Play Therapy
Children love to play and so do we! You may be wondering, “How can playing be therapeutic?” Through play, children explore their world, use up excess energy, calm themselves, express their emotions, and develop social skills. When we observe your child playing it will tell us a lot about him or her, which is one of the primary reasons play therapy is a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

Play therapy is a form of therapy that gives your child a safe, non-judgmental space to express feelings and work through problems in a very natural way. Play therapy allows your child to communicate things that might be difficult to verbalize. They will also learn useful skills and techniques to help them cope with difficult situations or change unhealthy behaviors.

When your child comes to therapy, we will also be working with you, as their guardian. We will talk with you during each session so you can give us an update on your child’s progress and receive guidance regarding techniques you can use at home to help your child. Children often communicate through their behavior so we will help you understand what their behavior is indicating and learn how to manage this at home.

For the first session, we will see you first so we can obtain history about your child and the presenting issues. If you feel like you will need the full 45 minutes, you are welcome to schedule the first appointment without the child. Children are seen separately from parents so we can create a private, safe space where the adults don’t outnumber the child. Also, your child is more likely to communicate more openly when seen alone. If your child is very anxious and refuses to see us without you we will, of course, allow you to stay with the child while s/he works towards independence and decreased anxiety.

Play Therapy can help your child:

• heal from trauma
• change unhealthy behaviors
• improve social skill
• improve communication skills
• develop problem solving skills
• learn effective coping skills

Children and parents face a multitude of challenges! You don’t have to face those alone. Please feel free to reach out so we can discuss how we can help.