"Di has completely changed the way C was, he was always upset, down and depressed, and worryng about others. We now have our little boy back again" (Father of an 11 year old boy)
Play Therapy
We offer one-to-one and group Play Therapy for children aged between 3-12 years to help with worrying or unwanted behaviours that are spilling out into everyday life and causing concern.
Play therapy is often recommended for children as play is the primary way that children...
• learn about the world
• understand how different things work
• express their thoughts and feelings
• develop their physical skills
• develop their mental skills
• develop effective social skills and bonds.
What is play therapy?
Play therapy is a non-verbal form of counseling that enables children to explore their feelings around loss and bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown and divorce, abuse, neglect and past traumas. Play therapy is particularly suitable for children who cannot or do not want to talk about their problems, as play is a child’s natural form of communication and expression.
As children grow, their use of language becomes more sophisticated, but throughout childhood, they usually express much more of themselves in their play. We can understand our children better if we understand their play. By watching children play we often learn more about their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and struggles than by talking with them! Play has been called the "language of childhood," so if we re-learn that language, it can help us build even stronger relationships with our children. Play is not something trivial; on the contrary, it is one of the most critical elements of healthy child development!
Who can benefit from play therapy?
Play therapy is an effective intervention for children with a variety of presenting difficulties including emotional or behavioural difficulties, depression and/or aggression, soiling and/or wetting, fear, anxiety, nightmares, phobias, relationship difficulties with peers and/or siblings.
Most children enjoy playing weekly with the support of a highly trained clinical Play Therapist and are able to process their difficult thoughts and feelings in the safety of child-led and child-centred play and creative arts.
What happens in playtherapy?
The play therapist forms a therapeutic and confidential relationship with the child, and using the play therapy toolkit of:
Art and drawing,
Creative visualisation,
Clay and play doh,
Music, games,
Drama,
Sandplay,
Storytelling,
Puppets, Masks,
Dance and movement
The play therapist will enable the child to use these resources to act out past difficult experiences in order to explore, understand and master their feelings in the present in order to build resilience and modify their behaviours.
How long does play therapy take?
Depending on the severity of the problems it can be a short term intervention of up to 12 sessions, or where problems have been present for a long time treatment may take up to 1 year and longer.
Play therapy sessions can be either one to one or they can involve all the children in the family in a sibling group.