Play therapy process

 

Following an initial phone-call I will invite you to meet with me for a parent intake meeting.  Both parents/carers are welcome to attend.  Please come to this meeting without your child as we will be better able to talk more openly and comfortably.

At this meeting you can give me a detailed description of your concerns, your child’s developmental history and any circumstances that you believe may have contributed to your child’s difficulties.  We will talk about how to introduce your child to Play therapy.  At this meeting I will gave you a referral form and a parental consent form to be returned prior to your child commencing therapy.

We will decide if your child will attend individual sessions or parent-child sessions.  If your child is not comfortable to come to the playroom on their own you will be invited to come in to the room until they are more at ease.

Play therapy sessions are fifty minutes long.  They should be at the same time every week to offer consistency to your child.

For the first few sessions I will work non-directively with your child.  They will be getting to know me, building a therapeutic relationship and will beginning to feel secure to express themselves and use the space as they need.

Following six to eight sessions, I will meet with you again to discuss any progress your child has made in the playroom and at home and we will make a plan for going forward.

Please contact me prior to sessions to let me know if anything significant has happened during the week.  If I have any concerns I will call you after a session as it is best not to speak in front of the child.

Confidentiality is important for you and your child.  I will ask that you do not ask them questions about their time in Play therapy and allow them to tell you what they wish.