A
CLINICAL EDITOR’S COMMENTS:
pproximately 40% to 60% of marriages end in divorce,
hostility, poor communication, and failed co-parenting. While divorce is challenging, many children show resilience. Key factors affecting adjustment include parental functioning and style, as well 2020).
Children between the ages of 3 and 12 have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to divorce-related stress, often exhibiting heightened emotional and behavioral reactions compared to adolescents (Lie Ken Jie et al., 2025). Common short-term responses include anxiety, sadness, anger, behavioral outbursts, supportive interactions are introduced, many children’s reactions diminish.
Research has increasingly demonstrated that divorce alone is not the primary predictor of negative child outcomes. Rather, the 2016; van Dijk et al., 2020). This distinction, especially important for play therapists working with children affected by ongoing parental hostility, places children at substantially greater risk than (Stallman & Ohan, 2016; van Dijk et al., 2020).
interactions, often requiring legal or external intervention (AAMFT, 2025; Lange et al., 2021; Schmidt et al., 2025). Typical features include parental gatekeeping, alienation, inconsistency, and chronic hostility (Davis et al., 2021).
Children exposed to HCD experience greater emotional and divorces (Hess, 2022). HCD is linked to trauma symptoms, anxiety, deprives children of stable emotional support and caregiving, resulting in lasting emotional and behavioral problems, such as aggression, defensiveness, and rigid thinking (Anderson et al., 2023; Davis et al., 2021).
Children in HCD show higher rates of both internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression) and externalizing symptoms (opposition,
Designed for clinical practice, this article supports play therapists in identifying, ethically managing, and supporting
children impacted by the distinct dynamics and complexities
2025; Lange et al., 2021; Schmidt et al., 2025). Anxiety is common et al., 2021), often driven by fears about safety, abandonment, and responsibility for parents’ well-being.
Additional consequences include somatic complaints, loyalty psychological concerns (Laletas & Khasin, 2021). Some children assume maladaptive coping roles, such as attempting to mediate disrupting normative developmental processes (Davis et al., 2021). This instability compounds the trauma of divorce and increases the likelihood of longterm psychological effects (O’Hara et al., 2023).
Although divorce and HCD share some stressors, HCD is a distinct child anxiety than divorce status (Ran et al., 2021). Hostility, coercion, correlates with harsh discipline and poor supervision, worsening children’s anxiety and dysregulation (Ran et al., 2021). HCD parents may seek alliances, alienate the child, or threaten repercussions if (Davis et al., 2021; van Dijk et al., 2020; Fidler & Bala, 2020). Children may struggle to process these changes, resulting in anxiety, anger, and depression (Spremo, 2020).
Therapeutic Interventions for Children of Divorce A range of evidence-based interventions has demonstrated effectiveness for children experiencing divorce. With a higher occurrence of increased ACEs scores, it is imperative to use a therapeutic intervention that is proven to show effectiveness for children of HCD with increased trauma (Haas & Ray, 2020). One such seminal theoretical approach in play therapy is Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), introduced by Virginia Axline, further developed by Garry Landreth, and grounded in the principles of Carl Rogers’ person-centered theory. CCPT emphasizes the therapeutic power of play as a primary medium for children to express thoughts and feelings, promoting self-directed healing within a safe, consistent environment (Haas & Ray, 2020).
Research has shown that CCPT is particularly effective for children
www.a4pt.org | September 2026 | PLAYTHERAPY | 23
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