The younger children are, the more limited is their ability to express themselves verbally; but through play they can show what they think, feel and how they experience and understand the world in which they live. Just as adults talk things out, children play things out. Since play is the natural means of expression for children, the most effective mode of therapy for them is play therapy.
The therapist provides a wide variety of carefully chosen play and other expressive materials to help the child bring into the open the behaviours and blocked feelings that have interfered with healthy emotional growth. Through this active expression, inner strengths are discovered that can help the child deal with past experiences and cope with present life situations in more beneficial ways.
After an initial meeting with the parents, therapy is conducted either with parent and child or with the child alone, as it best fits the situation. Periodic meetings are then set up with the family to discuss progress and to help them support and enhance the child's healing process.
This approach to counselling has proven to be particularly helpful to children experiencing the consequences of a variety of stresses and traumatic experiences, including:
- Abuse (emotional, physical, sexual)
- Foster care and adoption issues
- Grief, loss, bereavement
- Separation and divorce
- Traumas of all types
- Autism spectrum
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety, depression, fear
- Sleep issues
- Physical or mental challenges
- Withdrawn, overactive, controlling or aggressive behaviour
The length of therapy varies with each child, depending on many factors such as the seriousness of the difficulties experienced, the degree of personal resilience and the amount of support available in the present living situation.
Counselling can be conducted in French or in English.
Follow-up and/or ongoing support is offered by phone as suitable.
Information about sessions and rates
To inquire about counselling services for children, please contact
Marie-José.
Read more about Holistic Expressive Play Therapy in the book Integrative Play Therapy
, An Integrative Approach to Helping Maltreated Children
A link for parents:
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/12/love-key-to-brain-development-in-children/?hpt=hp_t2
A couple of articles on the important role of play in a child's life:
http://nbcdi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CHT-Spring-2012.pdf
American Academy of Pediatrics, Policy Statement on Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years
Read the Policy Statement
