My Approach
My work is grounded in the principles and techniques of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT).
CCPT is a developmentally appropriate model of therapy for children and preteens that uses play as the primary way of helping them express their feelings, process experiences, and work through personal challenges.
Who Can Benefit?
Play-based therapy can help many children, including those who need support for anxiety, grief, behavioural challenges, life transitions, social difficulties, and self-confidence.
How Does Play Help Children Heal?
Children make sense of the world, express feelings, and work through challenges using play. In CCPT, children lead the play while the therapist provides the time, opportunity, and tools for emotional processing. Through play, children can process emotions, try out new ways of coping, solve problems, and practice social and emotional skills, all in the presence of an attuned and highly skilled clinician.
What Does the Research Say?
CCPT has been proven to:
Increase emotional regulation and impulse control
Decrease aggression, defiance, and anxiety
Improve self-esteem, social skills, and problem solving
Improve relational functioning
Develop self-responsibility, self-trust, and autonomy
Reduce trauma symptoms
The Process
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We start with booking a no-cost consultation call. This gives you an opportunity to tell me what’s going on, I ask you a few questions, and we book a full intake if we’re a good fit.
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This is our opportunity to dive deeply into your child’s history and your concerns as their parent. During this time, I will also describe the process of play-based therapy to clarify expectations moving forward.
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All parents I work with receive an emailed introduction package of information related to play-based therapy, child-development, and recommended skills to implement at home.
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This is where the work starts. You will bring your child in for their weekly (sometimes biweekly) play session. You won’t be part of the session as it changes therapeutic dynamics. You will have the opportunity to bring questions and concerns to our parent consultations, which happen once per month and are billed at the standard rate.
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Every month, I will meet with you to discuss what I’m noticing in the playroom and to answer questions you may have. I include skills coaching as part of these consultations.