Play therapy speaks to a child’s natural ability to learn about the world through play. With a skilled child therapist, your kiddo can learn about big feelings and difficult life events. The therapist will use activities like:

• Role-playing,

• Reading,

• Playing board games,

• Building legos,

• And more.

We offer large offices with plenty of space for creativity and exploration of emotions. All without the expectation of back-and-forth communication with the therapist. We understand that therapy can be scary, confusing, and tough for little kids. So, our goal is to make it safe, fun, and open-ended. We understand that kids may not be ready to or know how to open up to a therapist about their inner world. Our therapists that work with young kids value the importance of patience with their clients. This means taking the time to build rapport without pressuring the child to “open up”, and celebrate little victories.

Many kiddos who are a little bit older may have more of a vocabulary to discuss emotion. If so, modified DBT can be a great fit for teaching skills to regulate. Some concepts in DBT can be a little abstract and better suited for teens and adults. But, our child therapists are passionate about modifying some skills to be child friendly. For example, the concept of mindfulness may be a little challenging for young children to grasp.

So, instead of focusing on the meaning or description of mindfulness, our therapists will engage your kiddo in a mindfulness activity. By doing so, it can bring awareness to their body, their environment, or their feelings. Using DBT with kids allows our therapists to be teachers for both the kid and their families. 

Like play therapy, expressive arts therapy gives your child a chance to access their creative side and navigate their emotional experiences through art. Our therapists are equipped with various kinds of art supplies. These often include coloring activities (coloring books, markers, crayons, etc), watercolor, acrylic paint, glue, construction paper, and more.

Expressive arts therapy can be structured or open-ended. But, this depends on the needs and interests of your child. Using a form of therapy that engages both body and brain at the same time can be very impactful. Especially when talking about tough feelings or trauma.