Just like adults, children face difficult challenges and have overwhelming feelings that may be difficult to understand. This might leave them feeling sad, angry or anxious. Their relationships might be affected, or their feelings may be reflected in their behaviour.
Talking things through can be difficult at any age but for a child, using words may be particularly hard; a child’s natural language is creativity and play.
The therapy space that we provide offers the child the opportunity of expressing their feelings and experiences in a safe, non-judgmental environment and introduces the creative process as a way for the child to access and get in touch with their experiences from within.
Children will benefit more from the therapy if attending sessions regularly and for the whole time agreed with the therapist. Missed sessions may result in us offering the slot to someone else in need.
We offer Play Therapy for children and young people from ages 4-12 and Drawing and Talking which older children may find easier to access.
Play
Therapy
The play therapist uses art, movement, drama, puppets, dolls house, sand tray, roleplay toys, storytelling, and clay to help children develop a trusting therapeutic relationship with their therapist, allowing the child to feel safe enough to express and explore their feelings and experiences.
Our therapists take a person-centred approach. This means the therapy is child led. The therapist gently observes and reflects the child’s play and body language, joining in when the child wishes which helps to gain a greater understanding of how the child is feeling.
Through play and creativity, the therapist can then support the child to explore and understand their world. They may support them in finding strategies to cope with overwhelming feelings, help them navigate difficult transitions or make painful memories less intense. All these things can help build resilience and improve self-esteem.
What sort of things can you help my child with?
Every child who comes to therapy is unique and the issues therapy can support are varied. Before therapy begins the therapist will meet with you, and where appropriate your child, to discuss why you might think creative therapy will be helpful for your child.
However, in the therapy room the therapist will be led by your child in terms of what they do and what issues they explore.
Here are some of the areas we can support in:
Anxiety and stress
Low confidence and low self-esteem
Difficulty making friends
Processing life challenges such as family breakdown or moving schools
Bereavement
Children with additional needs or disability (and their siblings)*
Angry outbursts
Coping with a traumatic experience
Domestic Abuse
Physical, emotional and sexual abuse
Neglect
Fears and phobias
*therapy rooms are upstairs- limited accessibility
Complete our referral form here
If you are unsure about whether this is the right service for your child, please call us for an informal chat. We are happy to help.
As your child is nearing the top of our waiting list you will be contacted so that we can get an update on your child. This will include some questions that will help us match you with the appropriate therapist. When a space becomes available, your therapist will contact you to arrange a meeting.
PTUK guidelines
Drawing and Talking
Drawing and Talking is a child-centred one to one intervention focusing on supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
A safe and gentle therapeutic approach
which provides an effective way for children and young people to process emotional pain or trauma they may be experiencing.
Children are impacted emotionally by many different events, struggles or traumas. Sometimes they are unable to make sense of how they are feeling and how those feelings are impacting on their happiness and ability to navigate the world.
Your child will work one to one with a trained Drawing and Talking practitioner for 30 minutes, once a week over 12 sessions. Within the sessions, your child will draw anything they choose and will be encouraged to talk about feelings using storytelling language to help them make sense of their internal world.
The technique is intended to allow the child to play, by drawing a picture, and process any emotions they are holding internally in a safe and non-confrontational way, working at their own pace.
The sessions remain confidential between the child and the practitioner. At the end of each session, your child’s picture will be put into their folder and kept safely away until the next session. At the end of all the work (12 sessions), when the child is feeling better, the folder is handed back to your child for them keep as they wish.
Drawing and Talking is not intended to be used as a tool to ‘find out’ what is wrong or why the child behaves the way they do. It is not behaviour modification or used to fix a problem that a child has or is experiencing.
Practitioners do not interpret the pictures and do not ask direct questions. The technique should also not be used to replace other specialist services, (such as Play therapy) but can be used as an interim tool whilst waiting to be seen by CAMHS or other professionals.