Play Therapy

Do you have the school or daycare calling you frequently based on your child’s disruptive behaviors? Does your child seem more withdrawn and quiet than usual? Does your teen lash out, self-harm, or have aggressive tendencies when dysregulated?  Do you often feel like you don’t know what to do, who to call, or how to help your child? Is your family going through a difficult time, situation, or event, in which your child could benefit from a safe place to express his or her feelings?
 
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions or have questions of your own, we can help. Our therapists are trained in play therapy so that they can provide each child with a means of communication no matter what age or developmental level. Many adults expect children to communicate with them in the same way adults communicate; however, many times, the child is unable to express and communicate in these ways because their brains have not fully developed to be able to do so effectively.  Play therapy allows children to express themselves in the way they know how. Play therapy teaches parents how to best communicate with their child to create a better functioning family unit. Play therapy improves self-esteem, teaches children how to express their feelings in healthy ways, be understood in their method of communication, and work through trauma in a safe place at their own pace.
 
Many types of play therapy exist and many interventions can help your child based on the need. Your therapist will describe the type of therapy they will be providing and how to best help your child and your family. Your therapist will communicate effectively with you and involve you in therapy to create a lasting change for your child and your family. Often, children benefit from both individual therapy and family therapy.  Family therapy will teach you ways to communicate and change behaviors appropriately and will provide support to your child.  Your therapist will discuss recommendations on type of therapy and frequency of therapy with you.

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Attachment-Based Therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy is focused on the interaction between a parent or guardian and the child. This type of therapy helps create and maintain a unique bond between the child and parent/guardian and is often used in families with newly adopted children, foster children, or children who may have been abused or neglected during infancy or earlier stages of development.
 
This therapy occurs in stages and will help teach your child that he or she can rely on others to get emotional, physical, or mental needs met. Your therapist will give exercises to practice at home, as well as engage you and your child in activities during the therapy session to strengthen the relationship.
 
Your child will show a decrease in negative symptoms, such as avoidance, low self-esteem, and any disruptive or aggressive behaviors and will improve child-parent relationship. It can increase both the child’s self-esteem and the parent’s self-esteem to effectively care for the child and improve functioning in social, emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development.

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Meeting Your Needs

Many children have difficulty expressing their emotions in ways that, we, as adults, can understand. Children can become aggressive simply because they feel frustrated that they must leave a situation and often need a simple validation that someone understands that frustration. Once validated, the child can move on and change activities more easily. It’s common to feel like you’re doing something wrong or are unsure of how to approach certain situations with your child. Therapy can help.

Therapy is beneficial for both parents and children to understand and communicate with themselves and each other. Many children are now involved in play therapy or other types of therapy to address slow development, relational problems, difficulty attaching, problems in school, being bullied, or to work through divorce, abuse, grief and many other life circumstances.

What next?

Here is your chance to helping make a difference in your child’s life.  It is time to stop living in fear, disappointment, exhaustion, and frustration with your child.  You can get involved in therapy services, find out more about what to expect, and get any other questions answered to see if play or attachment-based therapy is a good fit for your child and your family simply by calling the number below or sending an email with your questions.

If you have hesitation, know that this is normal. We often fear the unknown, change, and the stigma of “therapy”.  It is up to you to decide which hard to choose.  Are you going to choose the hardships of continuing living your life the way you are?  Are you going to acknowledge and admit that you may not be able to do this by yourself?  Are you going to make that first step by calling or emailing to best help your child and family heal, grow, and thrive in relationships, school, and at home?

You get to choose your hard.  Something led you to this page and to this website. Make the call. Choose the hard that will lead to healing and growth because you’ve already made it this far.  The first step is over. You can Schedule your first appointment by calling (913) 735-0577 or click the "Schedule an Appointment" button at the top of the page.

Child Counselors/Play Therapists

Jennifer Jackson-Rice
Lori Cull-Deshmukh