Play Therapy
Play Therapy is a model of treatment used with children who are typically ages 3 - 12. Play is the natural language of children. In play therapy it is their opportunity to play out their feelings and problems just as adults talk during therapy. Through Play Therapy children communicate their inner world and heal. Research shows that Play Therapy is an effective treatment model and typically works best when caregivers and/or family are actively involved.
WHAT TO EXPECT
1. Phone Consultation
I provide a FREE 15-20 minute consultation with the caregiver(s) of the child to discuss the reasons for treatment, expectations, and scheduling. It's important for you to find the correct therapist for yourself and your family. Here you have the opportunity to see if I'm the right fit and to ask any questions you may have about the therapy process or my therapeutic style.
2. Schedule and Complete Paperwork
During our consultation we will schedule our sessions. I will send all paperwork to be completed PRIOR to our first session. This may include Child History Form and other assessment reports that may be needed.
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3. Assessment/Evaluations
The first four- six sessions will consist of an intake evaluation for me to get to know you and your child/children.  First I will meet with the caregivers ALONE. This gives us the opportunity to discuss concerns and child's history without the child present. Second session is an evaluation of how your child plays, interactions during play, and other data that I gather. This may be done through a parent-child play observation session when parent is given tasks to play with child and therapist is not involved OR a family play meeting that therapist will directly guide family through. During the family play meeting I will get to meet and interact with all family members living in the household in order to form a comprehensive assessment. Third, I will meet with one caregiver and the child. During this session I evaluate the child's capacity for focused topic discussion and individual play therapy. Fourth session will be held again with the caregivers alone. This will give us an opportunity to discuss feedback on assessments and review each caregivers family history. Our own parenting can be effected by how we were parented as children and it is important for the therapist to understand larger family dynamics. At this time, we will also develop a treatment plan together. If necessary I will add other evaluation sessions in before the feedback session.
4. Weekly Therapy
Weekly sessions there after will follow a specialized treatment plan to address your family/child's needs and build strengths. About once a month your weekly session will be replaced with a mindful parenting meeting to help you as the caregiver address your child's behaviors.
5. Ending Therapy
When treatment goals have been met, we will begin planning for the completion of therapy. This is a collaborative process involving the therapist, parents/caregivers, and the child. To support a healthy and thoughtful transition, we will typically plan for 2–4 sessions to prepare the child for the end of therapy, with the final session date shared in advance. This allows time to reflect on progress, celebrate growth, and help the child feel comfortable with the transition. When clinically appropriate, we may also gradually reduce sessions to bi-weekly or monthly appointments before completing therapy. Each child and family is unique, so this process will always be tailored to best support the individual needs of your child and family.
