filial family therapy
What is Filial Family Therapy?
Filial Family Therapy is a unique blend of family therapy and play therapy that enhances connection between children and caregivers. It provides parents with a deeper philosophical and practical understanding of their children, gives them a practical framework and effective tools to improve behavioural difficulties, and guides them through an play-based process that effectively enhances children’s socioemotional development and helps them overcome their difficulties.
This approach is a developmentally appropriate way to support kids, using the medium of play – their natural language. Instead of relying on cognitive and top-down changes, Filial Family Therapy utilises the neurobiology of attachment and the medium of play to address the child’s struggles. It uses the natural bond between caregiver and child as the bridge for long-term, positive changes in real life.
Who Is It For?
Filial Family Therapy is an effective mental health intervention for kids aged 3 to 12, who struggle with anger, anxiety, or trauma. This includes children who may be experiencing:
- Angry outbursts, fights
- Frequent meltdowns (e.g. screaming, fighting, sobbing)
- High anxiety (e.g. strong need for control, bedwetting, separation anxiety, neediness)
- Family stressors (loss of parent, divorce, siblings)
- Past traumatic experience (accidents, loss, neglect, etc.)
- A rupture or strain in their relationship with caregivers
It is ideal for parents/caregivers like you if…
- You would like to build more meaningful connection with your child
- You are open to self-reflection
- You feel relatively stable and supported, not in crisis mode
- You’re ready to commit to a training process of 10-12 weeks, and to engaging in weekly home play sessions with your child
What Happens During Filial Family Therapy?
- After an initial intake session to assess if filial family therapy is suitable, parents participate in either: a more tailored individual programme (12 sessions x 1 hour) or a more structured group programme (10 sessions x 2 hours).
- You’ll spend the first meeting playing with your child in my playroom so I can better understand their strengths and difficulties, and tailor the therapy and teaching process accordingly.
During the remaining sessions, you’ll:
- Learn child-led therapeutic play skills grounded in empathy and presence.
- Be immersed in a framework that helps you better understand your child
- Pick up strategies to co-regulate and communicate more easily with them
- Be guided to navigate fight or flight scenarios with your child
- With support, learn to facilitate regular child-led playtime, first in the office and then at home (weekly 30-minute play sessions), to heal and improve your relationship via presence and play
- Gain the confidence and skills to apply these skills in other areas of life
Outcomes of Filial Family Therapy
Filial Family Therapy effectively reduces symptoms of anger, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, and strengthens self-esteem and relationships. And above all, it improves the most important relationship and support system in their life – their relationship with you.
Long-term changes you can expect to see in your child include:
- Improved relationships with parents, teachers, peers
- Higher self-confidence
- Strengthened self-esteem and problem-solving skills
- Fewer fights
- Improved self-regulation and fewer meltdowns
- Reduced anxiety
As you become increasingly comfortable in applying these theraputic play skills inside and outside playtime, you will experience greater ease and enjoyment in your relationship with your child, and a heightened sense of empowerment and confidence as a parent.
Adeline Chang
I’ve worked with children for nearly a decade. supporting their growth and development – across special education, music education, preschool teaching, forest school coaching, and counselling. I’m dedicated to helping children overcome their anger, anxiety, and past trauma, so that families can heal.
Each child has their unique strengths, temperaments, neurotypes – and they universally blossom when met with deep understanding and well-established safety (which includes rules!). Understanding child development and the neurodiversity paradigm gives us clear paths forward, and can soothe much of the anxiety that parents face as their kids grow.
Though I work one-on-one with kids when doing CCPT, parents and familiies are always part of the process – in working together, we enhance children’s progress and create more sustainable, long-term shifts. In Filial Therapy, this impact is supercharged as I work directly with parents and empower them to become the agents of therapeutic change for their children.
With the support of evidence-based child therapy, stressed and worried parents can finally come out of firefighting mode, feel empowered to rebuild precious connections, and nurture the loving and joyful family they’ve always wanted.
Qualifications:
+ Master of Counselling
+ Postgrad Dip in Counselling Psychology
+ Bachelor of European Studies (Honours), Minor in Sociology
+ Certification in Child Centred Play Therapy (Child Centred Australia)
+ Certification in AutPlay Therapy (ongoing)
+ Certification in Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (ongoing)
+ Certification in Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy Level 1 (Satir Pacific, ongoing)
+ Certification in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFTi)
Registration:
+ Provisional Clinical Member (Singapore Association for Counselling)
+ Provisional Member (Association for Play Therapy Singapore)
+ Register of Play Therapists (Child Centred Australia)
- Are you tired of constantly clashing with your child?
- Feeling overwhelmed because they always seem angry, anxious, or sad?
- Lying awake at night, worried about their response to a recent trauma in the family?
Your child can overcome their challenges without being forced, coerced, or feeling like they’re the problem. We pave the way to change from the inside-out, by speaking their language.
Free 20 min consult
Share your story and I'll tell you if Filial Family Therapy can address your child's specific challenges.
Adeline Chang
Counsellor & Play Therapist
About Me
I’ve been dedicated to children for nearly a decade, working as teacher (special education/piano/preschool), coach and facilitator (forest school), and counsellor. In my free time, I like reading books, taking walks in nature, and geeking out on languages and movies.
Join me as I support you and your child, so they become more resilient, confident, and heal from the inside out.