What is Child Play Therapy?

In the process of growing up most children, like adults, face challenges in their lives and sometimes need extra help in getting through the tough times. However, often children do not have the words to describe how they are thinking or feeling.

When children's emotional needs are not met, they become unhappy. Unhappy children reveal their distress both at home and at school through fear, anxiety and sometimes troublesome behaviour.

Play therapy helps children understand muddled feelings and upsetting events that they haven't had the chance to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain what is troubling them children use play to communicate at their own level, and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.

Who is Child Play Therapy for?

Play therapy can bring help and healing to children experiencing a wide variety of difficulties, including but not limited to the following:

• Struggling to learn or concentrate at school or at risk of exclusion.
• Nightmares or disturbed sleep.
• Being bullied, or bullies others.
• Suffering from stress, anxiety or phobias.
• Experiencing a deeply upsetting event.
• Suffered a loss or bereavement.
• Suffering any kind of abuse.
• Eating or sleeping disorders.
• Displays challenging behaviour.
• Withdrawn or unhappy.

The Benefits of Child Play Therapy

Play Therapy Sessions, in any setting has numerous benefits:

• Reduces children's anxiety
• Its increases confidence & concentration
• It facilitates the development of problem solving, coping skills & resilience.
• It helps communication & social skills
• It allows children to learn from mistakes safely
• It helps children to make friends.
• Children learn how to express feelings in constructive ways
• It supports healing & growth
• It can be used when "talking therapy" doesn't work.