life. Right to Play. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29150.00324.
Parker, M. M., Hunnicutt Hollenbaugh, K. M., & Kelly, C. T. (2021). Exploring the impact of child-centered play therapy for children exhibiting behavioral problems: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(4), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000128
Pester, D., Lenz, A. S., & Dell'Aquila, J. (2019). Meta-analysis of single-case evaluations of child-centered play therapy for treating mental health symptoms. International Journal of Play Therapy, 28(3), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000098
Ray, D. C., Armstrong, S. A., Balkin, R. S., & Jayne, K. M. (2015). Child‐centered play therapy in the schools: Review and meta‐analysis. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 107–123. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21798
