To learn more, schedule your free introductory phone call here: https://calendly.com/alison-play/introductory-phone-call
You are probably researching play therapy because your child is having some tough behaviors and struggles that cause him problems at home and school.
At SchoolPlay, we believe that all behaviors are a form of communication. We see those behaviors as your child’s way of saying that he’s feeling confused; he’s doing the best he can to get his needs met with the understanding of himself and the world that he has right now.
In play therapy, we will provide him with an environment where he will be able to express himself fully through the language of play and explore changing how he sees himself. We will help him change by providing a relationship that allows him to experiment with new behaviors (and ways of being), so that he is able to practice getting his needs met in a healthier way.
We will also support you as a parent in monthly meetings just for us adults to brainstorm and problem-solve your most difficult parenting challenges. We could all use more support right now.
Learn more below…
We specialize in working with preschool and elementary-age children who are struggling with big feelings, anxieties, traumas, and challenging behaviors that disrupt home, school, and social life.
Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a therapeutic approach designed to help young children express themselves and process their feelings through play. Since children often communicate their emotions and experiences better through play than through words, CCPT provides a safe and supportive relationship for them to explore and express their thoughts and feelings, make sense of them, and feel better.
Providing CCPT in school is especially valuable, because CCPT has been proven to reduce disruptive classroom behaviors and boost academic achievement.
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Play as a Language
-Your child will engage in play with toys and materials chosen to help them express themselves.
-Your child’s play therapist will observe and interact with your child, helping them communicate challenging feelings and experiences through imagination.
-Unlike traditional talk therapy, your child won’t be pressured to verbalize their feelings, because most children have not yet developed the cognitive ability.
02
Child-Centered
-Play therapy is designed to be safe, welcoming, and child-friendly.
-Children are encouraged to explore at their own pace, which helps them feel secure and open.
-One of the major goals of play therapy is to improve your child’s emotional regulation and problem-solving abilities in a developmentally-appropriate way.
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Support for Parents
-You will also receive monthly guidance and support from your child’s play therapist on how to understand your child's behavior and emotions.
-Your child’s play therapist may provide insights on how to reinforce what your child learns in therapy at home.
Evidence-Base
Research has shown that child-centered play therapy helps children with most concerns, including: anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, conduct problems, aggression/anger management, trauma-related issues, social issues, and adjusting to divorce or other life changes.
You can read more about the evidence here: https://www.a4pt.org/page/SocialEmotionalBehav
In summary…
Child-centered play therapy can be a wonderful way for your child to navigate their emotions and develop important skills. By engaging in play therapy, your child will have the chance to express themselves in a way that feels natural and safe.
The Association for Play Therapy’s Parent’s Corner also provides some wonderful resources for parents looking for more information: https://www.a4pt.org/page/ParentsCornerHomePag
Principles for Relationships with Children
by Garry L. Landreth in Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship
I am not all knowing.
Therefore, I will not even attempt to be.
I need to be loved.
Therefore, I will be open to loving children.
I want to be more accepting of the child in me.
Therefore, I will with wonder and awe allow children to illuminate my world.
I know so little about the complex intricacies of childhood.
Therefore, I will allow children to teach me.
I learn my best from and am impacted most by my personal struggles.
Therefore, I will join with children in their struggles.
I sometimes need a refuge.
Therefore, I will provide a refuge for children.
I like it when I am fully accepted for the person I am.
Therefore, I will strive to experience and appreciate the person of the child.
I make mistakes. They are a declaration of the way I am - human and fallible.
Therefore, I will be tolerant of the humanness of children.
I react with emotional internalization and expression to my world of reality.
Therefore, I will relinquish the grasp I have on reality and try to enter the world as experienced by the child.
It feels good to be an authority, to provide answers.
Therefore, I will need to work hard to protect children from me!
I am more fully me when I feel safe.
Therefore I will be consistent in my interactions with children.
I am the only person who can live my life.
Therefore, I will not attempt to rule a child's life.
I have learned most of what I know from experiencing.
Therefore, I will allow children to experience.
The hope I experience and the will to live come from within me.
Therefore, I will recognize and confirm the child's will and selfhood.
I cannot make children's hurts and fears and frustrations and disappointments go away.
Therefore, I will soften the blow.
I experience fear when I am vulnerable.
Therefore, I will with kindness, gentleness, and tenderness touch the inner world of the vulnerable child.