Emotional, Social, and Developmental Growth Through Play Therapy

Every Child Wants to Feel Empowered, Loved, Safe, and Understood

As parents, we strive to do everything and anything within our power to ensure our children are emotionally and physically happy and healthy. However, try as we might, there are times in our child’s life and development that we need guidance and help. Playing is a child’s most natural form of communication. Toys are to kids what words are to adults. Play Therapy, like counseling for adults, empowers children to express their feelings and process their experiences in order to develop more effective strategies for managing their worlds.

At The Juniper Center, we’re committed to helping your child address the challenges impacting their life in a safe, secure, and non-judgemental environment. Our play therapy services are based on the foundation of providing a safe space for children to develop the social, emotional, and coping skills they need to thrive.

What is Play Therapy?

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato

Play therapy is designed to help children express themselves through the world of play. Unlike other appointments, when your child meets with their therapist it won’t feel like an appoinment or session at all. During their play therapy session, your child will “play” and engage with their therapist using a variety of play methods. Depending on your child’s specific needs, their session may include games, puppets, books, dolls/stuffed animals, coloring, or other creative methods to help them communicatye. Through the process of play, children are empowered to process their complex memories and feelings through symbolic expression (using their toys as a method to communicate their emotions and experiences).

At The Juniper Center, our play therapists create a safe space to explore and process painful fears, anxieties, memories, inadequacies, or other challenges impacting your child. Depending on what works best for your child, their play therapy may consist of therapy (where the therapist guides play therapy sessions), or synergistic play therapy (where the child leads the play therapy session). Both strategies are designed to help your child express and process their emotions through their play.

Helping Children Process Complex Emotions Through Play

Play therapy is recommended for children between the ages of 2-12, experiencing a wide range of challenges and symptoms, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADHD & ADD
• Gender identification
• Grief or loss
• Neglect or abuse
• Trauma
• Low self-esteem
• Social anxiety or bullying
• Separation anxiety
• Life transitions, such as a newly blended family, a move, separation, or divorce
• Aggressive behaviors and emotional regulation
• Self-control, emotional outbursts, and establishing boundaries
• Bedwetting, night terrors, and nightmares
• Challenges with academic success and self-motivation
• Strengthening family bonds and communication 
• And more

Compassionate Counseling Services for Children of All Ages

At The Juniper Center, we believe with the right support and tools; every child has the potential to live a happy and meaningful life. Whether your child is struggling with a newly blended family, communication issues, tantrums, trauma, sexuality, gender identity, depression, ADHD/ADD, or mental illness, play therapy can help.

Our team of mental health professionals works with parents to help their children uncover patterns and to identify the elements and context that draws out natural supports for both child and parent. Together with their play therapist, your child will work to develop the skills they need to express themselves in a way that can be heard and understood. Using a combination of techniques at the forefront of neurological science and compassionate care, we empower our clients to live their best lives.

What matters to you, matters to us. Contact a member of our team to schedule your no-obligation consultation today. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey.