Play Therapy
Helping children and young people make sense of their world.
What is Play Therapy?
Children use play to understand and make sense of their world. Through play, children communicate, express themselves, process difficulties, and work through challenging situations or problems they are experiencing. Play Therapy gives children the freedom to process their emotions and struggles in a safe place and allows them to experience a sense of control, which may be different from their everyday world. The Play Therapist creates an environment that encourages the child to be their authentic self and fosters a child's development of self-awareness, self-regulation, self-worth, and empowerment.
Play therapy is a strengths-based, affirming approach built on a foundation of trust, safety, and acceptance. Through the development of an accepting, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship, children and young people are empowered to accept themselves for who they are, discover their own strengths, take responsibility for themselves, creatively problem-solve, develop self-control and self-direction, understand and express their emotions, and to make and be responsible for their own choices.
Play therapy and young people
Often for young people, talking about their challenges and struggles directly can seem scary, confusing, or embarrassing. A lot of young people hate the idea of talking to adults, and this may leave them (and their parents) feeling like therapy may not be the best way to help.
Play Therapy is a creative therapeutic approach to child and adolescent counselling that meets the developmental stage of the young person. This is because it is a strengths-based, affirming approach that is non-confrontational, non-interpretive, non-threatening, and allows for free expression. Using creative means, young people are able to tap into their emotional side of their brains, creating opportunities for real change and empowerment.
Play therapy with young people utilises art materials (drawing, painting, sculpting, collaging, crafting, scrapbooking, writing, journalling, etc.), Sandtray therapy, music, digital media, sensory items, card and board games, yoga, Lego, and more. In fact, we’re open to any interest our young people have and will follow their lead in a game or activity. Sometimes, our young people will even bring in their own things from home.
Young people may choose to talk to the therapist, similar to adult counselling sessions, or they may prefer to use items in the playroom, or a combination of both, to process difficulties and discover their authentic self. Young people are empowered to decide how they want their therapy to progress, and they have the freedom to express themselves in whatever way feels right to them.
Who can Play Therapy help?
Play therapy can help children and young people who are experiencing a range of social or emotional difficulties, such as:
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Anxiety and stress
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Disruptive or opposition behaviour and aggression
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Hyperactivity, attention difficulties
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Parental and family separation and divorce
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Friendship difficulties, bullying or being bullied
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School difficulties
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Low self-confidence
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Identity issues
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Difficulties with emotions and regulation
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Bereavement, trauma, abuse, and witnessing violence or substance abuse
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Attachment and relationship difficulties
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Issues related to being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world
What is AutPlay Therapy?
AutPlay Therapy is an integrative family play therapy approach for working with neurodivergent children and young people (autistic, ADHD, sensory differences, learning differences, developmental difficulties) and their families. It combines the therapeutic powers of play with developmental, humanistic, and family systems approaches to empower neurodivergent children and adolescents and assist with mental health gains.
Through the therapeutic powers of play, children and young people can find their authentic selves, integrate challenging experiences, enhance their self-esteem and self-worth, and learn to regulate themselves emotionally and physically. AutPlay therapists provide a space where children and young people can be seen, heard, and empowered by honouring and respecting their unique way of being and playing.
AutPlay Therapy is a neurodiversity informed and affirming collaborative process designed to value the individual child and highlight their strengths as well as guide areas of intervention, goals, and approaches for addressing the needs of the child and family. Through AutPlay therapy, neurodivergent children and young people are supported to be their authentic selves while navigating the challenges of living in a neurotypical world.
How can AutPlay Therapy help?
AutPlay Therapy can be utilised to address a variety of concerns and need areas that neurodivergent children may present with, including but not limited to:
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emotional regulation
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sensory processing
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social navigation
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self-esteem and self-worth
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parent-child relationship challenges
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anxiety reduction
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trauma issues
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life adjustment issues
What is Digital Play Therapy?
Digital Play Therapy incorporates video games, digital technologies, and digital culture into the play therapy process. For many children and young people today, gaming and digital media make up a significant part of their reality, and is their ‘language’ used to communicate, express themselves, process difficulties, and work through challenging situations or problems they are experiencing.
Speaking the child or young person’s ‘language’ is a powerful and necessary tool in the therapy process. By incorporating the child or young person’s interests into the therapy process - by acknowledging and joining their reality - children and young people feel seen, heard, understood, and important.
Digital play therapy incorporates the therapeutic powers of play into digitally based therapy processes, enhancing connection and communication with the child or young person, and promoting emotional regulation, increased problem-solving and self-management skills, integration of challenging experiences, and enhanced self-confidence, empowerment, and authenticity.
Video games and digital technology allow children and young people to explore, achieve, attempt, fail, connect, and so much more. They allow them to try and try again, without significant risk, until they are successful. When supported by a qualified therapist in a safe, accepting, and non-judgemental space, digital play allows children and young people to apply these concepts to challenges they are facing, as well as providing opportunities for exploring important themes in their life.
What are Digital Play Therapy groups?
In our Digital Play Therapy (DPT) groups, children and young people play collaborative video games, like Minecraft, with like-minded peers and a therapist in a safe, accepting, and non-judgemental space. Our DPT groups are not ‘social skills’ groups and do not incorporate ‘social skills training’ (this type of training incorporates forced learning of a specific set of neurotypical skills, and encourages masking, internalised negative self-concept, and has long-term mental health impacts). Our DPT groups are neurodiversity-affirming, and focus on positive, authentic interactions to increase confidence and empowerment.
Group members have opportunities to develop their problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills as they work together on common tasks, as well as opportunities to teach, take on leadership roles, and learn from their peers, all while sharing mutual interests and having fun.
Sessions may be structured, allowing group members to work collaboratively and cooperatively to complete tasks, identify and build on strengths, develop new and creative solutions to everyday challenges, and work towards goals such as emotion regulation, increased self-confidence, executive functioning, frustration tolerance, self-advocacy, empowerment, and finding their authentic self. Or they may be unstructured, giving group members the opportunity to engage in social play that is meaningful to them, in ways that increase connection, and build self-worth and confidence.
Parenting sessions and parent support
Our Parenting Sessions are neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based sessions focused on enhancing the parent-child relationship. Parenting can be hard, and we believe that every parent is doing the very best they can with the knowledge, skills, and resources they have in that moment. Our Parenting Sessions support parents to build on and strengthen their existing skills and resources and offer opportunities to learn new knowledge and skills. Our goal is to help you discover the parent you want to be and celebrate how awesome you already are!
Underpinning these sessions is the idea that to better understand and support your child, you first need to understand yourself. Parenting Sessions are individualised to meet your parenting needs and goals and may involve exploring the relationship between yourself and your child/ren, exploring past relationships that impact who you are now, engaging in activities to help you better understand yourself, and the sharing of parenting knowledge and ideas. Our therapist provides an accepting and non-judgemental space where parents can explore and challenge their current perceptions. This provides them opportunities to become self-aware of their own reactions, reframe their parenting expectations, and become empowered in the parenting process.