# Can play therapy be done online? Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-play-therapy-be-done-online Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited Yes, play therapy can be done online through secure live video sessions, where a trained therapist guides play-based activities and coaches parents in real time at home. Online sessions suit many families, while some children benefit from a blend of online and in-centre support. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. *When you cannot travel to a centre, the warmth and progress of play therapy can still reach your child — right in your own living room.* ## In short Yes — play therapy can be done online, and it works well for many children. A trained therapist guides your child through play-based activities over a secure video call, coaching you in real time so the play continues naturally at home. Online (tele-therapy) play sessions are a genuine, evidence-supported option, especially for families far from a centre, with busy schedules, or wanting to keep momentum between in-person visits. For some children — particularly very young ones or those who need lots of hands-on, sensory or movement support — a blend of online and in-centre sessions works best. ## How online play therapy works - **Live, guided sessions** — your therapist plays *with* your child through the screen, using toys, games, stories and movement, and adapts in the moment to what your child enjoys. - **You become the play partner** — the therapist coaches you on what to do, say and offer, turning your home into a familiar, comfortable therapy space. - **Everyday materials** — most activities use simple things you already have: building blocks, soft toys, household objects, drawing and pretend play. - **Comfort of home** — many children engage more freely in their own space, with their own toys, and without travel tiring them out. - **Easy continuity** — sessions can be scheduled around school and family life, and recorded guidance helps you practise between visits. ## When in-centre may suit better Online play therapy suits many children, but a hands-on in-centre setting can help when a child needs close physical guidance, lots of sensory or movement-based play, or struggles to attend to a screen. A short conversation with a clinician helps decide whether online, in-centre, or a blend fits your child best — there is no single right answer, only the right fit for your child. ## The Pinnacle way AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or online form. Whether your child is seen online or in person across our [70+ centres](/), the same therapists shape a plan around their strengths. Explore our [play and behaviour therapy](/play-therapy) approach, and see how a [clinician-administered AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) builds a precise, personal starting point. ## Trusted sources American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on tele-practice and remote intervention; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) on telehealth for children; WHO and Nurturing Care framework on family-centred early support. **Next step —** Wondering if online play therapy is right for your child? [Book a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/play-therapy). This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. ## Sources - ASHA — Telepractice guidance: https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/telepractice/ - AAP — HealthyChildren.org: https://www.healthychildren.org/ - WHO Nurturing Care Framework: https://nurturing-care.org/ ## Connected topics and perspectives - Therapies: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/therapies - Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent - Social: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/social - Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support - Plan: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/plan - Behaviour Therapy: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/behaviour-therapy - Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment ## Related question paths ### Understand the subject - At what age can a child start play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-can-a-child-start-play-therapy - How does play therapy help a child develop?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-play-therapy-help-a-child-develop - Is Play Therapy Backed by Research Evidence?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-play-therapy-backed-by-research-evidence - What is play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-play-therapy - Which children benefit most from play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/which-children-benefit-most-from-play-therapy ### Explore therapy & support - Can therapy be done online, and does it work?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-therapy-be-done-online-and-does-it-work - How does online child development therapy work?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-online-child-development-therapy-work - Can speech and language therapy be done online?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-speech-and-language-therapy-be-done-online - Can group therapy be done online?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-group-therapy-be-done-online - Can online therapy help if we live far from a centre?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-online-therapy-help-if-we-live-far-from-a-centre - Online vs In-Centre Therapy for Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-online-therapy-as-effective-as-in-centre-therapy-for-children - Are there any risks or side effects of play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-there-any-risks-or-side-effects-of-play-therapy - Can play therapy be combined with other therapies?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-play-therapy-be-combined-with-other-therapies - How Play Therapy Helps Preschoolers: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-play-therapy-help-preschoolers - How Play Therapy Helps School-Age Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-play-therapy-help-school-age-children - How Play Therapy Helps Toddlers: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-play-therapy-help-toddlers - How many sessions of play therapy does a child usually need?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-many-sessions-of-play-therapy-does-a-child-usually-need ### At home & in everyday life - How can I support play therapy goals at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-support-play-therapy-goals-at-home ### Follow progress - How is a child's progress measured in play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-a-child-s-progress-measured-in-play-therapy - How long does play therapy take to show results?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-long-does-play-therapy-take-to-show-results - What progress can I expect from play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-i-expect-from-play-therapy - What progress can a child with attachment difficulties make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-attachment-difficulties-make-with-play-therapy - Play Therapy and Progress for Children with Autism: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-autism-spectrum-make-with-play-therapy - What progress can a child with anxiety make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-childhood-anxiety-make-with-play-therapy - What progress can a child with developmental trauma make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-developmental-trauma-make-with-play-therapy - What progress can a child with emotional & behavioural difficulties make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-emotional-and-behavioural-difficulties-make-with-play-therapy - What progress can a child with Selective Mutism make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-selective-mutism-make-with-play-therapy - What progress can a child with Separation Anxiety Disorder make with play therapy?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-separation-anxiety-disorder-make-with-play-therapy ### Choose and access care - How do I find a good provider of play therapy for my child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-play-therapy-for-my-child - What does play therapy typically cost, and what affects the price?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-play-therapy-typically-cost-and-what-affects-the-price - What qualifications should a therapist providing play therapy have?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-qualifications-should-a-therapist-providing-play-therapy-have