Play Therapy

Therapy for children (3+) in Greenwood Village, CO

Does it feel like every time you figure out one way to help your child…it doesn’t work again or a new tricky behavior pops up?

Maybe your child keeps saying they have a ‘weird’ or ‘icky’ feeling, and nothing helps the feeling stay away for long. Perhaps most transitions (such as going to school or coming home after school) are leading to meltdowns, or maybe you dread asking your child to do anything because you know it’ll lead to a meltdown. You may be worried about your child, or reaching your boiling point.

Whatever it is that your child is experiencing, you’re beginning to notice the impact of this in various areas of their life:

  • They’re struggling to learn at school

  • They’re coming home in tears again

  • It’s difficult for them to make friends or play with others

  • They’re having trouble sleeping

  • And they don’t quite seem like themselves

Play therapy can help.

It may feel impossible now, but your child can learn to manage emotions effectively, heal from painful experiences, and grow in self-esteem. And I can help them get there.

Play therapy can help children:

  • Enhance social relationships

  • Learn emotion regulation

  • Develop effective coping skills

  • Increase ability to problem solve

  • Boost confidence

  • Establish secure attachments

  • Process significant life events, including traumatic events

  • And more!

My approach to play therapy comes from a place of gentleness, creativity, and a deep belief that each child can thrive, but may need some direct tools and support to get there. I utilize techniques and interventions from evidence-based modalities including Adlerian Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Eye-Movement and Desensitization (EMDR) to reach the treatment goals.

I’ll help you and your child through this process, curating each step to your child’s unique needs, circumstances, and personality.

It’s time to experience peace again.

I can help you and your child get there.

FAQs

  • Children are in a developmental stage where they are still learning how to process their world and how parts of their world relate to them. Children tend to communicate and process through metaphors and play. Since play is the native tongue of children, therapy for children is built around play. Because of this, the play therapy room has a wide range of toys. This gives the child autonomy and the opportunity to choose to use or play with what resonates with them the most. For example, a child may process an experience from home or school by reenacting it through the dollhouse. Or the child may play out a theme rather than a specific experience, such as good versus evil, through playing superheroes. Through their play, the child invites the therapist into their world and into how they experience the world. To learn more specifics, please check out https://www.a4pt.org/page/PTMakesADifference.

  • I will meet with your child independently for the first 40-45 minutes. I will then meet with you for a parent check-in for the remainder of the session. The purpose of the parent check-in is to share about session themes, to share specific strategies learned if applicable, and for you to have time to ask questions or share updates.

  • I typically recommend that I meet with children once a week for the first 4 to 6 weeks to build rapport and momentum. After the first 4 to 6 sessions, we can then discuss if it’s appropriate to transition to sessions every other week or continue with weekly sessions. I understand that weekly sessions are not always possible, and that is okay! It just takes a little more time to get moving.

  • It typically takes 4 to 6 sessions for children to establish trust and feel safe enough in to bring what they’re going through into the therapy room. After trust has been built, it is hard to name a specific timeline for the remainder of therapy as there are many variables that impact the therapeutic process (such as presenting problem, personality, continued development, on-going life events and stressors, etc.).

  • I believe it is very important for the child to know that the therapy room is their space and they have the freedom to be unfiltered. I also believe it is important to connect with you about your child’s process so you know how to support them best. I am intentional to share with children that the purpose of parent check-ins is to help their parents be the best parents they can be, to share tools learned in therapy if applicable, and that it can be a time for me to advocate for them if wanted. When there is something I believe is important to share with you but the child has expressed hesitancy around it, I explain why I believe it is important to touch base with you about it and ask the child’s permission.

    You are always welcome to share any updates with me or ask anything. Depending on the question, I may be limited in what I can share.

    Lastly, in line with mandatory reporting, know that I will always bring you into the conversation if there is ever a safety concern. I am also very clear with children that I need to talk to their parents if there is a safety concern.