What is Play Therapy?

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Play & Creative Arts therapy is an effective, expressive therapy which enables a child to enter into a dynamic relationship with the therapist that enables them to express, explore and make sense of their difficult feelings and events that are hard to express verbally. 

For children it can be difficult to articulate what is wrong, or express their feelings through words. 

Play Therapy is a non-directive and child centered form of therapy which  helps children find healthier ways of communicating, develop fulfilling relationships, increase resiliency and facilitate emotional literacy through the use of different creative tools such as therapeutic Play, Sandplay, Art, Music, Drama, Dance Movement, Meditation and Storytelling.  It allows the child a chance to deal with and ‘play out’ issues in a free and protected space without being judged.

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Why is this work so important?  

It is an alarming statistic that 1 in 4 children suffer from a psychological disorder and even more worrying fact that 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health difficulty. That's almost 4 -5 children in each UK classroom.  

At Cricket green School we value and understand the importance of positive mental health of our children and we are proud to say that we provide child centered emotional and mental health support through Play and Creative Arts therapy.

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Who does it help?  

Mainly Play therapy is for children but the use of Creative Arts therapeutically doesn’t restrict it to any particular population and could be accessed and benefitted by any child or adult. It is actually a form of creative counselling instead of talking therapies.  

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We offer the therapy to those who have:

• Communications problems

• Behaviour problems

• Emotional problems

• Low Self esteem

• Relationship / Friendship issues

• Anger management

• Academic under performance 

• Anxiety issues

• ASD & ADHD

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Those who have experienced:

• Social exclusion

• Bereavement / Loss

• Bulling / Bullies

• Domestic violence

• Traumatic experiences

• Abuse and Neglect

• Divorce /Separation of Parents

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Services we Offer:

• Play and Creative Arts therapy Services for Schools, organisations and institutes.

• Individual Therapy and counselling sessions for children and Adults.

• Group Therapy sessions.

• Training Days for schools and organisation around importance of Play & integrating Play in to classroom setting.

• CPD courses

• Mental Health wellbeing projects 

• Children Assessments using Goodman’s (SDQ) Strength and Difficult scoring system and (ASQ –SE) Ages and Stages

   Questioner for Social Emotional behaviour

• Clinical Supervision for Play Therapy, Creative Arts therapy and counselling trainees and therapists.

 

Who can Refer:

• Schools / other institutes

• Parents

• GP’s / Health Professionals

• CAMHs

• Social Workers 

• Case / Family Workers

• Other Therapists

• Adolescents and Adults could refer themselves

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For more information contact:

Rochelle Rajan, MA at: playtherapy@cricketgreen.merton.sch.uk

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