Parenting is tough business. As parents, we fear "messing up" in a big way! And, because communication with children can be difficult, play therapy is often used with children because children often lack the verbal and cognitive skills to communicate their feelings and thoughts with words.

Children are extremely imaginative and creative, so play therapy lets them express themselves in a way that feels natural, safe, and comfortable. Most commonly, play therapy is used with children under 12. Some kids are comfortable speaking to a therapist from the beginning, while others open up after a few weeks of play. Even teens who think they are too old "to play" respond well to a combination of art therapy and traditional counseling.

The "rules" are explained during the first session with your child. They have 45 minutes each meeting to play with or use anything in the room and can involve me as much as they like. But they can't harm themselves, the materials, furniture, or the therapist.

Confidentiality is explained in a way that your child can understand - everything talked about stays in the room except if they say anything about wanting to hurt themselves or someone else, or if someone has hurt them. The weekly sessions are spent doing the activities that your child wants, involving the therapist as they see fit.

During their time together, your child’s counselor asks questions that gives your child a chance to reflect on their emotions and thoughts, and perhaps learn new ways of sharing feelings and needs. Through these techniques, children learn to identify and express feelings appropriately, as well as how to put words to things like anger, frustration, and embarrassment. Read a more detailed article by clicking here.