Child Play Therapy

…a way for children to learn about self and the world through self-created experiences.

Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach used to help children explore their lives and freely express repressed thoughts and emotions through play. Therapeutic play takes place in a safe, comfortable playroom, where very few rules or limits are imposed on the child, encouraging free expression and allowing the therapist to observe the child’s choices, decisions, and play style.

Child Play Therapy – What are the Benefits?

Therapeutic play helps children with social or emotional difficulties learn to communicate better, adapt their behaviour if required, and relate to others in positive ways.

It is appropriate for children experiencing or witnessing stressful events in their lives. It may support children who have a serious illness, experienced hospitalisation, or children for whom domestic violence, abuse, trauma, a family crisis is a part of their lives. Child play therapy can be effective whether the upsetting change in their environment is happening now or occurred in the past.

Play therapy can help children with academic or social problems, learning disabilities, behavioural disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, or anger, as well as those with attention deficit disorders or who are on the autism spectrum.

How does Child Play Therapy Work?

During the therapy session, the child is encouraged to play with types of toys that encourage self-expression and positive behaviours. Arts and crafts, music, dancing, storytelling are also used in play therapy. The therapist uses play and other creative activities to communicate with the child and observe how the child uses these activities to express their thoughts and feelings.

As a counsellor and therapist I am excellently positioned and qualified to offer emotional and behavioural support to children of all ages. I have over 15 years experience as a primary school teacher in both inner city and sub-urban settings and worked as a registered childminder from more than 5 years, offering day to day support for children from a range of backgrounds.

Play therapy occurs in weekly sessions usually around twenty sessions lasting 30 to 45 minutes each.