Engage Playfully

21/08/2025

Great insight into trusting in the process of Child Centred Play Therapy and the abilities and capabilities of children. Thrust them and let them trust us and our fury friends!❤️🐾

21/08/2025

What Happens in the Playroom?
It might look like just play—but in the playroom, everything has meaning.
🧠 Children explore emotions through stories, role-play, and imagination.
🧸 They build confidence by making choices, solving problems, and expressing themselves freely.
🐶 With a therapy dog nearby, they learn trust, empathy, and how to co-regulate in safe, gentle ways.
🎭 Big feelings are acted out, understood, and reframed—without pressure or judgment.
🪄 Every puppet, block tower, or game becomes a tool for healing, growth, and connection.
In this space, children don’t have to explain themselves with words.
They show us what they need through play—and we listen, reflect, and respond with care.
Whether it’s building social skills, navigating transitions, or learning to self-soothe, the playroom is where emotional development comes alive.
It’s not just play.
It’s therapeutic.
It’s intentional.
It’s powerful.

16/08/2025

❤️
Three years ago, I began a journey that changed everything. Studying to become a play therapist, counsellor and an animal-assisted therapist has opened my heart and mind in ways I never imagined. I’ve learned how play can be a child’s language—and how a gentle, four-legged companion can speak volumes without saying a word.
Combining these two approaches has become my passion. Together, they create a space where children feel safe, seen, and empowered to explore their emotions, build social skills, and grow in confidence. Whether it’s through role-play, storytelling, or quiet moments beside a therapy dog, I’ve witnessed incredible shifts in children’s ability to regulate, connect, and thrive.
This work is playful, purposeful, and deeply human. I’m so grateful for every child, every wagging tail, and every moment of growth along the way.

It’s not just about having toys in your therapy room 🧸 Play therapy requires specialised training, practice experience, supervision and registration

Play therapy is a distinct form of psychotherapy with its own:
✓ Theoretical model
✓ Evidence-base
✓ International play therapy education competencies and standards of practice https://www.ic-pta.com/

Children, adolescents, and families deserve expert care. So, if you want to incorporate play therapeutically…become a play therapist!

12/08/2025

Role of a Play Therapist:
In the playroom, we don’t just bring toys, we bring presence.
We show up with curiosity, compassion, and a deep respect for each child’s inner world.
👣 We follow their lead, not to fix, but to understand.
🛠️ We offer tools for expression—puppet, toys, art, and imagination.
🐾 We co-regulate, reflect, and gently guide, often with a furry co-therapist by our side.
🧠 We hold space for big feelings, messy stories, and quiet victories.
💬 We translate play into progress—helping children build emotional language, social skills, and self-trust.

Whether it’s a moment of laughter, a breakthrough in role-play, or a silent nod of connection, we’re there, attuned, grounded, and ready to meet the child exactly where they are.

Because healing doesn’t always look like talking.
Sometimes, it looks like a child roaring like a dinosaur, building a fortress, or gently brushing a therapy dog’s fur.
This is the heart of play therapy.
This is how we show up.

05/08/2025

🐾 Poppy’s Playful Encounter! 🧸💛
Today during a session, Poppy had the pleasure of meeting a very special guest!
It was heartwarming to see Poppy gently engage, sniff, and even play alongside her new plush companion. These moments of shared connection—whether with real paws or soft fur—can be so meaningful in helping children feel seen, safe, and supported.
At Engage Playfully, we celebrate every form of comfort and creativity that helps children express themselves and build emotional resilience.
Poppy gave her full tail-wagging approval! 🐶✨

05/08/2025

🌟 Exciting News from Engage Playfully! 🌟
We’re proud to share that Keryn Vasta, founder and lead therapist at Engage Playfully, has officially completed her accreditation as a Mental Health First Aider! 🧠💚
This training strengthens Keryn’s commitment to providing safe, informed, and compassionate support to children, families, and educators. As a Mental Health First Aider, Keryn is equipped to recognise signs of mental health challenges, respond with confidence, and connect individuals to appropriate support—ensuring that wellbeing is prioritised in every space we work in.
At Engage Playfully, we believe that emotional safety is the foundation for growth. This accreditation is another step in deepening our trauma-informed, inclusive, and strengths-based approach to therapy and community care.
Congratulations, Keryn!

04/08/2025

🐾🐾🐾Benefits of Therapy dogs

What other benefits have you noticed, either when working with a therapy dog or receiving support from a therapy dog? Let us know in the comments!!👇💜

27/07/2025

At Engage Playfully, we’re always drawn to moments that invite reflection, connection, and creativity—and Rebecca Abbey Introspection Connection does just that. 🎨💫 We were thrilled to purchase this stunning piece at the DACE Derinya Art Show, and even luckier to meet Rebecca in person. Her thoughtful use of colour and intuitive design beautifully echo our therapeutic approach: helping children explore their inner worlds through playful, supported experiences. Just like our sessions with therapy dogs and imaginative play, Rebecca’s work reminds us that introspection can be vibrant, healing, and deeply connective. It’s now a cherished part of our space—and a daily reminder of the power of art to inspire emotional growth.

27/07/2025

The benefits of Animals is powerful. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

25/07/2025

Groomed to perfection and feeling fresh, I am set for Term 3, enthusiastic about meeting friends and getting lots of affectionate attention.

24/07/2025

😊❤️

𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐰 — 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬?❓❔❓

⭐This is a question we hear often — and it’s completely understandable.

When your child begins therapy, especially something as gentle and non-directive as Child-Centred Play Therapy, it’s natural to hope for quick, visible changes. But like any meaningful growth process, the most important shifts often happen slowly, beneath the surface, and in their own time.

👉Here’s what might be happening:👇

13/07/2025

Helping Kids Thrive, One Paw and Play at a Time 🐾
At Engage Playfully, we know that big feelings, friendships, and change can be hard especially for young children. That’s why our social groups use a unique combination of play therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help kids build confidence, calm, and connection all in a way that feels fun and natural.
Here’s how it works:
🎨 Learning Through Play
Children express themselves and make sense of the world through play. That’s why we use games, stories, creative activities, and role-play to help children explore emotions, practice problem-solving, and develop social skills. Every moment is designed with intention but for the kids, it just feels like fun.
🐶 Support from Our Therapy Animals
Our gentle therapy animals aren’t just cute they help kids feel safe and calm. Whether it’s stroking a soft fur coat during a tough moment or learning how to “read” a dog’s body language, animals help kids tune into themselves and others in powerful, wordless ways.
🧠 Building Real-Life Coping Skills
We weave DBT-informed strategies into each session — including mindfulness, calming techniques, and ways to manage frustration or social challenges. Kids learn practical tools to understand their feelings, get along with others, and bounce back when things don’t go as planned.
🤝 Growing Social Confidence
Through small group activities, children learn how to take turns, speak up, set boundaries, and show kindness. With guidance from our trained therapists (and a little help from our furry friends), they build confidence in how to connect with peers and feel good about themselves.

✨ At Engage Playfully, we don’t just help children cope we help them grow.
Because when therapy feels like play, it becomes a powerful space for healing and hope.