What do you do when your child has stopped sleeping, started complaining of physical ailments that pediatricians can’t find a source for or have emotional and physical outbursts that seem unmanageable? Parenting can be a daunting task and when our little ones are out of sorts it’s hard to know where to turn. Counselling can be a wonderful time to pause, assess and regroup with a professional who is trained to know how to support you and your child.

 

Why Play Therapy?

 

Children are still learning how to process their environment and make sense of the world. Their whole body is developing rapidly including the key components of the brain that are essential for integrating information and self-regulation. For example, the part of the brain that is used for language and speech have not yet fully developed making it difficult (and sometimes impossible) for them to form words and thoughts and to organise feelings. This lack of development makes traditional talk therapy ineffective with children. Instead, specialised training allows us to utilise multiple centres of the brain and body to process, resolve and integrate your child’s experiences. This is done through an approach called ‘play therapy’.

 

Our play therapists are trained in techniques and interventions that are specifically designed to help your child process and heal. Play therapy techniques are aimed at helping children to identify, re-organise and resolve experiences in order to help them make sense of their world. Play therapy can increase your child’s ability to identify and regulate their emotional states. This process can empower children to feel safe and secure.

 

Parent/Guardian Involvement:

 

We know that children need continual guidance and support outside of each counselling session to promote and foster healing. For this reason play therapy always includes at least one primary caregiver throughout the process in order to effectively support your child’s journey.