Strengthening the bond between you and your child.

Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)

Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) is a structured 10-week program designed to help parents better understand and connect with their child through therapeutic play and skill-building. By learning proven techniques grounded in play-based principles, caregivers can respond more effectively to their child’s emotional and behavioral needs and foster a deeper, more supportive relationship.

Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) is a 10 week structured program that was developed to be administered in a group format of 5-8 parents. CPRT can also be adapted to work with parents individually or both parents together.

The premise behind CPRT is enhancing the relationship between parent and child while also gaining a better understanding of one’s child. An example that I often give is to think about a child who is very upset, crying, nothing seems to be helping, etc. A parent then notices that their child feels as though they might have a fever and takes their temperature to determine that they do in fact have a fever. By simply having the new information and better understanding of his/her child, the parents response is completely different, the parent may have more patience, etc., all while the child may still be exhibiting the exact same behaviors.

In CPRT sessions, I will teach you some of the skills that are based on Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) principles and you will get to have special play sessions with your child in which you will practice your newly learned skills. Your child does not have to be a current client of mine to be able to participate in CPRT!

Some of the skills that are taught are:
-Reflective Responding
-Esteem-Building
-Limit Setting
-Choice Giving for Responsibility and Decision Making
-Choice Giving for Consequences
-Structuring
-and more!

Resources:
https://cpt.unt.edu/child-parent-relationship-therapy-certification
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2GBoxA2JI8

Child Parent Relationship Therapy Certification | Center for Play Therapy

YouTube

Filial Play Therapy: “Special Playtime” in Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
This is a description and demonstration of “special playtime” according to Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT). CPRT is a 10-session model of filial the…

What Is Child-Parent Relationship Therapy?

Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) is a 10-week evidence-based program that teaches parents specific play therapy skills to use with their child at home. Rather than focusing only on the child in individual sessions, CPRT empowers parents to become active agents of change in their child’s emotional growth.

Throughout the program, parents learn how to:

Strengthen attachment and connection
Improve communication
Respond effectively to challenging behaviors
Build their child’s self-esteem and emotional regulation
Create a safe space for emotional expression

Parents participate in structured training sessions while practicing special play times with their child between meetings. This approach helps create lasting change within the family system, not just in the therapy room.

Who Can Benefit from CPRT?

Child-Parent Relationship Therapy may be especially helpful for families experiencing ongoing behavioral or emotional challenges. Because the focus is on strengthening the parent-child relationship, CPRT can create meaningful and lasting change at home.

CPRT may be beneficial if your child is experiencing:

This program is ideal for parents who want to feel more confident and equipped in responding to their child’s needs while building a stronger, more connected relationship.