RESEARCH & EVIDENCE
Grounded in research.
Built on practice.
The Play Prescription® Framework is built on a PhD in Psychology, evidence-based play therapy principles, and over 20 years of clinical experience with children and families.
FOUNDATIONS
Where the framework comes from
The framework was developed by Dr Sam Casey - Registered Play Therapist, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, and PhD in Psychology (Play Therapy) - with additional training in maternal mental health, perinatal psychology and trauma-informed practice.
Her PhD was built on one core belief: that self-awareness and inner work are just as important as clinical knowledge - especially when it comes to breaking cycles. That research, combined with more than two decades of clinical work with children and families, shaped the five principles at the heart of the framework.
The relationship is the intervention.
THE EVIDENCE
What the research shows
Therapeutic play works beyond the therapy room
The research is clear: children don't need a therapist to benefit from therapeutic play principles. Studies consistently show that when parents learn and apply these skills at home, outcomes for children improve significantly - sometimes more than in clinic-based therapy alone.
Early experiences shape emotional defaults
Decades of attachment and developmental research show how the first years of life shape the lens we see ourselves, others and the world through - and how attachment patterns form as survival strategies. Understanding this is the first principle of the framework.
Behaviour is communication
Developmental science supports what child therapists see every day: behaviour is driven by underlying needs, and "challenging behaviour" is adaptation - not defiance. Reading beneath the behaviour changes how adults respond, and how children heal.
Play is the language of childhood
Play is how children make sense of the world. The therapeutic play skills in the framework are generally most effective for children aged 3-12 years - the developmental window when play is the primary language children use to communicate, connect, and heal.
A NOTE ON SCOPE
What the framework is - and isn't
Play Prescription® teaches therapeutic play principles and skills for use in everyday parenting and professional practice. It does not replace clinical play therapy training or therapy for children with complex or clinical needs.
PUBLICATION & RESOURCES
Go deeper
Published Work
Dr Sam Casey's PhD research and published work in psychology and play therapy.
Coming SoonFree Audio Training
"The 6 cycles that show up when you're trying to do better than your parents did" - a 20-minute training with Dr Sam.
Listen for Free →