CHILD-CENTERED
PLAY THERAPY
Child-Centered Play Therapy allows your child to lead sessions, playing at their own pace to express emotions like anxiety and curiosity safely.
In this accepting environment, kids face fewer social and emotional challenges.
The therapist-child relationship is crucial for positive change and helps build your child's confidence, autonomy, and self-regulation skills.
What is Child-Centered Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses play to help children explore their emotions, express themselves, and resolve psychosocial challenges by utilizing the natural way children learn about themselves and their relationships with the world around them. By using play as a therapeutic intervention, therapists can help children communicate at their own level and pace.
Uses a non-directive and humanistic approach
Therapist acts as a supportive companion rather than a guide or instructor and follows the child’s lead and provides a safe, accepting environment
Empowers the child to express emotions, resolve inner conflicts, and grow through self-directed play
The therapist reflects feelings and themes without steering the play and provides minimal interpretation or instruction
Suitable for ages: 3 - 10 years
Common Challenges Addressed: Anxiety, depression, trauma, behavioral issues, grief and parental/caregiver separation
How Does Child-Centered Play Therapy Work?
Children are given the opportunity to play in a safe and supportive environment. A trained clinician observes and interacts with the child, using toys to help the child express feelings and thoughts that might be difficult to articulate verbally. This process can help children make sense of their experiences and develop healthy coping strategies.
Benefits of Child-Centered Play Therapy
Emotional Self-Expression: helps children express feelings they can’t verbalize.
Problem-Solving Skills: encourages creativity and independent thinking.
Social Skills Development: Enhancing communication abilities and interaction with peers.
Building Self-Esteem: Developing confidence and a sense of self.
Emotional Regulation: Recognize feelings leading to self-control and emotional balance.
Reduced Anxiety and Stress: Lowers overwhelm by creating a safe, predictable space.
Improved Communication: Boosts verbal and non-verbal communication through play
Meet Jesha and Camry, who specialize in Child-Centered Play Therapy
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Child and Family Therapist & School-based Program Coordinator
I believe that each of us is doing our best and that we can all benefit from support when weathering life’s storms. The way we move through life is influenced by our thoughts, feelings, emotions and bodily sensations. Therapy helps better understand the interconnections between our internal and external experience, giving us greater insight and ability to change the way we respond to the world around us. I am privileged and grateful to enter into each of my client’s stories and to provide a safe place for them to process life’s difficulties.
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Child and Family Therapist
My hope as a therapist is to provide a safe and accepting environment where my clients are empowered to be their authentic selves. I believe that the relationship between therapist and client is the key factor in creating lasting and positive change. With children, I primarily practice Child-Centered Play Therapy, which allows them to express themselves and their feelings and to process their experiences in a way that is developmentally appropriate and natural for them.
Use play to unlock the power of healing & growth.
Ready to learn more about how play therapy can help? Get in touch with us to find out more or schedule a session!
Call or visit us today.
NW Counseling Associates, LLC
4900 SW Griffith Drive, #157
Beaverton, OR 97005
Client Login: NCA Patient Portal
o: 503.444.8230
f: 503.295.4036
NOTE:
If you are a client or prospective client, please do not use regular email as it is not a secure form of communication. To receive more information about NCA, please utilize the secure form. Current clients are encouraged to log onto the secure client portal and message their clinicians directly. Please call if you have any questions.