PLAY THERAPY
in Seattle
Helping Your Child Create Better Relationships
Maybe your child feels sad, is withdrawn, or is unable to focus and has numerous melt downs a week. Or worse, they constantly get into fights with you, their siblings or other children.
Then, there might be days when your child feels sad or anxious all of the time, showing signs of low self-esteem and does not want to leave your side, has difficulty sleeping, or is moody and throws unexpected tantrums. You might feel embarrassed and helpless about how your child is acting. I understand how difficult that can be.
Getting help from a play therapist like me can help your child uncover the feelings beneath the behaviors and give voice to their needs.
It is hard to watch your child struggle
How Does Play Therapy Work?
Therapy with children looks different that therapy with adults. As a Play Therapist, I use specific toys to help children communicate about their issues. Think of this type of therapy as if toys are the words and the act of playing is the language. Additionally, familial relationships, as well as a balanced and structured home life play a major role in a child’s development. With this in mind and as part of treatment, I help parents review their skills and interactions within their family, which helps to build a strong foundation of support at home.
Play Therapy is a theory and technique that works. It helps children work through their issues and overcome them in time. They will learn valuable skills and, what’s more important, therapeutic play makes therapy sessions fun and helps the child to look forward to them. I understand how unsafe and confusing the world can feel for children. It’s my priority to make a child feel comfortable during a therapy session. In fact, it is the best way to get to the root cause of any issue.
My Office is a Calm and Safe Place
Exploring
Think of the therapeutic playroom as a sacred place to work through and explore painful fears, anxieties and inadequacies.
Expressing
Play allows children to distance themselves from difficult feelings and memories through symbolic expression, while using the toys as the medium to freely express these feelings.
Experiencing
During this special play time, children learn to solve problems and learn to change their negative behaviors while creating meaning and organizing their experiences to make sense of the world around them.
Children learn to respect themselves.
Children learn that their feelings are acceptable.
Children learn to express their feelings responsibly.
Children learn to assume responsibility for themselves.
Children learn to be creative and resourceful in confronting problems.
Children learn self-control and self-direction.
Children gradually learn, at a feeling level, to accept themselves.
Children learn to make choices and be responsible for their choices.
Garry L. Landreth, The Art of The Relationship (2012)
