In my work as a psychologist and play therapist, I’m often struck by the same truth: children can’t always express their internal world in a way that other adults understand - in words. This is why I love play therapy; it’s designed specifically for children to express themselves in a developmentally appropriate way.

One of the most common things I hear from clinicians is their passion to help give the child a voice. The ability to get curious about the child’s internal world - to understand the ‘why’ behind their actions - is an especially powerful tool that we have as therapists.

Sometimes, despite our best intentions, therapy doesn’t end the way we plan.

Clients move. Families disengage. Funding runs out. As child therapists, unplanned endings can be deeply challenging - not just for the child, but for us, too.

But even when endings are abrupt, we can still do our best to create a therapeutic experience.

In child therapy, behaviour is communication - and endings speak volumes.

Children constantly make meaning of their experiences, both consciously and unconsciously. According to Ed Tronick’s work around meaning-making, this happens across multiple levels, including on a conscious level and a physiological level.

Endings are a natural part of life, but for many children they are anything but simple.

In play therapy, endings hold profound meaning, often echoing a child’s past experiences of grief, trauma, separation or instability. As therapists, we have the privilege and responsibility to create endings that heal rather than perpetuate harm.

This is particularly relevant for our endings of sessions with children, whether that ending is planned or unplanned.

The topic we will explore in this blog is: how do we bring a therapeutic lens to therapy endings?