Insights that will change you and your family. Therapy to heal, rediscover yourself, and foster healthy relationships.
 

Insightful therapy

Child and
Play therapy

 
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I utilize child-centered play therapy and directive play therapy to help children feel heard, accepted, and understood. When adults face challenges and struggle to find the words and feelings they are experiencing, they seek out ways to alleviate, process, and talk through their struggle and depend on their words and experience to aid them through. However, children are still developing ways to cope, express, process, seek support, and problem solve. Children start developing their capacity for abstract thinking and reasoning after the age of 12, which makes their ways of processing and understanding the world different than adults.

Children often struggle to communicate their internal worlds, process their pain, and understand their big emotions. Often, children express their pain in confusing ways that are difficult to respond to such as sleep issues, frequent “bad” color days at school, behavioral problems (hitting, throwing, saying mean things), emotional outbursts and anxiety (clinginess, stomach aches), or bathroom problems.

Play Therapy

Play therapy provides a safe environment and relationship where children are free to express themselves through their first language of play. Children play out their view of the world, the problems they face, and their view of themselves and others.  They try-on different approaches to problem-solving, experience their emotions, and uncover ways to understand and manage their stress. The therapeutic relationship is an important part of the change process. I am active with the child as they express and process their experience. I aid them through healing, gaining confidence, developing social skills, strengthening their sense of Self, learning adaptive ways to cope, and expressing themselves. I am with them every step of the way.

Your Role In Play Therapy

An important part of the change process is you, the parent. Parents are involved in their child’s treatment through parent-only sessions. You are the expert on your family. Together we will work toward strengthening your relationship with your child. I can offer new approaches to facilitating your child's growth, gaining new insights into their world, and re-discovering your joy in parenting.

Play therapy helps children who struggle with:

  • Frequent tantrums and anger outbursts 

  • Anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, Perfectionism 

  • Low self-esteem and negative self-talk 

  • Behavioral problems at home & school 

  • Resolving trauma including sexual, emotional, neglect, & physical abuse 

  • Divorce, separation, life transitions 

  • Social/peer relationship issues and boundaries 

  • Child-parent relationship strain

  • Self-control and impulsiveness 

  • Focus and inattention 

  • Academic challenges 

  • Grief/loss 

 
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I assist you, the parent(s) by: 

  • Ongoing parent consultation during treatment

  • Assessing for biological and developmental roots for areas of struggle such as sensory processing issues and temperament mismatches 

  • Strengthening your relationship with your child 

  • Aiding in in feeling self-empowerment as a parent

  • Gaining insights into your child’s world and uncovering ways to strengthen your relationship at home, based on your child’s treatment 

  • Skills training and support

  • Collaborating and providing you with the knowledge to empower you with an understanding of how the trauma, family changes, and difficulties manifest in the behaviors/emotions your child engages in and expresses

  • Reconnecting with your inner child and self to help you connect with your child 

  • Healing and grieving the expectations vs. reality of parenthood

  • Explore your emotional experiences and expression 

  • Child-Parent Relationship Therapy


I help your child by: 

  • Developing a personalized treatment plan for your child and family 

  • Using a developmentally appropriate treatment of Child-Centered play therapy

  • Integrating other techniques when needed 

  • Creating a safe, accepting, child-led environment where they can feel safe to express themselves

  • Fostering social, coping, and communication skills 

  • Empowering your child to feel more confident, connected, and capable 

  • Aiding your child in processing the stressful experience and/or traumatic event they experienced

  • Aiding your child in developing healthy ways to express themselves and relate to others  

 
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Learn More About Play Therapy

 
 
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