PlaySpace: delivering accessible, engaging play therapy through an innovative digital platform
Hayley MacLeay, Elizabeth CawleyPurpose
This article aims to review the history of play therapy and presents PlaySpace, a digital play therapy platform designed for children and youth, as a significant development in digital therapeutics.
Design/methodology/approach
This article situates PlaySpace within the broader history of play therapy, highlighting how its design is grounded in longstanding research on key play therapy modalities, while also discussing platform design, user feedback and future developments.
Findings
PlaySpace integrates diverse play therapy tools with a secure, accessible and engaging virtual therapy platform. Feedback from providers indicates that PlaySpace supports client engagement and the effective delivery of play therapy.
Originality/value
This article is the first academic publication highlighting PlaySpace as an innovator in virtual play therapy, incorporating feedback from providers on its clinical benefits and utility. The development of an accessible and engaging play therapy platform like PlaySpace ensures equitable access to play therapy for diverse populations, reducing barriers to care amid rising demand for child and youth mental health services.