Directive and Non-Directive approaches Written by Amy Baillie, Synergetic Play Therapist / Children’s Counsellor / Parent Coach
All play therapy modalities focus on understanding how children use play as part of their communication, However, it can be delivered in a range of formats that aim to target the specific needs of your child. Some of these approaches are therapist driven, often referred to as directive approaches. Other approaches are child lead often referred to as non-directive approaches. Which approach is chosen may depend on the needs of the child and the training and expertise of the therapist. As a parent, you may be curious about what the differences are.
Directive Play Therapies
At Core Kids Therapy some of our therapist practice from the following directive approaches:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Theraplay
In a directive play session the therapist takes control and, through consideration of the child and their perceived, needs, offers play activities and experiences to the child that they feel will help the child work on the specific challenge. An example of this would be a child who is seen as needing to expand their ability to name and identify emotions so the therapist brings in a game of emotions Uno where the child is encouraged, in a playful way, to work on naming and identifying emotions with the help of the therapist.
Directive approaches can feel comfortable to some parents as they are familiar with the “look” of the approach. They may already have experienced directive approaches through school or engagement in Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy. It can often feel as if there is a clear pathway between how a specific activity works to meet a behavioural goal.
What it may look like
In a directive session a child may enter a room with minimal toys and distractions. In directive therapies the therapist often brings in only the toys and games that they need for the session. The therapist explains the guidelines of an activity before they try it together. The therapist uses a range of statements and questions to help the child explore the concepts they are working on through the play. In directive approaches parents and child may be asked to continue practicing with a particular game at home after session to help support newly worked on concepts.
Non-Directive Therapies
At Core Kids most of our therapists are able to work with children using a non-directive approach. The most common of these is called:
Child Centred Play Therapy
In non-directive sessions the child decides on what they want to play and how they wish to engage with the therapist. In a non-directive play session the therapist trusts that the child, whether consciously or unconsciously, will direct them or show them what the most pressing issues and challenges are for them and how they wish to work on it by how they play.
Non-directive interventions are a child lead approach and can often bring up complexities of emotion in experience that are individual or unique to a particular child’s experience.
It gives the child a voice in explaining exactly what they are struggling with and what support they need to help them get through it.
What Would A Non-Directive session look like?
The child enters a space where the therapists offers access to a wide range of toys that encourage expression. Common types of toys include:
- Costumes and puppets
- Arts and crafts
- Sand
- Dolls and Doll house
- Medical kit
- Pretend food and tea sets
- Army’s or soldiers
- Swords and weapons
- Blocks and construction
- Balls and game
- Bop bag
The child has permission to access and utilise the toys in almost any way that they wish, allowing for the largest range of expression. The therapist follows the play of the child and joins in as directed by the child. They engage in the play with the child in a therapeutic way, reflecting, encouraging and responding to the child creating a safe relationship and a safe space for exploration.
As the child leads the play and shows their experience to the therapist, the therapist is able to respond therapeutically to the child’s specific expressions. Through the way that they “play alongside the child, the comments they make in play, the actions they do, the therapist incorporates aspects that assist the child to grow in their social and emotional abilities and towards their goals.
Combined approaches
Some approaches purposefully combine both directive and child lead Elements. Examples of several offered by Core Kids therapy include:
These approaches may be used when the therapist feels both directive and non-directive elements will support the greatest growth in the child.
Similarly, your therapist may choose to use an integrative approach of both directive and non-directive activities depending on the goals for an individual session or what their clinical judgement suggests is right for your child in that moment.
Directive and non-directive play sessions may look very different but each has the ability to help your child work towards conquering the challenges they are facing. They both can build skills in areas such as emotional language, strategies for regulation and supporting your child to explore any struggles they are facing.
Your therapist will speak with you about the approach they feel is best for your child and any changes to their treatment plan as they move through their play therapy journey.
To find out more, please contact us.