Children and adults, from diverse cultural backgrounds.

How does my Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy work?

Unhappy children do not learn. The language of children’s minds is imagery and symbols. Toys are the children’s words, play is their sentences. Play is children’s natural medium of self-expression – it is essential for development. In the therapy room children have an opportunity to ‘play out’ their feelings and problems. It is not about of making the unconscious conscious: rather it is restructuring the unconscious itself. Play is a natural medium of children’s ways of expression.

What is my Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy?

Because play is an unconscious act, children naturally reveal what is on their minds. My counselling uses creative mediums that speed the process of healing of trauma and gets right to the core of issues. Childhood traumas need to be worked through in the level in which they actually happened. If the trauma happened before language had been developed, even adults need to get back to that pre-language stage to be able to heal. Children, who do not play, develop brains 20% to 30% smaller.

Who is my Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy for?

My counselling for children  and adults who have experienced:

Trauma,

Abuse,

Bereavement and loss,

Removal from primary care givers,

Separated or divorced parents,

Experienced bullying or bullies,

Nightmares,

Social exclusion.

In addition, for children and adults who are

Angry,

Withdrawn,

Socially excluded,

Underperforming, socially, culturally, physically and/or academically,

Delayed developmentally,

Absent from school,

Behaving problematically, or

Have communication problems

What are the benefits of my Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy?

Increases children’s self esteem,

Improves children’s communication and understanding skills,

Improves children’s well being,

Assists the children to develop physically, emotionally and socially,

Fosters imagination and creativity,

Establishes relationships,

Encourages confidence and concentration,

Helps children to make friends and learn about their ever-expanding world,

Allows them to learn from mistakes safely, and

Gives children strategies to cope with difficulties.

How is my Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy done?

My Counselling, Play Therapy and Sandplay Therapy provides a different learning experience. In the Therapy room children can play without constraints and directives. Children have the freedom to choose which toys or mediums they want to use to express their thoughts, feelings and emotional issues. Even though it appears that they are just playing, they they are deeply engaged in their inner work. Play is how they do their work.

What are the main Counselling and Therapeutic tools?

Creative visualisation = Understanding and thinking.

Storytelling = Moral and spiritual development.

Drama = Social relationships.

Puppets and masks = Caring for self.

Art = Creativity and aesthetic experiences.

Music = Communication.

Dance and movement = Physical.

Sand play/ sand worlds = Emotional.

What is the neuroscientific evidence?

Play builds new neural pathways. Play Therapy acts as a ‘brain sculptor’. Brain research shows that interactions with children dramatically affect the long-term chemical balance and actual anatomical structures in the children’s brains. Genetics is only 25% responsible for children’s behaviour. Other factors such as nurture and learning mould the rest. New neural pathways develop constantly as people record new experiences.

What further neuroscientific evidence is available?

Brain flexibility enables children to change: For good - through therapy and positive experiences; For bad - through negative patterns and abuse. When children are helped to think about their feelings, this then releases anti anxiety chemicals opioids and oxytocin in the brain, this then modifies the effects of trauma.

What happens when these anti anxiety chemicals are released?

Children feel safe. Children are better able to learn. Children’s immune system works better. Children do not feel aggressive or anxious. Children feel calm and psychologically strong. Children have a deep sense of well being. Children have sense that there is meaning in their life.

Has the play been recognised as important in the historically?

Plato (429 -347 B.C.) “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year in conversation.” Rousseau (1712 – 1778) wrote about the importance of observing play as a vehicle to learn about and understand children. Freud (1856 – 1939) - in ‘Little Hans’ was first documented case that used therapeutic play. Virginia Axline (1911 - 1988) Play Therapy is largely based on her work. Dora Kalff (1904 - 1990) - She recognised that children express their thinking through their play.

Child Behaviour , Child Stress and Trauma , Creativity , Cross Cultural Issues , Grief and Loss - General

Child Centred Therapy , Expressive Arts Therapies , Group Therapy , Play Therapy , Sandplay Therapy

Help your loved child come alive with joy.

Is your child being bullied?

Does your child have nightmares?

Are you moving, separating or divorcing?

Does your child appear angry, withdrawn, lonely or unhappy?

Does your child have difficulties in school?

Do you watch your child suffer and feel guilty that you can’t do anything to help.

You can do something.

Call Maarit and make an appointment.

You’ll be glad you did.