Understanding Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is an evidence-based approach that helps children explore their emotions, resolve conflicts, and build overall well-being—through the power of play. In this blog, we’ll break down the core principles of CCPT, its benefits, and why it’s such a powerful tool for helping children navigate emotional challenges.

What Is Child-Centered Play Therapy?

CCPT is a nondirective, child-led approach to therapy. Instead of asking children to talk directly about their problems, it gives them a safe space to express themselves naturally through play. In this supportive environment, children can use toys, art, and imagination to work through their feelings. The therapist follows the child’s lead with empathy and acceptance, helping them build trust, emotional awareness, and healthy coping strategies.

Benefits of Child-Centered Play Therapy

Encourages Emotional Expression
Children often struggle to express emotions like grief, anger, anxiety, or fear with words. CCPT gives them a way to “speak” through play. For example, a child might act out a scary experience with dolls or role-play different ways to handle conflict. This symbolic expression can lead to powerful emotional healing over time.

Helps Process Trauma and Loss
For children who have experienced trauma, loss, or big life changes—like a death in the family, divorce, or abuse—CCPT can be especially effective. Play becomes a safe outlet for overwhelming emotions, allowing them to make sense of what happened and begin to heal.

Builds Self-Regulation and Coping Skills
Through play and connection with the therapist, children learn how to handle frustration, anxiety, and disappointment in healthier ways. These emotional regulation skills carry over into everyday situations at home, school, and in social settings.

Boosts Confidence and Self-Esteem
When children are accepted without judgment and given control over their play, they feel valued. Over time, this builds self-confidence and teaches them that their feelings matter—and that they have the ability to solve problems on their own.

Strengthens Social Skills
Whether it’s learning to take turns, share, or resolve conflicts, CCPT provides opportunities to practice real-life social skills through play. These lessons help children form stronger, more positive relationships with peers and adults.

Offers a Safe Space for Exploration
CCPT gives children the freedom to explore who they are, what they feel, and how they relate to the world around them. With a supportive therapist by their side, they gain insight, build self-awareness, and grow emotionally.

Who Can Benefit from Child-Center Play Therapy?

Child-Centered Play Therapy is effective for a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges, including:

Anxiety, depression, or frequent anger

Trauma or abuse

Grief and loss

Difficulty with family transitions (e.g., divorce or parental conflict)

Social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties

Developmental delays or disabilities

CCPT is typically used with children ages 3 and up, and its flexible, child-led nature makes it adaptable to many different needs.

How Carolina Therapy Connection Can Help

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we’re passionate about supporting children and families through a variety of therapeutic approaches—including Child-Centered Play Therapy.

If you think CCPT could benefit your child, we’d love to help. Contact our mental wellness team today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation and see how we can support your family’s journey.

Unleashing Creativity and Play: The Magic of Sensory Bins in Occupational Therapy

In the world of occupational therapy, sensory bins are a beloved tool used to foster creativity, play, and learning. Sensory bins are simple setups; however, they provide children with hands-on experiences to stimulate their senses, all while encouraging play.

What is a Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin is a container filled with materials to offer diverse sensory experiences. Sensory bins can be as simple as a box filled with rice or as elaborate as a themed setup with various textures and materials. The goal of creating a sensory bin is to include items for children to explore through touch, sight, sound, and sometimes even smell or taste.

Benefits of Sensory Bins

Stimulating the Senses—Sensory bins can engage children’s senses through various materials. They can offer unique tactile experiences through different textures like beans, rice, pasta, sand, or flour.
Supporting Cognitive Development—Sensory bins can be tailored to support different learning objectives. For example, submerging alphabet letters or numbers in the bin can help children practice letter and number recognition, enhancing their skills. Sensory bins can also early literacy be a fun way to integrate learning and sensory development.
Providing opportunities for Creativity – When tailored to a specific theme, sensory bins allow creativity and imaginative play. Sensory bins are naturally open-ended, allowing the use of materials within the bin in various ways for play.
Enhancing Fine Motor Skills—Sensory bins can include various tools to encourage fine motor skill development. Items such as spoons, tweezers, and tongs allow children to develop hand strength, bilateral coordination, and hand-eye coordination.
Increasing Emotional Regulation – Sensory play is naturally calming and therapeutic, especially with sensory bins. Children can improve sustained attention and better manage their emotions with repetitive scooping, pouring, and sorting motions. Sensory bins provide a place for self-regulation and relaxation.
Fostering Social Skills – When used in a group setting, sensory bins can promote social interaction and cooperation. Learning to share materials, engage in imaginative play, and play in shared spaces are all benefits of sensory bins.

Creating Your Own Sensory Bin

Select Materials – The possibilities are ENDLESS. Common materials used in sensory bins include rice, beans, sand, and pasta. Other items could include plastic animal figurines, building blocks, or pom poms. These items can be cost effective and are often found around your home already. It is important to ensure that materials are safe and age appropriate for the age group.
Incorporating Tools – Add spoons, tongs, containers, tweezers, and other tools to enhance the play experience.
Set Up the Bin – Arrange the materials within a container. If desired, include other elements such as themed toys, letters/numbers, or activity cards. Make sure the bin is large enough for the children to explore comfortably.
Optional – Starting with a Theme – Start with a theme that interests your child and can support the current learning objectives. Themes can range from seasons to holidays to your child’s favorite show.

How Can Carolina Therapy Connection Help?

Here at Carolina Therapy Connection, our Occupational Therapist often incorporates sensory bins into your child’s treatment sessions when appropriate. We are constantly switching out our bins with new sensory experiences for our clients. Consult with your child’s Occupational Therapist for more ideas and information about ways to include sensory bins into your child’s play routine at home.

Sensory bins are more than just a fun play activity. They are powerful tools to support your child’s sensory development, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, social skills, and creativity. Incorporating sensory bins into your child’s play routine can help create enriching experiences! So, gather your materials, embrace the mess, and embark on a sensory adventure with your child that is both joyful and educational.