ABSTRACT
As with adults, the clinician conveys a tone of respect and acceptance, allowing the child to communicate stories in their own way and their own pace with the clinician paying close attention and listening carefully. This point of separation between parent and child allows the clinician to observe the nonverbal communications that occur between parent and child. The clinician can engage with the child through their device in order to form a bond with the child. In Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children (RFP-C), the clinician utilizes the child's play activity for communicative intent. An important goal of RFP-C is to increase the child's ability to tolerate and adaptively process painful emotional states. The clinician always has to remain vigilant and consider potential inherited contributions, such as temperamental and neurocognitive considerations, in understanding the play behavior. The best defense is a good offense. This is the motto, in one way or another, of most children with externalizing behaviors.
