Filial Family Therapy
Filial Therapy is a recognised evidence-based therapeutic approach that blends non-directive play therapy with family therapy to enhance relationships, build healthy attachments, and prevent family disruptions. This method offers a more direct and efficient way to address challenging child-parent dynamics and related behavioural and emotional issues.
Filial therapy is a form of family therapy. It is based on psycho-educational model of service delivery. Filial Therapy is evidence based and summary of meta-analytic findings can be found here. (15)
Filial Therapy integrative form of therapy where play therapists train and supervise parents or carers as they perform non-directive play sessions with their own kids. After supervised session the therapist provides feedback to the parents or carers to help them to develop competence and confidence. Once parents obtain solid skills, therapists help to transition play session to their home. (15)
“In filial therapy, parents become the primary change agents as they learn to conduct child-centered play sessions with their own children.”
Benefits of Filial Family Therapy:
Reduce or eliminate the presenting problem
Strengthen the parent-child relationships and attachment
Improve the family's communication skills
Improve the family's coping skills
Improve the family's overall psychosocial adjustment
Transfer the filial/parenting skills to daily life
Improve the capacity of the family to have fun together
Provide tools that can be used in the future