Play Therapy
Play is how children make sense of their world. It’s their natural way of expressing feelings, exploring relationships, and working through challenges they may not yet have words for. In play therapy, toys, art materials, and imagination become tools for communication and growth. Within a caring, consistent relationship, play can help a child feel understood, regain a sense of control, and find new ways to cope and connect.
A Safe, Supportive Space
In play therapy, a child is invited to lead the way. I create a warm and accepting environment where each child can express whatever they need to — joy, anger, fear, curiosity — without judgment. Through play, children can show what’s happening inside them, experiment with new ways of being, and discover solutions in their own time. My role is to listen carefully, reflect their experience, and support their natural capacity for healing and growth.
Guiding Principles
My approach is grounded in the classic principles of Virginia Axline, one of the founders of play therapy. These principles emphasize respect, acceptance, and trust in a child’s inner wisdom:
A warm, genuine relationship that helps the child feel safe and valued.
Unconditional acceptance of whatever the child shares or expresses.
Freedom to express feelings fully within clear, safe boundaries.
Understanding through reflection, helping the child feel seen and heard.
Confidence in the child’s ability to grow and find their own solutions.
Allowing the child to lead, rather than directing the process.
Patience and consistency, giving change time to unfold naturally.
Structure and limits that create a sense of security.
These principles guide me in creating an atmosphere where healing can happen through play — not through instruction or correction, but through understanding and relationship.
The Heart of the Work
Every child’s play is unique. Some may tell stories with figures or puppets, some may build elaborate worlds, others may draw or use sand. However it unfolds, play becomes the language of therapy — a way for the child to communicate feelings, try out new roles, and experience what it means to be understood.
The Connection to Psychodynamic and Humanistic Therapy
Play therapy in my practice is rooted in the same ideas that guide my work with older children, adolescents, and adults. From a psychodynamic perspective, play offers a way to explore inner conflicts, relationships, and unconscious feelings in symbolic form. From a humanistic perspective, it honors the child’s innate drive toward growth and self-understanding. Together, these approaches create a space where emotional insight and self-expression emerge naturally through play.
How Play Therapy Can Help
Play therapy can help children:
Express feelings they can’t yet put into words
Feel calmer and more confident
Improve relationships and communication
Develop problem-solving and coping skills
Work through grief, trauma, or major life changes
Build a stronger, more integrated sense of self