How can I tell if my child needs therapy?

If you are worried about your child’s emotional well-being or behaviour, if you feel they are struggling in any way and you don’t know how to help, or you have tried to help and they are still having issues, I would recommend Play Therapy as an intervention. It can help with all sorts of issues such as anxiety (specific or general), peer issues (having trouble making or keeping friends), sibling issues, anger issues, difficulty regulating emotions, lack of confidence, self-esteem issues, divorce or separation, domestic violence, abuse, bereavement, illness, sleep disturbance…

This list is by no means exhaustive so, even if your child’s problem does not appear, it would be worth getting in touch to discuss. I can offer informal, totally confidential advice about the best thing for you and your child.

I’ve decided that my child does need therapy, so what do I do now?

The first step would be to get in touch. You can do this initially by using our contact form. You can provide as little or as much information as you want on the form and I will be in touch to discuss whether Play or Creative Arts Therapy might be the right thing for your child.  We would then have a free initial assessment to meet and discuss further. If we both decide to go ahead with the therapy, we would arrange a time for your child to come and meet me and see the play room. I might ask your child to fill in a short questionnaire. Once this has happened we can agree on a mutually convenient time to meet. There might be a waiting list depending on the number of clients at any one time, however I will make every effort to see your child as soon as possible.  Schools are usually open to allowing children to attend therapy during school hours, however I also offer evening and weekend sessions.

How do I broach the idea of therapy with my child?

It is best to be transparent with your child. I advise that parents with older children (7+ years), have an open conversation with their child and explain how coming to therapy will help them feel better. I would also emphasise that the child will not be required to talk about their problems during sessions – often this can be very scary or impossible for children. The great thing about Play Therapy is that it works without the child having to articulate the problem. Parents with younger children can refer to therapy as ‘special time’ and tell the child that they are coming to play. This is something we can discuss further in the initial assessment. I often find that once the child meets me and sees all the toys they are more than happy to come along.

How long will my child have to attend therapy for?

The honest answer is, it depends. I offer a minimum of 12 sessions for all children. That is once a week, for 45-50 minutes per session for 12 weeks. For most children this is the minimum they require for positive change to occur. A few children will require less if their issue is a one off – if, for example, they are nervous about an upcoming hospital stay. Some children will require more sessions. This is something parent and therapist will discuss through out the intervention so that we are all in agreement. Of course, you as the parent will always have the final say.

What happens if it doesn’t help my child?

A high percentage of children - between 74 and 83% - who attend Play Therapy show a positive improvement in behaviour and emotional well-being, and do not require any further interventions. This does mean, however, that for around 12% of children, Play Therapy is not the right intervention. If I feel this is the case at any point, whether it be on initial assessment or during therapy, we will discuss this together and I will be able to offer advice on alternative therapies or interventions that might be more suitable for your child. In my experience, almost all children show a positive improvement after attending Play Therapy.

Am I able to sit in on sessions?

The short answer is, no! A child needs to feel that they can express themselves fully and having a parent or carer in the room often inhibits this. Being in the room also undermines the confidentiality that exists between therapist and child. If the child is anxious about coming to sessions, I might allow the parent to come in to the room to get the child settled, but they would then have to leave. I will never force a child to stay in the room if they do not want to. In my experience, once the child has seen the room and have met me, they are more than happy to stay. If a child is adamant that they do not want to stay week after week, it might be that they are not ready for therapy at this point in time.