Therapy with children

When providing therapy to children I engage through the expressive arts as children naturally explore and express through play and creativity as they navigate and process their experiences, building and assimilating new strengths as they go forth on their journey of psychological and emotional development.  Movement, music, story telling, sculpture, painting, drawing, puppetry, costume and mask making as well as video creations and sand tray and nature exploration are all available for the child in therapy.

Sand tray is a method developed by Dora Kalff and Margaret Lowenfeld where children can explore in sand and develop visually symbolic “worlds”  often with water and other human or animal figures or objects from nature (shells, bark, stones, etc.)  These worlds often reveal aspects of the child’s experience and are a direct way for the child to process their experience and strengthen their developing identity.  

My studio/therapy space is a comfortable and stimulating, sunlit filled room that opens on to a deck, side yard and garden with a bluestone boulder wall that many children are inspired to climb and walk along.  Some children benefit from physical engagement and forceful play such as battling with foam noodles as play swords or play that requires more space that they can exert themselves in. The deck space and side yard are utilized for this play exploration. Further afield on the property is a woodland, creek and small waterfall and several ponds for nature based therapy. Children may look for and find frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles and a variety of insects.  Many children are drawn to navigate the stream rock by rock, build bridges over it, and search the water for tad poles, cray fish, and minnows. I do request a consent form for exploration in nature beyond the studio and adjacent yard area.  

What you can tell children about play therapy   A play therapist helps children with anything that is bothering them. This can be through talking directly about it but most often children feel more comfortable using their own preferred language which may take many forms in play and creative expression. 

Children whose parents have separated or divorced. I have provided therapy to many children who have experienced the separation or divorce of their parents.  While providing therapy for the child is my main focus I do offer some counsel and resources for each parent in their efforts to provide healthy parenting for the child and to relate with each other respectfully as they navigate their coparenting/parallel parenting relationship. 

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A small black house with a wooden deck outside, surrounded by greenery and trees in a natural landscape.
Child drawing a simple cat with a round face, pointy ears, big eyes, a small nose, a smiling mouth, a curved tail, and long legs on a white sheet of paper, with art supplies and a child's arm visible.
A table with toys and decor, including a large gray cat sculpture, a colorful stacking tower, framed artwork, a handmade doll on the wall, and other small objects.
A painted cardboard cutout of a humanoid figure with green overlapping with pink, standing outdoors on grass with potted plants and a stone garden in the background.
Collection of children's toys, including animal figurines, seashells, and building blocks, scattered on a wooden outdoor table.
Two frogs being held by a person wearing a red tie-dye shirt, outdoors on a sunny day.
A cluttered art studio with a large white shelving unit filled with toys, baskets, art supplies, and decorations. The wall behind has various masks and art pieces. A large window and glass door let in natural light, with a blue office chair and a small table in front. There's a colorful rug on the floor, and outside, trees and a patio are visible.
An outdoor backyard scene with a black shed, two Adirondack chairs, potted plants, a hammock, and gardening supplies on a sunny day with trees and rocks in the background.