When parents begin looking for therapy for their child, they often assume therapy will be a long-term commitment. While ongoing therapy can be valuable for many children, not every child or family needs long-term services to benefit from support.
Sometimes families are facing a specific concern, a recent transition, or a challenging season and are looking for focused support within a shorter timeframe. Short-Term Play Therapy (STPT) was developed with these families in mind.
What Is Short-Term Play Therapy?
Short-Term Play Therapy is a structured, time-limited approach to therapy. Rather than creating an open-ended treatment plan, the therapist and family work together to identify a specific number of sessions and develop goals that can realistically be addressed within that timeframe.
The goal is not to solve every problem a child may experience. Instead, the focus is on identifying a few meaningful objectives and helping children and caregivers make progress toward those goals.
At Seattle Play Therapy, the program begins with a consultation to determine whether a brief intervention is an appropriate fit and to develop a treatment plan tailored to the family’s needs and availability.
Why Choose a Short-Term Approach?
It Provides Support During a Difficult Season
Children often experience challenges related to life transitions and stressors, such as:
- Starting school
- Changes in family structure
- A move
- Friendship difficulties
- Grief and loss
- Family stress
- Changes in routine
While these concerns may not always require long-term therapy, they can still benefit from intentional support and guidance.
It Creates a Focused Treatment Plan
Knowing there are a limited number of sessions encourages therapists and families to identify what matters most.
Together, caregivers and therapists develop a focused treatment plan that targets a small number of meaningful goals. This may include observable concerns such as anxiety, emotional outbursts, or behavioral difficulties, while also supporting internal growth such as confidence, emotional awareness, self-regulation, flexibility, or resilience.
It Includes Caregivers in the Process
Research suggests that caregiver involvement can improve outcomes in short-term play therapy. When caregivers better understand their child’s emotional needs and learn ways to respond supportively, change often extends beyond the therapy room.
For this reason, short-term therapy often includes caregiver consultation and support alongside child sessions.
It May Be a Good Fit for Families with Limited Availability
Some families know they can only commit to a specific period of time due to summer schedules, school transitions, work demands, travel plans, or other life circumstances.
A short-term model allows families to access support without needing to commit to an indefinite course of therapy.
Can Meaningful Change Happen in a Short Time?
Research suggests that it can.
A study by Ritzi et. al. (2017) examining intensive short-term Child-Centered Play Therapy found significant improvements in externalizing behaviors based on parent and teacher reports. Another study by Hasemi et. al. (2018) found reductions in ADHD-related symptoms, including hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention difficulties following ten sessions of short-term play therapy.
While every child is different, meaningful progress does not always require years of therapy.
Sometimes a child needs an opportunity to express themselves, strengthen coping skills, experience a safe therapeutic relationship, and help caregivers better understand what is happening beneath the behavior.
Is Short-Term Play Therapy Right for Every Child?
No.
Short-Term Play Therapy is generally most appropriate for children experiencing mild to moderate concerns, recent life transitions, or adjustment-related difficulties. Children with more complex clinical needs, significant safety concerns, or concerns that require a higher level of care may benefit from a more comprehensive treatment approach.
For this reason, all families begin with a consultation to determine whether the program is a good fit.
What If We Decide Long-Term Therapy Is Needed?
Sometimes families complete a short-term program and feel that they have accomplished what they hoped to accomplish. Other times, the therapy process helps clarify that additional support would be beneficial.
If you and your therapist believe that ongoing therapy would be helpful, your therapist will discuss available options and recommendations with you. Depending on therapist availability and clinic capacity, there may or may not be an opportunity to continue services at Seattle Play Therapy. If ongoing services are not available, we will do our best to provide referrals and recommendations for next steps.
The short-term program can serve as a complete intervention in itself or as a starting point that helps families better understand their child’s needs and determine what support may be helpful moving forward.
Taking the First Step
One of the ideas that inspired the development of our Short-Term Play Therapy program is simple: some intervention is often better than no intervention.
Reaching out for support can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re not sure exactly what your child needs or whether therapy is the right fit. Short-Term Play Therapy offers an opportunity to focus on a specific concern, strengthen caregiver understanding, and provide children with a space to express themselves and work through challenges.
While no brief intervention can address every concern, meaningful progress can happen when children and caregivers are given focused support and a clear plan. For some families, Short-Term Play Therapy is all that is needed. For others, it provides a valuable starting point that brings greater clarity about their child’s needs and the next steps forward.
Whether your family is looking for support around a recent transition, a specific behavioral concern, or a difficult season, Short-Term Play Therapy offers a structured way to access meaningful support within a defined period of time.
Please note: STPT is only offered during the Summer months of June-August.
Ritzi, R., Ray, D., Schumann, B. (2017). Intensive short-term child-centered play therapy and externalizing behaviors in children. International Journal of Play Therapy. 26, 33–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pla0000035
Hasemi, M., Banijamali, S. S., Khosravi, Z. (2018). The efficacy of short-term play therapy for children in reducing symptoms of ADHD. World Family Medicine, 16(4), 76-84. DOI: 10.5742/MEWFM.2018.93370
