Our Perth based Play Therapy helps young children to cope with and overcome problems that can overwhelm their emotions and interfere with their attachment and development.
What is Play Therapy?
The Play Therapy approach is a developmentally based, attachment informed and research supported method for helping young children.
Young children do not have the well developed verbal language of an adult and play is their natural medium for expression. In Play Therapy toys are viewed as the child’s words and play as the child’s language – a language of activity.
Young children use play for expressing feelings, exploring relationships and wishes, describing experiences and self-fulfillment. Children can transfer their anxieties and fears onto toys. This symbolic representation prevents a child from being overwhelmed and creates a sense of safety.
What does Play Therapy help with?
Child Centred Play Therapy has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic approach for:
- Attachment issues
- Fears and Anxiety
- Self-Regulation issues
- Developmental concerns
- Grief
- Chronic Illness
- Enuresis and Encopresis
- Abuse
- Neglect
- Trauma
- Autism
- Learning Disabilities
- Aggression and Acting Out
- Self Esteem issues
- Withdrawn children
- Hospitalisation
- Social Adjustment problems
- Separations
Child Centred Play Therapy Provides:
Our Perth Play Therapy program, provides the child with a safe, predictable place to explore, experiment and use symbolic representation to help cope with and change unmanageable feelings and thoughts.
Child Centred Play Therapy is a non-directive and child-led model where the child controls what happens in the room. This allows the child to experience a sense of control, freedom and responsibility in the play room where issues can arise and be explored at the child’s pace through play, leading to inner change, growth and healing. This also leads to empowerment, responsibility and increased self esteem and self-regulation.
Who Delivers Child Centred Play Therapy?
Julie Watts is a counsellor and Child Centred Play Therapist. Julie works using a client centred, collaborative and attachment informed approach. Julie has a passion for working with children and parents. Julie has a very caring and compassionate nature and will ensure that you and your child receive the best possible support. Julie delivers Child Centred Play Therapy drawing on her training and experience working within child therapy settings in Perth, WA.
Since completing Advanced Clinical Training in Play Therapy with Play Therapy Australia, Julie has worked in Perth with children from 3 years to 10 years displaying problems with attachment, self regulation, fear and anxiety, aggression, developmental issues, chronic illness, phobias and encopresis.
Parent Involvement
Parents can expect a supportive, non-judgmental and collaborative partnership with the Play Therapist.
An initial Parent Interview is conducted. This meeting is to gather the child’s history and to also determine with the parent the suitability of play therapy for their child.
Every fifth Session a Parent Meeting is held with the therapist to discuss progress/concerns and parental progress/concerns.
Between these meetings, parents are welcome to contact the therapist with any questions or concerns.
Making an Appointment
If you would like to book a Parent Meeting to discuss your child’s needs and find out if play therapy is suitable for your child, please telephone: 1300 184 746 or email: admin@visioncounselling.com.au
