Play is vital to children’s development and is their main vehicle for engaging the world around them. Play therapy uses children’s natural curiosity and innate creativity to help them learn novel ways to solve problems and cope with stressful feelings. Working with a play therapist can help children who are struggling to manage feelings that are too big for them to manage alone. Children can comfortably explore their inner emotional world and express their thoughts and feelings within a therapeutic space that welcomes their natural playfulness.

At the practice, play therapy is individually tailored to each child’s temperament and needs. Sessions use toys, games, and creative activities to engage children and help them understand and identify their feelings, regulate their emotions, improve social and communication skills, improve focus and frustration tolerance, and learn coping skills with new ways to solve problems. At the same time, therapists work closely with caregivers and other family members to help them attune and respond to the child’s needs, and enhance the quality of attachment. Play therapy is the most effective way to treat young children experiencing social, emotional, behavioral, or learning difficulties, and children benefit from the opportunity to work through difficult issues with play.