What is Play Therapy for Children and What is Trauma?
What is Play Therapy for children?
For children emotions and feelings are difficult to express.
♥ Play Therapy is a gentle form of psychotherapy especially for little people and it uses their natural language of play to communicate.
♥ Through play communication, a deeper understanding into the child’s inner world could decipher their narratives.
♥ Once a heartfelt open line of communication has been established, with our assistance little people can safely work through difficulties ranging from mild socio-emotional, behavioural and debilitating traumatic experiences.
At FUNDAMENTAL PLAY THERAPY we strive to help little people work through trauma, troubles and all childhood road bumps.
We provide all our parents and caregivers with the necessary tools for positive emotional development, building resilience, healing, overall well-being and wellness through the therapeutic power of play.
“Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts and souls meet.” ~ Axline ~
Play Therapy Helps Children
♥ Learn how to experience and appropriately express their feelings and emotions.
♥ Regulate their mind and body communication through basic awareness
and mindfulness.
♥ Build self-esteem and cultivate positive self-talk.
♥ Realise self worthiness through self acceptance.
♥ Develop effective decision making skills and accepting responsibility.
♥ Develop self-efficacy and better confidence about their abilities.
♥ Relax and have fun, which is a unique benefit of play within a nonthreatening and nurturing environment.
♥ Develop creative solutions and problem solving skills.
♥ Develop respect for others and self acceptance.
♥ Learn new social skills and relational skills.
♥ Heal from trauma related incidences, promotes inner strength and growth.
♥ Expand their life experiences, build a safe relationship to practice life skills and role play needed for survival.
PLAY THERAPY FOR ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS
At FUNDAMENTAL PLAY THERAPY we realise that the Power of Play Therapy reaches far above and beyond only therapeutic services for our little ones!
FUNDAMENTAL PLAY THERAPY specialises in Trauma Related Incidences and Play Therapy, therefore we Integrate Art and Music as therapeutic mediums in our unique and gentle approach to create a safe and nonthreatening therapeutic space for healing and optimal growth to take place when we work with adolescents and adults. We promote the importance of the mind-body connection and the responsibility of the choices that we need to make to ensure wealth and wellness.
Playful explanation in a relaxed and comfortable setup has been proven to enhance both cognitive and physical behaviours, and there is a significant amount of research from the fields of neurophysiology and molecular biology that supports Play Therapy as an effective and valid therapeutic model for adolescents and adults.
For more information about FUNDAMENTAL PLAY THERAPY’s Therapeutic Services for Adolescents & Adults please contact
Liesl Graham +27 66 285 9522
or email playtherapyoffice@gmail.com
What is Trauma?
Leading trauma author and researcher Dr. Peter Levine says, “Trauma happens when any experience stuns us like a bolt out of the blue; it overwhelms us, leaving us altered and disconnected from our bodies. Any coping mechanisms we may have had are undermined, and we feel utterly helpless and hopeless,” (from Trauma Through A Child’s Eyes by Peter A. Levine and Maggie Kline) The flight/fight/freeze response in our brain has been activated in response to a perceived threat, neurochemicals and stress hormones are released signaling to the brain and body to either mobilize (fight/flight) or to “play dead” (freeze) and the nervous system is flooded with information. When the danger has surpassed, if we are not able to discharge the flood of nervous system energy and integrate the experience, it will likely be stored in the nervous system and the body as trauma and can be debilitating to the life of the individual, particularly to children.
Please click on the “Useful Articles” page to download additional information relating to the benefits of Play Therapy.
HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
Should you have any inquiries or need to make an appointment for your child (3 -12) , adolescent or for yourself at FUNDAMENTAL PLAY THERAPY you can email:
Liesl Graham at:
therapistliesl@gmail.com
Or phone / whatsapp Liesl Graham on +27 66 925 9522
Fundamental Play Therapy is a Therapeutic Practice only and we do not provide any formal assessments and reports for forensic purposes.
Through our individualised and gentle approach we ease our little ones into 5 sessions of Play Therapy of 51-60 min where Therapy and a Comprehensive Evaluation is included instead of only starting with the most needed therapeutic process only at a later stage.
Our first form of contact would be via email, WhatsApp or telephonically.
When we work with children (3 -12), adolescents and with adults in therapy, we would kindly ask you to complete our Therapy Agreement Form.In case of a minor child we request you complete our Case History Form with much needed developmental and behavioural background information.
After we have received these forms we can confirm our first consultation with you where the Therapist only meet with the parents of the particular child first, thereafter our individualized therapeutic intervention starts.
After 5 consecutive sessions once a week (5 weeks’ duration) on the same day and time-slot each week we provide a full feedback session of 90 min to our parents/caregivers in our Play Therapy room during which we then practically demonstrate and guide you through the specific needs of your child. Together we then plan and decide on the best way forward.
“WE ARE WORKING WITH GOD’S FINEST CREATION… CHILDREN, IT IS SUCH AN HONOUR BUT SUCH A RESPONSIBILITY.”
– Liesl Graham
Liesl Graham has a special interest in working with The Highly Sensitive Child and Adult (Sensory Processing Sensitivity) and is Sensory Sensitive herself, she is passionate about her work with the Sensitive Child and Person and she devotes her time researching and training parents, teachers and professionals on understanding the Highly Sensitive in a world that overwhelms them.
