THERAPEUTIC PLAY SERVICES
WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC PLAY?
87% of children I've worked with have shown an improvement in their behaviour*
* Results taken from all clients 2010-2018
Research findings support the effectiveness of play therapy for a variety of social, emotional, educational, and behavioural concerns including, but not limited to:
•Anxiety/nervousness
•Anger and aggression
•Low self-esteem/confidence
•Poor concentration
•Difficulty in making friends
Play therapy is also helpful for children experiencing difficult life situations such as divorce, grief, relocation, illness or disability, domestic violence or abuse
"My child has become more outgoing, more relaxed, more confident and more accepting of change. "
Mother of 10 year-old-boy
Therapeutic play can also involve work with parents/carers which is called Filial Play - filial meaning 'son or daughter of' in latin. Other short-term, solution-focused work is aimed at small groups of children experiencing similar difficulties or life changes e.g. transferring to secondrary school or friendship and bullying issues.
Therapeutic play covers a number of different services offered to help children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Growing up brings many changes and challenges for a child. Sometimes children need a little help understanding and dealing with these changes. Therapeutic Play is a gentle way to help children understand and communicate their worries using a variety of creative arts techniques. It is usually conducted one-on-one with a trained Play Therapist and is called Play Therapy. Once a trusting relationship is developed and children feel free to explore and express their feelings and fears, their behaviour often improves as a result.