Learn to Play Therapy

Learn to Play Therapy is all about helping your child grow in confidence and develop important skills in a fun and supportive way. This approach is backed by research and focuses on building upon your child’s language, social, emotional, and literacy abilities through pretend play.

During each session, your child will engage in pretend play with the therapist in a safe and welcoming environment. Together, they will create stories and play scenarios using toys, which helps your child practice communication and build their imagination, building on play skills over time. These playful interactions are like a gentle practice for how your child will connect and interact with others in real-life situations.

Learn to Play Therapy is designed to empower your child, helping them feel more confident and ready to navigate the world around them

Humanistic Therapy

Humanistic Play Therapy is a gentle and supportive approach that focuses on your child’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The therapist creates a safe and accepting space where your child feels understood and valued for who they are. In the playroom, your child is free to express themselves and explore their emotions through toys and materials in their own way.

To ensure your child feels safe, the therapist may use gentle guidance, like setting boundaries or structuring activities, to help them explore their feelings in a secure and supportive environment.

Who Can Benefit from Humanistic Play Therapy?
This type of therapy can help children who are:

• Struggling to express their emotions or manage big feelings like anger or frustration.
• Experiencing anxiety, trouble sleeping, or fears (e.g., separation anxiety or fear of the dark).
• Feeling low self-esteem, engaging in negative self-talk, or being shy and withdrawn.
• Facing challenges with peers, such as bullying or difficulty making and keeping friends.
• Having a hard time coping with changes like moving to a new house or starting a new school.
• Dealing with trauma, grief, or loss, such as the death of a loved one or family pet, or adjusting to parent separation or divorce.
• Living with additional needs or being a sibling of a child with additional needs.
• Managing individual health conditions or toileting issues.
• Feeling the emotional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Humanistic Play Therapy provides a safe space for your child to work through these challenges, helping them feel more confident, understood, and supported.

Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is a family-focused approach designed to strengthen the bond between parents/carers and their child. It helps build or deepen attachments while empowering not just the child, but the parents and the entire family. This therapy is especially helpful for children facing social, emotional, or behavioral challenges.

How Does Filial Therapy Work?
Parents or carers work closely with a Play Therapist to learn practical Filial play skills. These skills help parents better understand their child’s world, making the child feel more seen and understood. This deeper connection supports healthier emotional expression, better coping strategies, and boosts self-esteem and confidence for both the child and the parents.

Why Choose Filial Therapy?

• It’s an evidence-based approach developed by Drs. Bernard and Louise Guerney and has been successfully used with families for over 60 years.
• It’s flexible and can be tailored to your family’s needs, with sessions available face-to-face or online.
• Typically, therapy involves 16-20 sessions, but this can vary depending on your family’s unique situation.

Filial Therapy is a powerful way to nurture your relationship with your child and support their emotional well-being. Speak with your Play Therapist to explore how this approach can work for your family.