Play Sessions

Each week, your child attends a 50-minute session in the playroom. This is a child-only experience, allowing them the space to engage freely. Parents and caregivers are invited to wait in the seating area outside the playroom or in their car during the session.

A parent consultation is scheduled after every 5 sessions to discuss your child’s progress and share strategies to support them at home. These consultations are held without your child present, as this creates a space for open, honest conversation and allows us to reflect on your child’s needs, patterns, and supports in a way that may not feel comfortable or appropriate with them listening. It also helps protect your child’s sense of safety and privacy within their therapy process.

In a Child-Centred Play Therapy session the therapist interacts with the child in ways that allows them to freely express their feelings and to take responsibility for solving their own problems. During play sessions children practice new skills, try out new identities and process what is happening in their world.

The child leads the session exploring the themes and issues they are struggling with. For example, a child experiencing bullying at school will put themselves in a position of power to experience what this is like. This allows the child to process and make sense of their feelings about what is happening in their world.

Phase 1: Initiation

During the initiation phase, your child explores the playroom and begins building a relationship with the therapist. This relationship is crucial for effective therapy, as your child needs to feel safe and accepted. They learn that they will not be judged for anything they express during our sessions, and limits on behavior are only set when necessary. The playroom becomes a unique environment where they are in charge and responsible for their actions.

Phase 2: Resistance

Resistance is a common phase in therapy, both for adults and children. In adult therapy, resistance occurs when clients face deeper issues and must decide whether they are ready to tackle them. Children experience similar challenges, questioning whether they can handle and work on their problems. Resistance may show up in the playroom or in other areas of life, such as increased emotions or worsened behavior. It is a natural part of the process and typically lasts only one or two sessions. Once they overcome this phase, they are ready to move into the Work Phase.

Phase 3: Work Phase

The Work Phase is where most growth, healing, and change occurs. Although healing happens throughout therapy, changes become more noticeable during this phase, both in the playroom and outside. Over the weeks, you will see positive changes in your child. By the end of this phase, your child will be better able to regulate their emotions, communicate their feelings and have improved self-confidence.

Phase 4: Termination Phase

When your child reaches the Termination Phase, things often stabilize, and parents might be tempted to stop therapy. However, it is important to allow your child to complete this phase. We frame it as a countdown (e.g., “You have 5 more sessions with me”). This phase lets your child test their new skills and feel confident in their accomplishments. It provides closure for the therapeutic relationship and allows for a positive goodbye.