Play Therapy
CHILDREN’S PLAY THERAPY
WE SPECIALIZE IN CHILDREN’S PLAY THERAPY, WITH 13 CLINICIANS SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO WORK WITH CHILDREN AGES 3+.
Play therapy is an effective form of therapy for children and adolescents ages 2 and above. The conflicts and issues that brought the family to therapy are worked through within the playroom. It is utilized to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991). It is a relationship-based method of treatment where the child is able to grow and change for the better when in a safe and accepting environment. This type of therapy allows children to freely express themselves through toys, sand trays, and art. Toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language. It provides insight and resolution into inner conflicts, and helps the child better understand their world. Children “play out” feelings and problems as adults “talk out” in therapy (Axline).
Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and learning problems, including: children whose problems are related to life stressors, such as divorce, death, relocation, hospitalization, chronic illness, assimilate stressful experiences, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters (Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005).
In child centered play therapy specifically, the child moves through four stages of play: warm up, aggression, regression, and finally mastery. Symptoms tend to increase in the aggression stage as difficult feelings are processed, and then typically resolve by the time the child reaches mastery.
“Enter into children’s play, and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” -Virginia Axline
COMMON PLAY THERAPY GOALS:
Develop new and creative solutions to problems
Build self-efficacy and confidence regarding abilities.
Learn to experience and express emotions.
Increase self-responsibility at home and school.
Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
Improve communication among parents, children, and peers.
Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.
We provide…
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS THAT ARE TYPICALLY 45-50 MINUTE, WEEKLY APPOINTMENTS. WE SPECIALIZE IN WORKING WITH NEURODIVERGENT KIDS.
And focus on challenges such as…
Neurodivergent thinkers & twice exceptional (2E) - ADHD - Autism Spectrum Disorder & Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) - Grief - Anxiety - Depression - Parenting/family systems conflicts - Co-parenting strategies - OCD - Executive functioning skills and coaching - Adoption and Attachment - Inner critic/ Perfectionism - Social skills/ social anxiety - Trauma & PTSD - Body & Gender Dysmorphia - Nonverbal Learning Disorder - PANDAS - Abuse: sex abuse and physical abuse - Problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) - Anger management - Academic difficulties - School Refusal - IEP/ 504 - School Strategies - Panic Attacks - Divorce - Family support post death of a loved one - Adjustment due to temporary stressors - High Conflict Divorce - Career Coaching - Selective mutism - Emotional dysregulation and sensory needs - Adjustment due to season of life - Defiant and oppositional behaviors -
NEURODIVERGENT AFFIRMING THERAPY:
Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.
The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all people, but it is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological or developmental conditions such as ADHD or learning disabilities. The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences (Harvard Medical School).
At Birch Therapy, our goal is to continue to offer an environment of inclusion and acceptance for all people.