little girl playing with mother

PLAY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN

Foster a sense of safety and ignite healing and change.  ​

Children learn, explore, and communicate through play. When a child experiences any disturbance in their world, it can appear as anxiety, depression, behavior and performance problems at school. Children are able to process these difficulties through play in therapy. By offering a safe environment and unique relationship with each child, we are able to foster a sense of safety and ignite healing and change.  ​

Through play therapy we help children communicate and work through their emotions in a way that is safe and natural for them.

We believe that emotional intelligence is essential for development. It helps in various aspects of life from self-soothing to interpersonal relationships, and is important for children and adults alike. 

child and mother playing with toys

Our child therapists will work with your child and your family to create goals and a plan that meets their individual needs.

We work collaboratively to help children thrive!

Our staff has child therapists specifically trained to meet the psychological and behavioral needs of children and their families. We understand that therapy for children looks and feels different than therapy for adults and so we treat it as such. Our office is equipped with games, toys and tools geared towards providing age and developmentally appropriate therapy for children.

playa vista play area

The child therapy room has a variety of materials including:

Art Supplies

Children's tent

Sand tray

Puppets

People and animal figurines

Legos and building blocks

Card and board games

The space offers familiar objects which are used in a therapeutic way to play/work our way through the problem at hand.

Working with Parents

We believe that a parent's role in their child's therapy process is crucial, and therefore we integrate the parents in their treatment.

Before the child's first visit, we will meet with and discuss treatment goals and the process of therapy for children. During the time we are working with your child, we will provide feedback and suggestions of how things can be changed or improved at home to help with the process. In addition, we often will make book and workbook recommendations, give parents handouts and refer to resources we find helpful. We can also provide therapy for parenting to help parents create the optimal system for their family.

child playing card game

Problem Areas Commonly Treated

Our counselors work with children experiencing various problems that may present individually or in the family system, at home or at school. Some of the issues we commonly treat in child therapy include:

Anxiety in children and excess worrying

ADHD

Depression

Emotional Regulation

Grief

Trauma & Abuse

Behavioral Issues

Social Skills Training 

Changes in Family System

If you have questions about how child therapy works, specific issue not listed above, please ask how we can help.

Let’s talk about how we can help you find joy, peace, and inner healing.