Techniques Used in Child Therapy: How Play, Art, and Talk Heal Big Emotions
When parents think of therapy, they often picture someone lying on a couch, talking about their feelings while a therapist nods and takes notes. But child therapy? It looks very different—and that’s by design.
Children aren’t miniature adults. They don’t always have the words to explain what they’re feeling or why they’re struggling. Instead, they express themselves through behavior, imagination, movement, and creative play. That’s why child therapy techniques are carefully adapted to meet kids where they are developmentally.
If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens in child therapy—or how a child therapist helps kids work through big emotions—this post is for you.
Why Therapy for Kids Looks Different Than Therapy for Adults
Adults tend to process emotions by talking them out. Kids, on the other hand, process through doing. That might look like drawing a picture, reenacting a situation with toys, building something with blocks, or making up a story about a character who feels just like they do.
A trained child therapist uses these moments to help children make sense of their experiences, identify their feelings, and build tools for coping—all in ways that feel natural and safe for the child.
That’s why you won’t see a lot of back-and-forth “Tell me about your feelings” conversations, especially with younger kids. Instead, child therapy uses hands-on, creative techniques like play therapy, art, and kid-friendly talk to support emotional healing and growth.
Let’s take a closer look at the most common approaches.
Play Therapy: More Than Just Toys
Play therapy is one of the most well-known child therapy techniques—and for good reason. Play is a child’s first language. Through play, kids work through fears, test out solutions, practice new roles, and tell stories about their inner world without having to put it all into words.
In a play therapy session, the child might:
Use dolls or action figures to act out family dynamics
Create “safe” and “scary” worlds with blocks or figurines
Use sand trays to tell symbolic stories
Play games that build frustration tolerance or cooperation
Use puppets to explore different emotions or perspectives
A skilled child therapist watches and gently guides the process, helping the child express difficult feelings, gain insight, and feel a sense of mastery and safety.
Play therapy is especially effective for children dealing with anxiety, trauma, grief, behavioral challenges, and emotional regulation struggles. It can be especially helpful for kids who have speech and language delays because they don’t need to talk the way they’re expected to most of the time. And while it might look like just playing, what’s really happening is deep, meaningful therapeutic work.
How Art Helps Children Express Themselves
Some kids may not want to talk—or even play—about what’s bothering them. But hand them a crayon, and suddenly the emotions come pouring out.
Art therapy techniques in child therapy might include:
Drawing or painting emotions (like “What does anger look like?”)
Making masks that show different parts of themselves
Creating “worry monsters” and drawing what makes them anxious
Collaging images of safety, strength, or hope
Making comic strips to retell difficult experiences with more control
The goal isn’t to create perfect art—it’s to give kids a nonverbal outlet to explore what’s happening inside. Art can be especially powerful for kids who have experienced trauma, have difficulty accessing verbal language, or simply feel more comfortable expressing themselves visually.
Talking with Kids—On Their Terms
Yes, child therapy does involve talking, but not in the same way you’d expect with adults. A child therapist knows how to structure conversations to be age-appropriate, engaging, and emotionally safe.
Depending on the child’s age and developmental level, talk therapy may include:
Emotion identification games (“Can you show me what ‘frustrated’ looks like?”)
Storytelling (“Let’s make up a story about a kid who had a really hard day at school.”)
Role play (Practicing how to ask a teacher for help or handle a tricky social situation)
Visual tools like feelings charts, comic strips, or problem-solving worksheets
Metaphors and analogies (“Is your worry more like a buzzing bee or a big, heavy rock?”)
By adapting talk therapy to meet kids where they are, therapists can help children name their feelings, learn how their brains and bodies work, and develop skills to manage overwhelming emotions more effectively.
This kind of therapeutic conversation also helps build insight, resilience, and confidence, especially when combined with other expressive techniques.
Creating a Safe and Supportive Child Therapy Space
No child therapy technique matters if the child doesn’t feel safe.
A huge part of the healing process is the relationship your child builds with their therapist. It’s in that relationship—one built on trust, consistency, and unconditional positive regard—that true growth happens. In fact, research shows that the relationship between client and therapist is the single most important factor in therapy being effective.
Child therapists are trained to:
Follow the child’s lead while gently guiding the process
Respect the child’s boundaries while building rapport
Interpret nonverbal cues and symbolic play
Maintain a calm, regulated presence (even when the child is having a hard time)
Support and coach parents in understanding and responding to their child’s needs
The therapy space itself is usually welcoming, warm, and full of tools that support regulation—think sensory items, fidgets, soft lighting, and cozy furniture.
Child Therapy Is Built for the Way Kids Grow
If you’ve ever wondered how therapy helps kids who can’t or won’t talk about their feelings, this is how.
Child therapy techniques are grounded in developmental science, trauma-informed care, and the understanding that kids learn through doing. Whether through play, art, or carefully structured conversation, these methods give children a way to feel seen, heard, and supported.
And when children feel safe enough to show what’s really going on inside? That’s when healing begins.
Looking for a Child Therapist Who Gets It?
If you’re ready to explore whether child therapy is right for your family, Fuzzy Socks Therapy would love to help. I specialize in using developmentally appropriate, neurodivergent-affirming techniques that help kids feel safe, empowered, and understood.
Helping Your Child Heal Through Creative Expression with Child Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ
If your child is struggling with big emotions, they don’t have to face them alone. Through play, art, and talk therapy, they can process their feelings in ways that feel safe and natural. Fuzzy Socks Therapy offers compassionate, developmentally appropriate child therapy in Scottsdale, AZ to support your child’s healing journey. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
Meet with Lianna, child therapist
Begin supporting your child’s healing journey!
Additional Services Offered at Fuzzy Socks Therapy
At Fuzzy Socks Therapy, we offer many services for the whole family. In addition to child therapy, we also offer Discernment Counseling for couples navigating big decisions, neurodivergent therapy, couples therapy, social skills groups tailored for kids and teens, and coaching for parents of neurodivergent children. If you’re curious to learn more about child therapy, take a look at my blog!
