Play Therapy or Child Psychotherapy? The Differences for Parents
Both use play and both work with children, so it can be hard to tell them apart. Here is how the professional bodies describe each one, and how to check a practitioner’s registration.
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Please read. This is general information, not medical, legal or professional advice. We’re a directory: we don’t provide therapy, and we don’t recommend, endorse or guarantee any practitioner or register. Always check a practitioner’s registration yourself on the official register before you book. We checked the facts on this page on each organisation’s own website on 21 October 2026, but registers and rules change, so the official website is always the final word.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. If you are worried about a child, you can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. Children and young people can call Childline free on 0800 1111. For urgent mental health help that is not an emergency, call NHS 111.
At a Glance
| Play therapist | Child and adolescent psychotherapist | |
|---|---|---|
| How the professional body describes it | A form of counselling for children that uses play as the main way of communicating (BAPT) | Highly trained mental health professionals who work with children, young people and their families, including those with serious mental health difficulties (ACP) |
| Training | For full BAPT membership, postgraduate or Master’s level play therapy training accredited by BAPT | A six-year training: a two-year pre-clinical course and a four-year full-time doctoral-level clinical training, funded by the NHS (ACP) |
| Where to check | BAPT register or Play Therapy UK register | ACP register |
| Protected title? | No | No |
Play Therapy
BAPT describes play therapy as child-centred, with play as the main medium and speech secondary. The child explores, at their own pace, the things affecting their life. BAPT lists difficulties play therapy is used for, including anxiety, bereavement, bullying, family breakdown, and adoption and fostering. A play therapist will carry out an assessment to decide whether play therapy is right for a child.
BAPT says a full member will also have a current enhanced DBS check (or PVG in Scotland), clinical supervision, insurance and safeguarding training. Read more in our guide to play therapy and play therapists.
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
The ACP says child and adolescent psychotherapists work in NHS teams and other public services to assess and treat infants, children and young people with severe and complex mental health problems, and work with their families and carers. Working with parents or carers alongside the child’s therapy is an important part of the approach. They are trained to notice what a child may be communicating through behaviour and play.
Read more in our guide to child and adolescent psychotherapists.
Which Might Suit Your Child?
We can’t tell you which is right for your child, and the professional bodies don’t set a simple rule. It can help to talk to your child’s GP, school or health visitor first. When you speak to a practitioner, ask about their training, which register they are on, which ages they work with, and how they involve parents or carers. Our questions to ask a child’s therapist may help.
Common Questions
Is play therapy the same as therapeutic play?
No. The British Association of Play Therapists explains that play therapy is a specialised intervention led by qualified, registered play therapists, while therapeutic play is a broader approach that people who are not therapists can use to support a child’s development. Ask which one is being offered.
Which ages do they work with?
The Association of Child Psychotherapists says child and adolescent psychotherapy training focuses on children and young people aged 0 to 25 and their families. BAPT says play therapy is most commonly used with children, although it can support people of all ages. Ask each practitioner which ages they work with.
Is either title protected by law?
No. Neither play therapist nor child psychotherapist is on the Health and Care Professions Council’s list of protected titles. Check the person on the register they name: the ACP register for child and adolescent psychotherapists, and BAPT or Play Therapy UK for play therapists.
More for Parents and Carers
Sources
Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the NHS, the Health and Care Professions Council, the Professional Standards Authority, the General Medical Council or any professional body or register named here. Last reviewed 21 October 2026.
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