“You have started taking me to therapy. You said I get to play with a grown-up whose job it is to play with kids. I’m not totally sure what that means, but you seem a little nervous, so I thought I’d tell you what it’s like from my side of the door.” —Your kid (or any of the amazing kids I see in my Littleton, CO playroom)

Play therapy can feel mysterious, especially when your child can’t (or won’t) tell you what’s going on. Maybe you’re worried they won’t participate. Maybe you’re wondering what a playroom has to do with big emotions, tricky behaviors, or the “baffling” stuff that seems to happen out of nowhere.

This post is here to walk you through what really happens in play therapy, from the inside out. And yes, your child has something to say about it, too.