Play Therapy – Information for Parents & Carers

How Play Therapy can help your child

Play therapy uses play to help children work through emotional, social and behavioural difficulties and make sense of confusing feelings and upsetting events.  Rather than having to find words to explain what is troubling them, children use play to communicate at their own pace and at their level without feeling threatened or scrutinised.

Play Therapy gives children emotional support and helps them to understand and name their feelings and thoughts.  At times, children may play out difficult and traumatic life experiences and the therapist helps the child make sense of the past which, in turn, helps the child cope better in the future.  Children also gain self esteem, self control and social confidence by building on their existing strengths, which gives them more resilience to cope with difficult experiences.  It is a non-directive form of therapy which allows the child to lead the direction and pace of the work.

Play therapy is an appropriate intervention for any child experiencing:

  • anxiety
  • bullying
  • emotional or behavioural issues
  • low confidence and self-esteem
  • communication difficulties
  • delayed or uneven development
  • relationship and friendship issues
  • family disruptions such as illness or divorce, trauma, bereavement or loss
  • bonding and attachment issues
  • ADHD
  • selective mutism
  • poor play skills
  • school phobia or school refusal.

Click here to read about our Play Therapists: Rosie Dymond, Jenny Reid, Sarah Burrell and Neetu Missra