Play Therapy
Due to the increased demand for mental health services at this time, there is currently a waitlist for play therapy. Please contact me to join the waitlist. For more immediate support, check out our upcoming round of Child-Parent Relationship Training (CPRT). Registration for CPRT opens on June 1, 2022, and limited spaces are available. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified as soon as registration opens!
Overview
Play is the language of childhood. It engages the mind, allowing children to process new experiences and make sense of complex situations. At the same time, it taps into the deepest of emotions and offers a safe space to practice self-regulation skills. While play in and of itself has numerous benefits, play therapy takes it to an even higher level. In the presence of a trained therapist, play is accompanied by a therapeutic relationship. The play therapy office is a space where children take the lead. They step into a room filled with toys that they can use to communicate the messages they desperately need to share. As they play, the therapist communicates four key messages: “I am here,” “I hear you,” “I understand,” and “I care.” When they experience strong surges of emotion, the therapist supports them by reflecting what comes up and offering a calm presence to coregulate. This process is repeated from one session to the next until children have enough experience with coregualtion that they begin transferring their skills to self-regulate in and outside of sessions. No matter what might be plaguing the child at the beginning of the process, play therapy has proven to be the most effective, evidence-based approach to work toward healing.
How long is a play therapy session?
A typical play therapy session is about 45 minutes in length.
What is the parent’s role in play therapy?
While parents do not typically attend sessions, they must wait for their children at the office during each session. This is not only for the child’s physical safety, particularly in case of an emergency, but also for the child’s emotional safety, knowing that their parent will be waiting for them when the session ends. At times, parents may be included for family sessions. Additionally, the therapist may ask for updates about the child’s progress at home and/or provide suggestions for parents to reinforce the work being done in sessions.
How many play therapy sessions will my child need?
The number of sessions varies a great deal from one child to the next. For a minor issue, a child may only need a couple of sessions to process what they have experienced. However, significant trauma or troublesome patterns may take several months or years to work through. An average of about 20 sessions is common, but even one session can be beneficial.
Who should participate in play therapy?
Anyone can benefit from play therapy, but at this time, I work specifically with children ages 2-12 years old. Children who come in for play therapy could be struggling with any number of issues. Examples include: trauma, anxiety, depression, sleep disruptions, deployment, parental divorce, ADHD, autism, behavioral outbursts, anger, etc.
Do you accept insurance?
To ensure you receive the best possible services, Elevate does not currently bill insurance. In order to bill insurance, counselors are required to assign mental health diagnoses to their clients. Many times, clients choose to pursue counseling support prior to the appearance of diagnosable symptoms (which is a good thing). Even when a diagnosis might be warranted, there is great debate about the stigma and future repercussions of being “labeled” with a mental health diagnosis. Although I, as a counselor, actively fight to end that stigma, I prefer not to issue any diagnoses that may interfere with an individual’s future.
If you have insurance, and you want to determine whether or not your provider will help cover the cost of services, I will be happy to provide a superbill. Many insurance companies will reimburse you for part of the cost of counseling services when given a superbill. However, there is no guarantee that they will issue reimbursement.
How much does a session cost?
For a 45-minute play therapy session in person or via a secure video conferencing platform, the fee is $150.00.