Strengthening the Parent-Child Bond Through Therapeutic Skills
Child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT) is a structured, evidence-based program that trains parents to become therapeutic agents in their child’s emotional life, using the language children communicate in most naturally: play. At Transformation Health Services, we offer CPRT at our Virginia Beach, Richmond, Suffolk, Fredericksburg, and Brooklyn locations for families with children ages 2 to 10 experiencing emotional, behavioral, or relational difficulties. Rather than placing the child in therapy alone, this model works through the parent-child relationship itself, which research consistently identifies as the most powerful vehicle for a child’s emotional growth.
What is Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)?
CPRT is a 10-session filial therapy model developed by Dr. Garry Landreth and Dr. Sue Bratton, grounded in the principles of child-centered play therapy. Parents learn a specific set of therapeutic play skills in group sessions, then conduct weekly 30-minute special play sessions with their child at home. The therapist provides supervision and coaching throughout. The result is a strengthened attachment relationship, improved parental empathy and responsiveness, and a meaningful reduction in children’s behavioral and emotional difficulties, with gains that are sustained because the skills remain within the family beyond the formal program.
How CPRT Helps You and Your Child Heal
The program is structured across 10 group sessions. Here is how each element supports growth:
Learning child-centered play skills
Parents are taught specific reflective listening and empathic responding skills that communicate acceptance and understanding during play sessions.
Conducting home play sessions
Each week, parents hold a structured 30-minute play session with their child using the skills learned in group. These sessions are the primary vehicle for therapeutic change.
Receiving supervision and coaching
Parents bring recordings or reflections from their home sessions to the group, where the therapist provides supportive, skill-focused feedback that deepens their confidence and competence.
Building limit-setting skills
Parents learn a therapeutic approach to limits that maintains the structure and safety children need while preserving the relationship’s accepting tone.
Benefits of CPRT
A significantly strengthened parent-child attachment, built through consistent, child-led play that communicates unconditional acceptance
Meaningful reduction in children’s behavioral difficulties, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal, sustained through the ongoing parent-child relationship
Improved parental empathy, confidence, and responsiveness that extends well beyond the structured play sessions into everyday family life
Skills that stay within the family permanently, continuing to support the child’s emotional development after the formal program concludes
Reduced parental stress and a more positive, connected experience of the parent-child relationship
Who Benefits from CPRT?
Child-parent relationship therapy is appropriate for families with children ages 2 to 10 who are experiencing emotional or behavioral challenges. It is commonly a strong fit when:
- A child is showing signs of anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, or behavioral dysregulation that are affecting family functioning or school performance
- A family has experienced a significant stressor, such as divorce, loss, relocation, trauma, or the addition of a new sibling, that has disrupted the parent-child relationship
- A parent wants to deepen their understanding of their child's emotional world and learn how to respond more therapeutically to difficult behavior
- A child has experienced attachment disruption, early adverse experiences, or a period of separation from a primary caregiver
- A parent has completed or is engaged in individual therapy and wants to extend the therapeutic work into the family system
An initial consultation at any of our Virginia Beach, Richmond, Suffolk, Fredericksburg, or Brooklyn locations will confirm whether this program is the right fit for your family.
The CPRT Experience at Transformation Health Services
Here is what your family’s participation in this program typically looks like:
Initial consultation
The parent or parents meet with a clinician to discuss the child’s history, current challenges, and family goals, and to confirm this is the appropriate approach.
Group parent training sessions
Over 10 weekly group sessions, parents learn and practice child-centered play therapy skills alongside other parents, with the therapist providing instruction, modeling, and coaching throughout.
Weekly home play sessions
Beginning in the early weeks of the program, parents conduct a structured 30-minute play session with their child at home each week, applying the skills they are learning in group.
Supervision, review, and completion
Parents bring reflections or recordings from home sessions to the group for supervised review. The program concludes with a skills consolidation and a plan to continue the special play sessions independently.
Why Choose Transformation Health Services for CPRT?
Trained facilitators
Our therapists are trained in this model and deliver it with the fidelity and sensitivity the program requires to produce its documented outcomes.
A family-centered approach to children's mental health
Rather than treating the child in isolation, this approach works through the most important relationship in the child’s life. This produces more durable change than child-only therapy for many presentations.
Embedded in a full-service practice
For families where parents or children need individual therapy alongside the program, our practice can provide and coordinate that care without requiring referrals outside the practice.
Available across five locations
This program is offered at our Virginia Beach, Richmond, Suffolk, Fredericksburg, and Brooklyn locations, making it accessible for families across the communities we serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 10 group sessions are for parents only. The therapeutic work with the child happens through the home play sessions that parents conduct each week. The child is the center of the work but participates through the relationship, not through attending group.
This program is specifically designed for parents without training in therapy. The skills are taught step by step, modeled by the therapist, and practiced with support before parents begin using them at home. Many parents find the program significantly more manageable than they expected.
Yes, and when both parents are involved, the outcomes are often stronger because the child receives a consistent relational experience from both caregivers. Your clinician can discuss how to structure participation for two-parent households.
The model is designed for children ages 2 to 10, with the core play-based approach most effective for children in the preschool through early elementary years. For older children or adolescents, other therapeutic approaches available in our practice may be a better fit.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you are ready to deepen your connection with your child and build skills that support their emotional development from within the relationship, Transformation Health Services is here to help. Contact us to schedule a consultation at any of our locations in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Suffolk, Fredericksburg, or Brooklyn.
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