SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads) Hi all, I'm in an adult-oriented program, and have no exposure to literature on efficacious treatments for childhood problems. I'm wondering if anyone in a research-oriented program knows how efficacious Play Therapy is, notably for internalizing symptoms in small children (e.g., 5-8)? The few metas I read concluded that play therapy appeared to be as effective as non-play therapies in treating children experiencing emotional difficulties. I'm skeptical because the general description of play therapy is, "A play therapist observes a client playing with toys (play-houses, pets, dolls, etc.) to determine the cause of the disturbed behavior." That sounds heavily subjective, much like inkblot tests. I understand that cognitive capacity is limited at age six, and that restricts the child's ability to articulate feelings and problems, but there must be something more objective available for anxiety and depression? Can anyone shed any light onto this? Thanks in advance!