WHAT IS PLAY THERAPY?
Children may struggle to talk about how they are feeling or what is troubling them, as they may not know how to. Their upset and distress can be shown through anxiety, fear and difficult behaviours.
Play is a child’s natural form of self-expression, which enables them to play out their muddled feelings and worries in a safe way and at their own pace without feeling interrogated.
Play Therapy is a gentle counselling service for children and young people. Sand, clay, creative arts, musical instruments, puppets, role-play toys and therapeutic stories are amongst the therapist’s toolkit to enable children to play out their inner thoughts and feelings.
Play Therapy refers to a method of psychotherapy which helps children to work through emotional and behavioural issues and helps to address their problems. Play is the language of children, and when toys or play media are used, the item chosen by the child can communicate messages and feelings which can be difficult for the child to communicate verbally. Through play, the child is encouraged to create a world that they can master, practicing skills and overcoming frightening feelings with the aim of conquering their upsets and traumas. Modern, non-directive Play Therapy is based on Carl Rogers person centred approach and theories of child development, attachment and separation. Virginia Axline, a student of Rogers, was instrumental in developing client centred play therapy which gives children and adults the opportunity to play out and express their feelings and problems.
Play Therapy provides a free and safe space where the child and therapist meet. The child has the opportunity to explore at their own pace those issues from the past of present, conscious or unconscious that are affecting their lives int he here and now. Play Therapy enables the child to access their inner resources and resilience through the therapeutic alliance allowing growth and change to occur. Parental consultation occur during the initial meeting and through regular reviews which occur throughout the child's therapy to discuss progress. We aim to support the family along the way, providing advice, guidance and recommendations in relation to parenting and/or interventions related to behavioural change and building and strengthening the bonds of attachment with your child. Please see below further information about individual and group play therapy as well as frequently asked questions.
*Please note that there is currently a wait list for these services.
Individual Play Therapy sessions are one to one counselling sessions in which the child is provided a safe therapeutic space for the child to explroe their issues. At Simply Just Be, we provide a safe therapeutic space for the child to explore difficulties and issues. We provide a range of creative mediums for the child to utilize within the therapy room including sand, clay, music, puppets, arts/craft, role-play and narratives. The therapeutic sessions take place weekly and the number of sessions are reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the needs of the child.
Group Play Therapy Sessions are suited to children who are able to work in a group setting and have experienced similar difficulties in their life. Play Therapy groups vary in size and depend upon the presenting difficulties and reason for referral.
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