Author: Yanna Noboa LICSW, CCPT| Child Mental Health Therapy and Play Therapy
As a child therapist, many parents come to me feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and desperate for fix or solution to their child’s challenges. Due to these valid feelings, it is common to want an immediate fix to these challenges and sometimes they wonder how fast can we see results and improvement in their child’s behavior. There are few key factors to understand.
How Children Learn New Information
Children between the ages 3-10 years old require constant exposure to different activities and experiences to be able to learn something. Their brain’s require the consistent exposure to be able to make sense of it and integrate it. The brain is highly plastic during these years, meaning that it can easily form new neural connections. Repetition and constant exposure to experiences help solidify these connections, making learning more efficient. So it is safe to say, that it requires more than one therapy session for a child to be able to process their challenges and learn new skills. In child-centered play therapy the treatment recommendation is between 20-30 weeks. Some kids need more and some need less but it really depends on the child and how much time they need to process information and learn.
One session at a time
When a child participates in child-centered play therapy (CCPT), they return week after week, gradually processing and integrating new information. With each session, the child gains fresh insights, emotional awareness, or coping skills, all contributing to their long-term growth while at the same time achieving the four primary outcomes of CCPT: improved emotional regulation, self-regulation, emotional expression, and worldview development. Although these changes happen incrementally, over time—typically across 20 weeks or more—significant progress becomes evident. It’s much like nurturing a plant: with consistent care and patience, growth emerges, even if the early stages aren’t immediately noticeable
The Fruit Tree Story
In this video, I narrate a story about a farmer’s dream of having a fruit tree. In this story we can see his frustrations as well as his perseverance and patience as he looked for information on how to plant a tree and also needing to wait many weeks to see fruits in the tree.
Final Points
While we understand the urgency and desperation many parents feel, it’s crucial to recognize how a child learns best. Children between the ages of 3-10 require consistent, patient guidance to work through their challenges. Their brains are developing rapidly, but they need repeated exposure to new skills, strategies, and emotional support to absorb these lessons fully. This process involves trusting the child’s timing. Learning in therapy is not immediate—it’s a gradual process that strengthens over time, much like how children learn through play and everyday interactions. This is why it’s essential to give them the space and patience to grow at their own pace. Trusting their development allows for deeper, lasting progress.
