Play Therapy for Children
A child who has experienced a traumatic event will need help if they are suffering from emotional distress. Play Therapy uses a variety of play and creative arts techniques in order to enable a child to address the trauma safely so that any behavioural problems are relieved and the child is able to realise his/her full potential.
Play Therapy can be of help for children and young people who have:
- Experienced loss through bereavement and family breakdown
- Witnessed violence
- Behavioural difficulties; for example, angry, defiant, withdrawn or children presenting anti-social behaviours
- Been abused or neglected
- Been bullied or are the bullies
- Attachment difficulties; children who have experienced broken attachments through fostering, adoption or bereavement
- Post-traumatic stress
- Experienced living with an illness or a disability of their own or family members
Interventions may be short term task-based or long-term therapy. I meet with the child at the same time each week in order to provide consistency and predictability. I also meet with the child's parents/carers and school in order to review progress and support everyone involved. Sometimes it might be helpful for the parents/carers to take part in the therapy with their child. This can be particularly beneficial for children with difficulties around attachment and making sense of past trauma.
Please contact me in confidence to find out more.
