What Is Filial Therapy?
What Is Filial Therapy?
Filial Therapy is an intervention whereby a Play Therapist trains and supervises parents/carers to enable them to have special therapeutic play time sessions with their children at home. There is a strong evidence base for both the short-term and long-term effectiveness of Filial Therapy. The benefits of Filial Therapy and the difficulties it can help with are comparable to those of Play Therapy. Generally speaking, Filial Therapy can be effective for children between the ages of 3-12 years, though it can be adapted for older children.
The additional benefit of having the parents/carers working with their own children is that it can directly improve their attachment relationships with each other. It is heavily recommended that all children in the family receive special therapeutic play sessions with their parents/carers - not just the child who is the focus of concern at the point of referral. It is heavily recommended that both parents complete Filial Therapy work, where possible and appropriate.
A Flexible Model
Filial Therapy can be used as a first response intervention; to strengthen families both as a preventative measure or in response to a specific issue. Filial Therapy would also be considered to be an effective follow on step from a child’s individual therapy; strengthening their attachment with their parents/carers and also to enhancing parents/carers’ capacity to respond to their children. Filial Therapy can be used as a small group intervention model. Research indicates that Filial Therapy has a high satisfaction rate from parents who report that their skills, understanding and empathy for their child improves alongside a decrease in their own stress levels.
Filial Therapy Sessions
There are times when it would not be appropriate to start Filial Therapy:
The child remains at risk of harm.
The parents/carers are the perpetrators of abuse towards the child (whether physical, emotional, sexual or neglect).
The parents/carers are not able to prioritise the child's needs due to their own emotional health and lack an effective support network around them.
The parents/carers do not have the cognitive capacity to learn and implement the necessary skills.
The child's environment is in a period of transition, i.e. moving school, house, care givers.
Filial Therapy Sessions
Filial Therapy usually takes about 20-25 sessions to complete, though it can sometimes be extended up to 30 sessions in more complex circumstances. Filial Therapy is split into five distinct phases:
Engagement and Assessment. This includes an observation of the family playing together and a play session demonstration by the Filial Therapist
Parents/carers receive 1:1 psycho-educational tuition and role play practice experience, with the Filial Therapist, in the four key therapeutic skill areas (Empathic Listening, Child-Centred Play, Limit Setting and Structuring). Dependent of the views and needs of the parents/carers and referrer, these sessions can take place in a formal setting or at home.
Parents/carers then complete special play sessions with their child under the supervision of the Filial Therapist. Again, these sessions could take place in a formal setting or at home
Parents/carers then complete independent special play sessions with their child at home. The video recordings of this with the Filial Therapist in supervision sessions to highlight areas of strength and reflect on areas which could be enhanced
Ending. The skills that are learned in Filial Therapy are transferable and it will be important to help the parents/carers to focus on how they can use their new ways of responding to their children in a variety of day to day situations. Often this occurs naturally during the process but is specifically focused on towards the end.