“Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” - Virginia Axline
Why Play therapy for kids?
Research shows…
Play Therapy is Effective:
Children who participate in play therapy typically perform significantly better on emotional and behavioral outcome measures compared to children who receive no treatment. These findings confirm that play therapy is at least as effective as conventional child psychotherapy. Importantly, when parents are actively involved in the therapeutic process, the positive outcomes are even greater, demonstrating the value of relational support and caregiver collaboration.
Play Therapy Supports Emotional Regulation and Neural Integration:
Neuroscience research shows that self-directed, affect-rich play encourages neuroplasticity, helping children form new connections between emotion and cognition in the brain. This neural flexibility underlies improved coping and resilience .
Play Builds Self-awareness and Social-emotional Growth:
Group and individual play interventions consistently enhance skills like empathy, self-regulation, adaptability, and social interaction among young children .
Emotional Support for Children
If your child is having a hard time and nothing seems to be helping, you're not alone. You're doing your best, and it makes sense to feel overwhelmed when your child is struggling. Big feelings can be confusing for kids, especially when they don’t yet have the words to express them. Play therapy offers a gentle, developmentally appropriate way for children to explore their emotions, build coping skills, and feel more understood, all through the language of play. Through relational depth and emphatic connection, play therapists provide responses back in the child’s language, reducing the child’s heightened emotional state.
Whether your child is acting out, feeling anxious, or adjusting to a big change, I am here to support both of you. In our first conversation, we’ll take time to understand your concerns, your child’s needs, and how we can work together to help them feel more connected, confident, and calm.
Source:
Parker, M., Ray, D. C., & Jones, L. D. (2021). Play therapy with children exhibiting disruptive behaviors: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(1), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000141
Lin, Y.-W. D., & Bratton, S. C. (2015). A meta-analytic review of child-centered play therapy approaches across age, gender, and presenting issues. International Journal of Play Therapy, 24(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038705
Parent Support
Parenting can bring so much love and meaning, but it can also feel exhausting, lonely, and full of self-doubt. If you're feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or unsure how to support your child, you're not failing—you’re human. Parent support in therapy is a space just for you. A space to breathe, reflect, and feel heard without judgment.
Referring to supporting research, parent involvement leads to greater outcomes for children engaging in play therapy. In our work together, we’ll explore what’s feeling heavy, what’s working, and what you need to feel more grounded in your role as a parent. You’ll learn ways to respond to your child with more clarity and confidence, while also taking care of your own emotional well-being. You don’t have to carry it all on your own. I’m here to support you, so you can feel more steady, connected, and supported in the day-to-day.