The Ethical Frontier of AI in Play Therapy: Challenges and Opportunities
A
| MARGARET L. HINDMAN, PHD, LPC, RPT™, & KURT W. OSTER, LICSW-S, LCSW-QS, RPT™
and mental health is no exception. AI is a growing
implications in practice. Within play therapy, which is a therapeutic approach leveraging the therapeutic powers of play (Association for Play Therapy [APT], 2025a), AI has emerged as a transformative tool, offering innovative methods for diagnostics, interventions, and
The question arises for the international play therapy community: How do we balance AI's potential to enhance care with the need to the Association for Play Therapy’s (APT) mission, which emphasizes ethical play therapy practices guided by research, education, and training (APT, 2025a). APT Ethics Committee and AI Ethics Task Force and best practice considerations for using AI in play therapy (APT, 2025b). This article highlights key considerations from the updates to
24 | PLAYTHERAPY March 2025 |
www.a4pt.org
interplay between innovation and ethics in using AI within play therapy. It offers insights into best practices for responsible integration while
AI technologies bring unparalleled opportunities to the realm of play
1. Enhanced Understanding of Client Behavior: AI tools can analyze data from play therapy sessions, identifying recurring themes, emotional patterns, or developmental milestones. These insights can
2. Therapeutic Tools and Environments: Virtual reality (VR) and AI- based interactive tools immerse clients in scenarios tailored to their needs, such as teaching emotional regulation or addressing phobias through controlled exposure in a virtual setting without stigma or
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