Play is the natural language children use to express themselves. They do not have the ability to verbalize their feelings the way that adults do, making talk therapy inappropriate for children.  Challenging behaviors and “acting out” are ways in which a child informs the world how they feel. In play therapy, children are able to reenact their difficult, adverse experiences, and express their emotions through play activities.  Through play therapy, I help children identify what they are struggling with, and develop healthier ways of coping and communicating.  Creating a relationship with a therapist allows for the child a sense of safety in working through these experiences and facilitates the emotional healing process.

Benefits of Play Therapy

• Decreased aggression
• Increase in self-confidence
• Empowerment
• Increase in a child’s ability to adaptively express emotion
• Self-regulation
• Healing trauma