following divorce, as it allows children to process complex emotions and restore a sense of autonomy and control (Association for Play Therapy, n.d.; Haas & Ray, 2020). Structured play therapy more broadly has also been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, while aiding in processing emotions, developing coping skills, and restoring a sense of safety (Cao et al., 2022; Herrero et al., 2023; Serter & Celik, 2023; Shumaker & Kelsey, 2020), emphasizing emotional expression, meaning-making, and adaptive coping strategies. Other commonly used approaches include individual, family, and group therapies, often implemented alongside parenting coordination to address systemic factors (Misurell & Schwartz, 2024).
Ethics and HCD Play therapists working with children in HCD must adhere to ethical practices, which include several key steps (Sori & Hecker, 2015):
• Informed consent to treat minors takes place with the parent giving consent for the child to receive counseling.
° Custody order: obtaining a decree of custody from the parent or permission from both parents
° identify their role in the counseling relationship.
• Maintain competencies and multiculturalism - the play therapist professional should ensure they are working within their level of competency and utilize skills they are trained in.
• Use of touch: while touch is a developmentally appropriate part of children’s growth, play therapists must set boundaries, taking care not to cause shame or make the child feel rejected when touch is initiated by the child.
child and what information will be shared. Beyond the duty to report, the mental health counseling professional should be knowledgeable about state regulations pertaining to the
• Subpoenas: mental health counseling professionals should read the subpoena carefully, address only what it asks for, and seek support from their liability insurance lawyer.
These steps highlight the complexity of working with children affected by HCD. Existing literature often overlooks the unique trained to address anxiety, depression, and guilt from divorce, HCD introduces additional trauma and complexity that standard interventions may not address (Schmidt & Grigg, 2023).
Standard divorce interventions present challenges in HCD.
24 | PLAYTHERAPY | September 2026 |
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Implications for Play Therapists Play
therapists must differentiate between divorce and
HCD for accurate assessment and treatment. Recognizing such as inconsistent cooperation, gatekeeping, and challenging communication patterns, and instead support alternatives while providing trauma-informed interventions, including Child-Centered Play Therapy, that are responsive to these dynamics. Flexibility and ongoing assessment are crucial with HCD cases, since family circumstances and custody arrangements often shift, sometimes unpredictably, over the course of treatment. Play therapists should also maintain close communication with parents, attorneys, and other involved professionals to support consistency across the child’s environments. It is crucial that they remain alert to signs needed to better support play therapists and improve outcomes for affected children.
Conclusion maladjustment, beyond divorce alone (AAMFT, 2025; Lange et al., show more anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and longterm relational issues (Davis et al., 2021). While some therapies help children of divorce, little research guides play therapists in HCD cases. More research and specialized training are needed to improve outcomes and advance best practices (Misurell & Schwartz, 2024).
Predicting the negative impact of HCD on children is complex due to ever-changing family dynamics (Pires & Martins, 2021), adding further trauma to the divorce experience (O’Hara et al., 2023).
Ongoing parental hostility can limit treatment effectiveness, as children return to stressful environments (O’Hara et al., 2023). Few exists on the experiences of Registered Play Therapists with this group (Cao et al., 2022), leaving clinicians with limited guidance (Misurell & Schwartz, 2024).
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
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