why play therapy?

Play is a child’s way of exploring and making sense of his/her world, especially the hard stuff. For little people with big, often scary feelings, the world can be an overwhelming place. Play Therapy is designed to help you and your child navigate the hard times. My role as a play therapist is to join with you on that healing journey.

Play is a developmentally appropriate way of learning, growing and communicating.

A registered play therapist is a licensed mental health professional who has been specifically trained to understand the nuances of, and communicate in, the child’s own language in order to facilitate healing, improve self-regulation, increase sense of self-worth, reduce anxiety and increase problem-solving skills.

The toys in the playroom are simply the tools we use to facilitate that work, the play therapist being the most important of those tools.

Here’s Andrew to share a bit about that communication thing…..

A peek into our playroom…..

Play Therapy is not “just play.” As a Registered Play Therapist I’ve had extensive training in a number of evidence-based modalities and, depending on individual needs, will implement both directive and non-directive approaches in my work with children and families. I typically utilize techniques grounded in Experiential Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, Theraplay and Sandtray approaches as I find them to be highly effective….and fun!