Filial Therapy - Family Play Therapy
A different model to other family therapy interventions
Filial Therapy is a unique and specific therapy that began in the 1960's. It is an evidence-based modality of Child Centered Play Therapy, that is flexible in its approach and involves all members of the family. Filial Therapy, a play-based and relationship-focused treatment approach, provides a model for treating young children in family therapy that is structured and straightforward, and can be learnt in a relatively short amount of time (Topham & VanFleet, 2011). Parents/caregivers are partners in the therapeutic process (VanFleet 2012, Rye 2008). Filial Therapy empowers parents to be the ‘change makers’. Filial Therapy is a relatively short term (10-15 sessions) child and family intervention with long term results. The Filial Therapist, trains, supervises and supports the paret/caregiver to learn and practice 'special' play skills with their child/ren. This supports the whole family system to foster positive, long lasting changes withing their family home and relationships.The skills practiced and mastered in Filial Therapy are transferable into the families everyday living. The overall goal is for the family to shift from negative cycles to positive cycles. To connect and have fun.
Filial Therpay
"Building Strong Families with Play" - VanFleet
How does play in Filial therapy differ from normal play? How does it work?
To practice Filial Therapy, a Play therapists undertakes extended training to use Play Therapy techniques to work with families. Families have special play time in the supervised Filial play sessions, parents/caregivers will play one on one with each of their children for approx. 20 minutes. Each parent/caregiver’s time with their child in uninterrupted and parents will learn to track their child/ren’s feeling, describe the actions taking place, without questioning, teaching or praising – it is a very different but powerful way of playing and engaging with your child/ren. You will also learn and have lots of practice with a new way of limit setting, and providing safe and secure boundaries during the play sessions. Evidence shows that Filial Therapy can:
Increase parent’s acceptance, self-esteem and empathy. Whilst decreasing their levels of stress and conflict in the home. (Athanasio & Gunning,1999)
Create positive change and harmony within family relationships and the overall family environment.
Improve child/ren’s behavior, emotional regulation and self-esteem (Rennie & Landreth, 2000)
Do all children in the family attend
Filial Therapy supports all children in the family to include infants and teenagers. The Filial Therapy sequence is structured to focus on the relationship between the child/ren and parent not the child/ren and therapist. It empowers parents to be the ‘change makers’. Through open discussion and goal setting, viewing demonstrated play sessions, receiving skills training, supervised play times and supported feedback, parents play times shift to ones that convey acceptance, encouragement and empathy (Ginsberg, 2012). The skills practiced and mastered in Filial Therapy are transferable into the families everyday living. The overall goal is for the family to shift from negative cycles to positive cycles. To connect and have fun.
My family system is not the 'usual' set up, can we still do Filial Therapy?
Filial Therapy research has shown it’s effective for: nuclear, blended and adoptive Families. Foster, Kinship, Extended and single parent families. To also include families of different cultures and ethnicities (Rye, 2008; Bratton & Landreth, 1995). Filial Therapy is flexible and accommodating to the various needs of all families. All that is required is a commitment from the parents/caregivers. Some sessions can be recorded for parents who have to work, zoom is another option offered as to are home visits.
Filial Therapy
Evidence & Research links
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Mandal Play Therapy uses the VanFleet model of Filial Therapy. Further information can be obtained from the below recommended book:
-VanFleet, R. Parent’s Handbook of Filial Therapy. 2nd Ed. Boiling Springs USA: Play Therapy Press; 2012.
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links to further support Filial Therapy as a preferred family intervention can be found at:
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https://doi.org/10.1375/ANFT.32.2.144
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697
https://doi.org/10.1080/01926180601057671
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0089142
https://doi.org/10.107/h0089408
http://evidencebasedchildtherapy.com/meta-analysesreviews/
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Link below to Evidence-Based Practice Statement: Play Therapy