Healing Through Play: Family Play Therapy Approaches to Addressing Divorce
| BROOKE MISCHLICH, BA & ELYSSA B. SMITH PHD, LPC, RPTTM D
, NCC, ACS
ivorce can be a traumatic and highly stressful event for families. In the United States, divorce is highly prevalent. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention [CDC] (2024), the United States divorce rate in 2022 was 2.4 per 1,000 population. The divorce process has a lasting impact on children and the family unit. Children who experience divorce or separation of their parents undergo emotional distress and sharp transitions during a critical developmental period in their lives (Chen et al., 2021). Concurrently, parents who separate social, and legal stress (Chen et al., 2021). Further, there is a difference between children who reside in a divorced family and children who live with both parents. According to Anderson (2014), children who reside with both parents demonstrate enhanced
20 | PLAYTHERAPY September 2024 |
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physical, emotional, and academic ability and success compared to those who do not. The impact of parental divorce extends beyond childhood, affecting individuals into adulthood.
The experience of parental divorce in childhood is linked to ongoing psychological distress and an increased likelihood of children of divorce experience more psychological distress and are at higher risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to those from intact
families (Zineldin, 2019). Therefore, it is
crucial to be aware of the impacts of parental divorce and explore interventions and strategies to help families and children promptly and appropriately.
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