Why Do You Play With Kids? Using Play Therapy Interventions at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis
One of the most common questions we get from parents at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is:
“Why do you play in therapy?”
We get it! You can see that your child is struggling and you are looking for the best therapist for them. You’re investing your time, energy and resources into therapy for your child, you want to make sure it's working. If your child is telling you, “We just played Uno,” it can be hard to understand what’s really going on and how it’s supposed to help your child.
But here’s the thing: play is the work of childhood. And when used intentionally, play can be a powerful tool for healing, growth, and emotional regulation.
Image Credit: Unsplash Vitaly Gariev @silverkblack
The Therapeutic Power of Play in Child Therapy
When kids struggle with anxiety, anger, big emotions, or trauma, they often can’t explain what’s wrong. But through play, they show us.
Play gives us a window into your child’s world. It gives your child the tools to express their emotions, develop self-awareness, and build coping strategies - without needing to put it all into words.
In child therapy, we use play to:
Build a trusting relationship between the therapist and child
Increase emotional awareness by identifying and naming feelings
Practice problem-solving in a safe and structured way
Develop self-nurturing and calming skills
Strengthen attachment and security
Increase frustration tolerance
Enhance self-esteem and sense of personal strengths
When your child plays with the therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, they’re not just playing, they’re building critical emotional muscles.
Using Play in Anxiety Therapy
When kids, teens, and college students experience anxiety, their minds often jump right to “what ifs” like what if I mess up, what if I get in trouble, what if everyone laughs at me? Play therapy helps them disconnect with future-focused fear and move into and stay in the present moment.
Games like Uno are one of our go-to therapy tools. Playing Uno therapeutically helps:
Keep kids grounded in the here and now
Observe and support their emotional reactions to stress, mistakes, and rule changes
Practice flexibility and coping with losing or making an error
Teach and reinforce CBT and mindfulness strategies through play
You can read more about how we use Uno in therapy at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis here: UNO Therapy Tools
Using Play in Sessions
Play is intentional in therapy. Compassionate Counseling St. Louis therapists adjust the game or activity to your child’s emotional needs and therapeutic goals.
For example:
A child struggling with perfectionism may benefit from a messy, creative art activity where there’s no “right way” to do it.
A teen dealing with anger and anxiety may benefit from collaborative storytelling or role play to practice calming down and solving conflicts.
A child with separation anxiety may engage in pretend play that reenacts goodbye scenes, helping them work through fears safely and gradually.
We also use play to gently teach coping skills, like deep breathing, grounding, or cognitive reframing, in ways that feel fun.
Why Parents Sometimes Wonder, “Are We Just Playing?”
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I paying for therapy if they’re just playing?” you’re not alone. You play all the time with your kid at home, but here’s what we want you to know:
Play is your child’s language and their processing tool.
Therapists are trained to observe, engage, and guide the play with intention.
Every session has a purpose, even if it looks different from a traditional talk therapy session.
We track outcomes and tailor therapy to what actually helps your child grow.
And we can also help you play more intentionally with your child through our parent coaching program.
Support for Parents is Here!
At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis we know that parenting can be the best job, but also one of the hardest! Our parent coaching program was developed to help you target the skills you feel like you need most! Reach out today to get the support you deserve.
Want to Learn More?
At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, we specialize in helping anxious, angry, and overwhelmed kids (starting at age 3), teens, and young adults.
If your child struggles to open up or manage their emotions, we’d love to help.
Learn more about our child therapy services at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis by requesting a free consult today.
Curious to learn more about play therapy for anxiety and anxiety-driven anger? Reach out to us at hello@compassionatecounselingstl.com. As child anxiety experts, we love working with kids, teens, college students and parents to help manage their anxiety, stress, and anger. Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is located in Clayton, MO and works with families throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Couer, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. We also provide online therapy Missouri wide to teens and college students. You can set up your first free consult on this website, on our consultation page.
