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Online child play therapy is very much like traditional in-person counseling for children. Your child will use expressive toys and drawing items to help in the therapeutic process. Your child's therapist may implement age appropriate online games and digital sandtray therapy sites as treatment interventions.
Your therapist will be able to work with just about any kinds of toys that your child already has. Here are some general ideas: ​
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Small blanket to outline the special play therapy area
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A few toys that support pretend play
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Paper/or something appropriate for drawing
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Magic sand, floam, or playdough
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Crayons or colored pencils
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Scissors (depends on child's age and ability to use safely)
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Gluestick (depends on child's age)
This will highly depend on your child's age and development. For the most part, caregivers will have high participation for children under 4-years-old.
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Caregiver uses therapeutic play while the therapist becomes a coach - Your child's therapist will help you set up the room for the session. You will be fully engaged with your child's play with the therapist guiding the caregiver to follow the child's therapeutic needs. This is not only highly effective for really, young children, this method drastically increases the parent-child relationship and gives you child the most opportunities to feel understood by you. - That's what we all want, to feel understood.
For children around 5 and older, you may be able to help set up the room, and then simply relocate to somewhere else in your home. Keep your phone near you so the therapist can text when your presence is needed.
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Caregiver stays in the home to maintain safety, tech support, and appropriate supervision - This will give your child privacy as would happen in traditional in-person therapy. To determine what is best for your child, you would work with your child's therapist.
