Tips for Maximizing Results Using Play Therapy to Heal Trauma

Play therapy offers children and adolescents a powerful way to process trauma through expressive, developmentally appropriate experiences. But meaningful healing doesn’t come from activities alone — even the most creative and well-planned ones.

What truly guides transformation is a clear, theory-informed framework that helps therapists make sense of their client’s experience and determine how best to support their healing. When we ground our work in a strong framework, we’re not just picking interventions — we’re facilitating change with intention, insight, and structure.

In this post, we’ll explore:

Why activities alone are not enough to support trauma healing
How having a framework improves case conceptualization and clinical outcomes
The role of neuroscience and attachment theory in trauma-focused play therapy
How to integrate caregiver involvement into your treatment process

By shifting the focus from activities to frameworks, play therapists can better support children and adolescents in creating lasting, meaningful change.

The Trap: Over-Focusing on Play Therapy Activities

Let’s be honest — we all love learning new play therapy activities. They’re creative, fun, and can be incredibly powerful tools for healing. But here’s the thing...

If your main focus is just finding the “right” activity, you’re likely going to hit a point where you feel stuck, lost, or even like you’re failing.

You know what I’m talking about — those moments where:

Parents are calling you saying things aren’t getting better
You’re second-guessing yourself after every session
You’re exhausted from planning, prepping, and tweaking activities
You wonder if you’re even helping

It’s a slippery slope. You start scrambling to find another activity — and another — hoping the next one will unlock everything. I call this the “spaghetti against the wall” strategy. And it leaves you mentally fried.

The Real Game-Changer? Having a Framework

What actually makes a difference in your work — and your clients’ healing — is using a framework.

Your framework is the play therapy model (or integrated model) that guides you through the entire change process from beginning to end. It helps you figure out:

What’s actually going on with your client (aka case conceptualization)
What stage of the change process you’re in
What to focus on in each stage
When to bring caregivers in — and how
Which strategies fit this client’s needs

Instead of just picking an activity and hoping it works, you're choosing interventions grounded in theory, research, and the needs of your client.

What Exactly Is Case Conceptualization?

This is the part where we put our clinical brain to work — and yes, it’s so worth the effort.

Case conceptualization answers two big questions:

What’s activating the trauma-related behavior or symptoms?
What patterns are sustaining it — both in the child and in their environment (relationships, school, etc.)?

We gather that information from day one — starting with the initial intake — and continue updating it as we move through each phase of therapy. And this is where your theoretical model comes in. Because it shapes how you interpret what’s happening and how you guide the healing process.

Why I Use a Neuroscience + Attachment Lens

When I’m working with children and adolescents who’ve experienced trauma, I love using a neuroscience and attachment lens. Here’s why:

It helps explain why certain behaviors show up the way they do
It accounts for both the sensory and relational aspects of trauma
It aligns with evidence-based practices that actually help rewire the nervous system for healing

We’re talking polyvagal theory, mentalization, interpersonal neurobiology, all the good stuff. This lens helps me ground my case conceptualization and choose strategies that target mind-body integration and emotional regulation.

Using an Integrative Play Therapy Model

I know many of us use an integrative approach, especially with older kids and teens. That just means you're blending two or more models — maybe Child-Centered Play Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or trauma-focused CBT.

Each of these models has its own way of:

Defining the problem
Conceptualizing what’s happening in the brain and body
Guiding the treatment process

And that means when you blend them, you're not just pulling random activities. You're creating a personalized roadmap for each client.

For example:

If I’m using EMDR + polyvagal theory, I’m focusing on regulating the nervous system before doing trauma processing
If I’m integrating TF-CBT + attachment theory, I’m looking at how caregiver relationships impact safety and healing

Caregivers Are Part of the Healing Process Too

One of the biggest questions I always ask is: how can I involve the caregiver? Because trauma healing doesn’t happen in isolation. And if the parent (or foster parent, or relative) is part of the child’s daily environment, then they need to be part of the solution too.

But that can get complicated, right? What if the parent is overwhelmed? What if they don’t believe in your approach? What if they use old-school parenting that contradicts everything you’re working on?

That’s where your model (and your framework!) can help guide you. It shows you how to engage caregivers in the healing process, what their role is, and when they’re ready to participate.

Final Thoughts: Why This Matters

At the end of the day, your ability to help a traumatized child or teen doesn’t come down to having the perfect activity.

It comes down to:

Having a grounded framework
Understanding how trauma impacts the body and brain
Using a theory-informed lens to guide your decisions
Creating a safe therapeutic relationship
And knowing how to bring caregivers into the process

And when you get lost (which we all do), your framework gives you a way to get back on track.

Want More Support? Come to the Training!

If you’re feeling a little lost or just want to refresh your skills and gain clarity, I’ve got a training coming up that’s designed to do exactly that.

Healing Trauma Through Play Therapy: A Neuroscience and Attachment Approach

When: May 17th
Where: Attend live in-person in St. George, Utah or virtually
What you’ll get:

A trauma-informed, neuroscience-and-attachment-based play therapy model
A full framework for navigating each stage of the healing process
Specific strategies and activities that fit your model
Tips for involving parents and caregivers
2 free months in the Play Therapy Elevation Circle membership for ongoing support, consultation, and community

You’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and equipped with tools that actually make a difference.

🔗 Register at RHPlayTherapyTraining.com

Categories: : Case Conceptualization, Neuroscience of attachment, Play Therapy Model, Podcast, Trauma