Filial therapy is a type of psychotherapy designed to treat emotional and behavioral difficulties in children; it was formulated by Bernard Guerney in 1964.
[1] It is based on the principles of play therapy;[2][3] however, it is distinct from it, in that it teaches parents (or other paraprofessionals) how to provide therapeutic interventions for children.
With respect to older children, filial therapy uses techniques that are adapted to age-appropriate interests and activities.
[1] Although the exact mechanism by which therapeutic gains occur through the use of filial therapy is not definitively known, several hypotheses have been formulated to explain its positive effects.
Many hypotheses hold that therapeutic gains are due to the same factors that make play therapy efficacious.