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Children’s Counseling

Child Centered Play Therapy

Children are invited to come into a specially designed playroom with toys appropriate to encourage and foster working through conflicts, stressors, and developmental transitions to encourage a child’s natural language of play.  This removes a child’s difficulty of accessing their less preferred mode of verbal communication and allows more direct communication within the developing brain and nervous system.  The therapist is present to reflect, encourage, support, and accept the child’s chosen content resulting in the child’s natural growth and development.  Changes are often seen across environments.

Filial Play Therapy brings parents into the play process to foster communication and understanding. 

This type of intervention is very similar to child centered play therapy except the parent learns to step into the role of the facilitator and eventually learns to use special play time at home, eventually phasing out the need for professional intervention.

Teen Therapy using expressive treatment modalities

Teens often have difficulty simply sitting and talking with an adult they do not know well.  For this reason, art and expressive therapy supplies are always available for teens to make it more comfortable to open up and talk at their own pace.

Theraplay activities for parents and children

Theraplay is a different type of play therapy used when the parent and therapist decide that the parent needs support in actively stepping into a more directive role with the child.  Play activities are designed to target challenge areas for the child and can be repeated and used at home.  The parent is empowered in a directive role during these play activities at the same time as having fun with the child.  This leads to a healthy balance in the parent child relationship and problems often resolve.

Safe and Sound Protocol 

The Safe and Sound Protocol is often used in play therapy sessions to support autonomic regulation, supporting a child's ability to calm and soothe while they play.