ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author presents her involvement in delivering a Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) group filial therapy programme. She provides an overview of the model. The author describes how CPRT supports parents to focus on their existing strengths and discusses the use of video recording. She utilises examples from practice to illustrate how the CPRT approach helps parents to identify and respond effectively to their children’s emotional needs. Contra-indications to the use of CPRT include: parents with more complex mental health needs that would impede their ability to hold play sessions regularly and to focus on their child, or the child having issues or experiences that would be unmanageable for the parent. The filial approach and CPRT particularly evidence the play therapist’s skill in working with parents and carers. Many parents who come to CPRT say, quite reasonably, that they would like their child to understand and express themselves better.
