How therapy actually works

The four therapies Prachi uses — and how she chooses between them.

There’s no single “child therapy.” There are families of approaches, each useful in different situations. At Stapoo, Prachi draws from four main ones — sometimes one, often a blend — depending on the child’s age, what they’re working through, and how they like to communicate. Here’s an honest, plain-language guide.

Therapy Best for How the child experiences it Used most for
Play Therapy Children 2–10, pre-verbal trauma Toys, drawing, building, role-play Young children who can’t put it into words yet
Arts-Based Therapy Children & teens with strong feelings, low words Music, drawing, painting, drama Releasing pent-up emotion before any talking
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Older children, teens, parents Talking, journaling, “homework” between sessions Anxiety, anger, unhelpful thinking patterns
Cognitive Hypnotherapy Teens & adults with deep-rooted patterns Guided relaxation, visualisation Old patterns the conscious mind alone can’t shift

How Prachi chooses

Most courses of work start with one therapy and add another as the child becomes ready. A young child with separation trauma might begin with pure play, move into arts as they start to express feelings, and then — if it’s a teen or older child — pick up CBT-style tools to handle thinking patterns at school. Cognitive hypnotherapy is usually saved for stubborn patterns that haven’t shifted with the others.

The choice is never made on day one. The first few sessions are about finding what your child meets the world with — and then meeting them there.

What you’ll see, as a parent

You won’t see Prachi switch therapies in dramatic ways. From the outside, every session looks like a child playing or talking. The shift in approach happens inside the room — in the questions Prachi asks, the tools she introduces, the homework you’re given between sessions.

You’ll feel the shift in what your child brings home: first, fewer outbursts. Then, more words. Then, fewer of the small daily friction points. Then, sometimes, a quiet sentence that tells you the therapy is doing its work.

Three takeaways

  • The therapy is chosen for the child — not the other way around.
  • Most courses use a blend, not a single approach.
  • You don’t need to know the modality. You need to know the child is in the right room.

Not sure which therapy fits your child?

The free 15-min call is where Prachi figures that out with you. No pitch, no diagnosis — just listening.

Book a free 15-min call