With roots in Child-Centred and Non-Directive Play Therapy, Humanistic play therapy provides a safe space for children to express themselves in the way they choose. A wide variety of materials are made available to the child to facilitate exploration, creative and emotional expression and symbolism. Children can choose to play in most of the ways they would like and voice their story through their actions. The therapist provides warmth and acceptance while supporting and following the child safely through their journey without imposing judgement or direction. This form of therapy is suitable for children aged between 3 and 13 who may have experienced grief, trauma, social problems, fears and phobias, anger issues, depression, illness or the illness of a loved one, anxiety, toileting issues, ADD, ADHD, Autism, and more.

Studies into Play Therapy show that approaches such as Humanistic which allow the child to be at the centre of their therapeutic journey are effective for treating most common childhood presentations. For more information, see http://evidencebasedchildtherapy.com/meta-analysesreviews/

Filial Therapy is about building and strengthening the line of communication and the relationships between parents and children through play. The term ‘Filial’ has its roots in Latin, with Filius meaning son and Filia meaning daughter. Filial means any emotion or behaviour from a child to a parent. It involves training parents in the skills involved in therapeutic play so they can begin to become their child's number one therapeutic support. Filial Therapy harnesses the Therapeutic Powers of Play, increases parental confidence and skills, reduces negative relational issues and increases positive interactions. This form of therapy is suitable for families with children aged 3 to 12 who might be experiencing a variety of challenges, including social issues, behavioural problems and emotional regulation issues. It has been shown to be an effective therapeutic tool for both assisting children and strengthening families.

Meta-analyses into Play Therapy showed it is one of the most effective forms of treatment for most childhood conditions, and Filial Therapy which incorporates the primary caregiver into the therapeutic process, showed to be the most effective form of play therapy (see http://evidencebasedchildtherapy.com/meta-analysesreviews/).

For more information, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ejWSzIfB8

Pretend play has been shown to be an important factor in a child’s development of problem solving skills, language skills, emotional intergration, logical sequencing and flexible thinking. However, many children have problems initiating and sustaining pretend play. Learn to Play Therapy focuses on assessing children’s pretend play levels and bridging the gap where skills are behind norms for their developmental age. By building children’s pretend play skills, children are more able to express themselves, understand themselves and the world around them and better relate to their peers. Learn to Play Therapy is suitable for a variety of children: those who have mild deficits in pretend play skills, children with learning difficulties, language delays, developmental delays, Autism or Down Syndrome or neurological issues. For more information, see https://www.learntoplayevents.com/about/