Jigsaw Play Therapy FAQ's

 During a session, a trained play therapist provides a safe, supportive space with carefully selected toys and materials. The Play Therapist’s role is to enter the child’s world, to follow and track their play, reflecting their feelings and emotions.  

This play is non-directive and child-centred, allowing the child to lead the way in their play and to choose materials and activities as they wish without having to provide verbal explanations. 

The non-directive Play Therapy technique provides a child with confidence and helps them to build trust in their Play Therapist and themselves. 

During play, the child has an opportunity to express deeper thoughts, ideas and wishes which allows the Play Therapist to gain valuable insights into how they experience their world. 

Therefore, through the Play Therapy relationship, the child is able to make sense of their life experiences and to express difficult feelings through their play. 

 While play therapy looks like play, it is guided by a trained therapist with specific therapeutic goals. 

The toys, interactions, and observations are intentionally chosen to support emotional expression, problem-solving, and healing. 

 Yes. Parents and caregivers are an important part of the play therapy process. 

The therapist meets with parents at the beginning of treatment to complete an in-depth assessment of the child and discuss family concerns and goals. 

After every block of six sessions, the therapist meets with parents to provide feedback on the child’s progress and to offer guidance and strategies that parents can use to support their child outside of therapy sessions. 

 Every child is unique, and the length of play therapy varies depending on the child’s needs, goals, and experiences. 

While some children begin to show positive changes within the first few sessions, meaningful and lasting progress often takes time. 

A block of 12 sessions is typically recommended to allow the child to build a trusting relationship with the therapist and to support consistent emotional and behavioral growth. 

Progress is reviewed regularly, and recommendations are adjusted as needed in collaboration with parents. 

 Play therapy is a confidential process designed to create a safe and trusting space for children. 

What a child shares during sessions—through play or words—is kept private, with the exception of situations where there are safety concerns or legal requirements to share information. 

Parents are kept informed about their child’s progress, themes, and overall goals through regular parent meetings, while specific details of play sessions are shared thoughtfully to protect the child’s therapeutic relationship and emotional safety. 

 Play therapy sessions are typically scheduled once per week, at the same time and in the same location, to provide consistency and routine for the child. 

Each session lasts 50 minutes, allowing enough time for meaningful therapeutic work while supporting a sense of predictability and safety.