Trauma & Family Violence Support

Healing Trauma Through Play & Creative Therapies

Children who experience trauma, domestic or family violence carry emotional wounds they cannot explain in words. Their bodies remember what their voices cannot express.
This is why traditional “talk-based therapy” often doesn’t work for them, not because they are unwilling, but because they can’t.

Children do not have the brain development, language, or emotional awareness that adults do.

They don’t talk trauma — they PLAY it.

They paint it, build it, act it out, re-create it, and release it through connection, creativity, and symbolic expression.

This is where Play Therapy and creative therapeutic approaches become not just helpful, but highly reccomended and developmentally suitable for children to process and heal.

There is a clear gap in age-appropriate therapy for children affected by trauma and family violence. Unlike traditional talk-based counselling, Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT) and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) are fully child-led and allow children to express their experiences through play — their natural language.

Research shows that talk therapy is often not developmentally appropriate for young children, particularly when they cannot yet verbalise or fully understand their traumatic experiences. According to Why Play Therapy is Appropriate for Children with Trauma (Art & Play Therapy Training, 2020), play-based approaches are developmentally aligned and provide a safe, effective way for children to process trauma without relying on adult-level verbal skills.

Early intervention is essential for preventing long-term emotional, behavioural, and social challenges (Slade & Warne, 2016). CCPT offers evidence-based, developmentally appropriate support that helps children process trauma safely and effectively.

Research

References
Slade, M. K., & Warne, R. T. (2016). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy and play therapy for child victims of abuse. Journal of Young Investigators, 30(6), 36-43. Retrieved from https://www.jyi.org/2016-june/2017/2/26/a-meta-analysis-of-the-effectiveness-of-trauma-focused-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-and-play-therapy-for-child-victims-of-abuse

Art & Play Therapy Training. (2020). Why play therapy is appropriate for children with trauma. https://www.artandplaytherapytraining.com.au/files/Why_Play_Therapy_is_Appropri.pdf

Why Play & Creative Therapies Are Effective for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma or Family/Domestic Violence

1. Children communicate through play, not words

Play is a child's natural language.
When a child has experienced fear, chaos, or uncertainty, their brain shifts into survival mode — making verbal expression almost impossible.
Play gives them a safe, non-threatening way to express what they feel, fear, and remember.

2. It restores safety and connection

Domestic and family violence disrupts a child’s sense of safety.
Trauma-informed play and creative therapies rebuild:

· trust

· predictability

· emotional safety

· connection with caring adults

"Children cannot regulate until they first feel safe."

3. It supports emotional release and regulation

Through play and creative expression, children can:

· explore big feelings

· practise calming their body

· learn emotional tools

· express fear, anger, grief, or confusion

· rewrite internal stories

"It is developmentally appropriate, gentle, and respectful."

4. It allows trauma to be processed symbolically

Children do not re-tell trauma — they re-play it in small, manageable pieces, guided by a trained therapist.
This symbolic expression reduces emotional overwhelm and supports healing.

5. It strengthens the parent–child relationship

Programs like Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) help caregivers:

· understand trauma responses

· respond with connection instead of correction

· build emotional closeness

· reduce behavioural escalations

"When families heal together, cycles begin to break."

Why We Must Start With The Children

Intervening early gives children the best possible chance to:

· recover from trauma

· build emotional resilience

· develop healthy coping skills

· break future cycles of violence and disconnection

If we wait until adolescence or adulthood, the patterns are already deeply rooted.
The most profound, lasting change happens when we begin with the children — right now, while their brains and bodies are still developing.

"Breaking Cycles"

Helping children heal is one of the most powerful ways to prevent:

future domestic/family violence involvement

behavioural challenges

school disengagement

mental health difficulties

intergenerational trauma