Playful Healing
Playful Healing was designed to support children who are struggling in their day to day life with feelings of worry, uncertainty, isolation, and unhappiness and whose families are unable to afford expensive therapy. By providing FREE, one-to-one therapy, we help children manage and cope with behavioural struggles and anxiety.
At Childhood Connections, we have always worked within our community to fill gaps in early years services. We noticed an increase in childhood struggles with mental health and families who could not afford the services for their children. Our new program, Playful Healing, is here to help with free play therapy and child life therapy for children and families in financial need.
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is an effective form of therapy primarily used in children. This approach to therapy builds on the communicative style of children. Children are often less able than adults to express their feelings in words. However, children are experts at expressing themselves through play, that is, if you know what you’re looking for. While it may look just like playtime to you, a trained play therapist will see it as much more than that.
When children play, their toys are their words and play is their language. Play therapists are able to recognize these patterns and gain insight from watching and engaging with children in play. They are able to detect patterns and feelings and use them to help guide the child to explore and deal with those emotions and work through potential trauma.
Play Therapy provides a safe psychological distance from the child’s problems and allows them to express their feelings in a safe and age appropriate manner. Through play, children can learn how to cope with their feelings and behaviors. They can learn to recognize and redirect their emotions from negative to positive behaviours.
Program Partners
Current Counseling Partner : Crossroads Collective
