Play and Creative Arts Therapy
Play and Creative Art Therapy
Play and Creative Arts Therapy helps children to explore through their natural medium of expression, play (Landreth, 2002). These include expressions of worries, fears and confusion. Play and Creative Arts helps children to learn about their own thoughts and feelings, make sense of them and reduce the fear. This makes the thoughts and feelings easier to handle and helps the child to feel and be understood, as they communicate through play instead of through words.
In play, the child is given a safe space and time to express themselves, including more difficult thoughts and feelings. The child builds their own self awareness and ability to make decisions, thus expanding these creative skills, as they make sense of their responses in the past and gain understanding of their present (Hutchinson, 2021).
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At Play Refuge
Therapy sessions take place at the same time each week, and in the same space. It is child-centered play therapy, and non-directive, though sometimes I will integrate direct activities depending on the needs of the child. The therapist is with the child throughout, observing the play, reflecting and joining in the play if the child invites. The playroom will have the play kit, which will be available at each session.
Some families and individuals may have as few as 12 sessions; however, many require longer-term intervention to establish positive process and therapeutic change.
At the beginning of the intervention, there is an intake process consisting of:
- Brief free phone/video call consultation (to provide information and to help decide if play therapy is the right thing for you and the child).
- Consultation with the family (without the child) or with the adult to gather background information.
- Consent documentation to be completed.
- A family visit, where the child visits the play room with family member(s), for a 45 min session with the therapist. This session is for the child to meet the therapist, be in the playroom space, and take part in a couple of play-based activities with their carer.
- Followed by the play therapy intervention, including parent(s)/carer(s) reviews.
Therapy at school
Play Refuge provides play therapy sessions within a range of schools in Warwickshire and Birmingham.
Play Refuge can provide full day packages in school, providing 4 individual sessions per day.
These therapy sessions would take place at the same time each week, and in the same space. It is child-centred play therapy and non-directive. Along with the play therapy sessions, this intervention will include consultation with the family prior to therapy commencing, a family session, followed by regular 6-weekly reviews to discuss progress.
If interested in further information, a brief free phone/video consultation can be arranged to discuss how play therapy could work in your school.
Please contact Play Refuge for further information
Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
Play Refuge provides Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), this is 10-week play-based programme for parents/carers where they learn the skills of play therapy to respond more effectively to their children's emotional and behavioural concerns and engage their own child in therapeutic play within their own home.
CPRT is an evidence-based intervention for young children presenting with behavioural, emotional, social, and attachment concerns to empower parents. Carers become the agents of change. Central to CPRT is the belief that a secure parent-child relationship is the fundamental element for children's well-being.
Play Refuge offers CPRT either as a 1:1 with parents/carers online or as a group programme in person.
Please contact Play Refuge for further information.