Solution-focused play therapy : Working with children in the Philippines

A client’s readiness to engage and verbally express themselves presents a challenge when working with children, who are usually referred by others. Expressing and engaging with strangers usually takes time for many children, especially Asian children, whose parents tend to be more restrictive and directive than their Western counterparts (Chao & Tseng, 2002; Kagitçibasi, 2007). Keeping a deliberate awareness of the child’s readiness to engage, by entering their world of play, has been exhorted among therapists working with children in the Filipino culture (Carandang, 2009).