Play therapy

Play therapy is to children what counselling is to adults.

It is a child-led, therapeutic approach to support children who are struggling emotionally in some way. Children often don't have the words to articulate how they are feeling. During play therapy children have the opportunity to explore how they are feeling, express themselves creatively and make sense of confusing and sometimes traumatic events in their lives through play and creative arts.

How it can help

Play therapy can reduce emotional distress by providing children with an opportunity to 'play out' their muddled feelings.

When children process their feelings and experiences repeatedly in this way they can begin to make sense of them and better understand themselves. With the insight and support of a play therapist they can develop new coping strategies, heal and move forward.

When to seek help

When children are struggling it is often evident in their behaviour. Play therapy is for children who may be experiencing:

  • low self-esteem or a significant lack of confidence

  • overwhelming feelings (anger, sadness, fear)

  • being withdrawn or disruptive

  • struggling to sleep or eat

  • not able to attend to their learning

  • finding friendships hard

Play therapy can also support children who have experienced a significant or traumatic life event, such as:

  • change or disruption to home life (parental conflict or separation)

  • loss or bereavement

  • substance misuse, alcohol abuse or domestic abuse

  • experience or physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect

  • or witnessing or being involved in an accident eg. car crash or house fire

There are many other reasons why play therapy supports children. Please contact us to discuss individual needs.

Support offered

With parental consent, we take referrals from school staff working with children and together plan how best to support individual needs.

Weekly sessions in school would generally last between 30-50 minutes. They would take place on a 1:1 basis in a confidential space.

Regular reviews would determine how many sessions a child was offered, although we would recommend a minimum of 12.