Adult Counselling and Child Play Therapy

Child Play Therapy and Child Counselling on the North Shore

At times, life can seem too much, or you can have been dealing with things on your own for a very long time, or working with a very difficult issue or scenario, or relationship. You have may noticed patterns of your own which do not work for you, you may have been experiencing problems in relationships or life may be in a very bad space. Counselling provides the avenue and relationship to work with these things and develop tools, strategies and understanding.

You or your children may be going through some difficult changes around transitions, loss, divorce, death, or your children may be showing distress for any number of reasons, from seemingly small issues  – problems with friends, learning difficulties, loss of loved one, significant changes in their lives, to ones that seem paralysing – trauma and death. Playtherapy provides a safe therapeutic space which is familiar to children, to assist them to work through what they have experienced. Playtherapy can be helpful for children from the age of 3 years and up.

How to begin?

It involves firstly making contact with the counsellor/therapist and setting up a time to meet. The atmosphere should be one that is safe and comfortable to you. At the first meeting you will get to meet, have a look at what your expectations are and what you’re facing and what you hope to achieve. Confidentiality will be put in place, explaining what that means and the limitations thereof. Appointments and planning will be decided between the two. It is very important, that you are comfortable with the fit of the counsellor/therapist, and feel comfortable working together. Fees etc is put in place.

With regards to children, I like to meet with the parents, look at expectations, explain confidentiality and together contract from there, make appointments to do playtherapy with the children, and providing parents with strategies, if appropriate, to work along side with.