Filial Therapy
When a child is struggling — with big emotions, behaviour, or changes at home — parents often feel pulled in many directions. You want to help, but it can be hard to know what to say, what to do, or how to stay close when your child seems distant. Filial Therapy recognises something powerful: parents are central to your child’s emotional world, and the relationship itself can be a path to healing.
Parents as the agents of change
Filial Therapy is a parent-focused approach in which parents become the primary agents of therapeutic change. Rather than the child attending sessions alone with a therapist, the work is centred on you — the parent or caregiver.
In Filial Therapy, you are equipped with essential therapeutic play skills that you can use at home in regular, intentional playtimes with your child. These playtimes become a space for connection, attunement, and emotional repair.
The work is rooted in the belief that the parent–child relationship is one of the most powerful forces for change in a child’s life.
What the work looks like
The journey typically unfolds in several phases:
1. Learning the skills Over the first few sessions, you will learn a structured set of therapeutic play skills — including reflecting feelings, setting limits, returning responsibility, and following your child’s lead during special playtimes.
2. Practising at home You set aside regular, brief playtimes with your child where you practise these skills. This becomes a deeply attuned space for connection.
3. Bringing it into everyday life Over time, the skills become part of your everyday interactions — not just in special playtimes, but in moments of conflict, transition, and emotional challenge.
4. Reflecting and growing Throughout the work, we meet to reflect on what’s working, what’s hard, and how your relationship is shifting.
Who it can help
Filial Therapy is well-suited for families where:
- Your child is experiencing emotional or behavioural challenges
- You want to feel closer to your child but aren’t sure how
- Previous approaches haven’t felt right, or you want to be more involved
- There’s been a rupture in the relationship — through separation, loss, conflict, or other changes
- You want to be the steady, attuned presence your child needs
What it supports
Filial Therapy helps families develop:
- Connection — feeling closer and more attuned to each other
- Understanding — recognising what your child is communicating through their behaviour
- Repair — moving through conflict with greater ease
- Confidence — trusting your own capacity as a parent
- Lasting change — skills that stay with you long after the work ends
A note on commitment
Filial Therapy asks something of parents — your time, your willingness to learn, and your openness to growing alongside your child. Many parents find the work deeply meaningful, both for their child and for their own growth as a parent.