The Role of Play in CBT with Children

CBT therapists work hard and play hard—at the same time. To achieve their therapeutic goals, child therapists using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) apply the following two core principals: 1) Children benefit from experiential CBT.  This approach exposes a child to a new experience, game, or interaction that brings up new ways of reasoning and feeling about themselves or new situations. 2) For the therapist, play is a particularly effective intervention, laden with creativity and flexibility. As a therapist determines why certain games or activities shape a child’s responses, play becomes an important piece of testing predictions and assessing evidence.

Read the full article here: The Role of Play in CBT with Children | Beck Institute Blog