Play Therapy

For children, Play Therapy is utilized in place of talk therapy.  I have a playroom which is very inviting for children.  They typically do not want to leave the office.  Children are made to feel comfortable and play is utilized to connect with them, to understand their thoughts and feelings, to communicate with them, and to support them in developing skills and gaining insight – similarly to adults.  I utilize the same philosophy with children that I use with adults – but the method differs in that the language of play is utilized rather than just talk therapy.

Children are uniquely positioned to benefit from therapy as their primary thoughts about the world are in process and they have not yet become “set” in their ways of being and in their perceptions about the world.  It is much more timely to address a child’s symptomology sooner rather than later as there is unique opportunity to create alternate pathways of perception in the mind and prevent negative processes from taking hold of one’s psyche.

Play is utilized to teach children healthy pro-social behaviors, and parents are given the tools to reinforce newly learned skills so that they can set in healthy and adaptive ways.

Parents are an important part of the process when their child is in therapy.  I meet you for 10-15 minutes at the beginning of every session and consider you a partner in the process.  You will be given support and coaching on how to build the qualities, behaviors, and emotions that you want for your child and those with which he/she struggles.