Play Therapy

Play therapy is child led counselling that uses play and creative arts. It is usually one-to-one sessions between the child and the therapist. 

The child has access to creative materials that can include:

paint, clay, sand, puppets, musical instruments, dressing up

Play is a child's natural way of expressing themselves. Instead of needing to talk through what is troubling them, if they prefer, children can use play to express their feelings and problems. The therapist creates a safe space for children, helping them to work through difficulties, try out new ways of behaving and develop resilience. 

Because play therapy uses play and creative media for expression and is not reliant on verbal expression it is suitable for a wide range of children, and can help explore issues including:

anxiety, anger, bereavement, bullying, nightmares, family break-up, communication difficulties.

A play therapy session is usually about 45 minutes. It is held in a confidential space so the child can feel safe to play however they choose. This could be a room in the child's school or in the therapist's playroom.

A child can come out of a session having had lots of fun, but other times they can have worked really hard on emotional issues and might need some time to transition back to whatever they need to do next.

The number of sessions needed depends on the child and can be discussed with the therapist.