Mixed Emotions Play Therapy

20/11/2025

🤩British Play Therapy Week 2025 🤩

Many children develop coping mechanisms, such as "masking," as a way to navigate their day 🎭😔

Play therapy offers a supportive environment where children can feel safe to express their true selves, allowing their masks to gently fall away☺️

Attuning to the whole person, not their mask. In play therapy, we honour neurodivergent children for who they truly are. By creating sensory-friendly, accepting spaces and following the child’s lead, we invite authenticity, safety and connection. When children no longer need to mask, play becomes a place of freedom, joy and genuine self-expression.

® Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

19/11/2025

🤩British Play Therapy Week 2025🤩

I love this reminder about what it really means to accept and respect each child in the play therapy room 🫶

Adapting non-directive play therapy isn’t about changing the heart of the approach, it’s about creating a safe space where every child, with their own unique way of learning, sensory preferences and stage of development, can truly experience the therapeutic power of play 🙌

Adapting non-directive play therapy to meet the diverse developmental, sensory and educational needs of every child means staying attuned, flexible, and deeply respectful of each child’s unique way of engaging in play.

While the therapeutic approach remains grounded in child-led principles, the therapist’s sensitivity to developmental stages, neurodiversity, communication styles and learning differences ensures that every child can access the power of play in a way that feels safe and meaningful.

By thoughtfully adjusting our environments, pacing and materials without losing the essence of non-directivity we uphold the core belief that every child has the capacity for growth and healing when met where they are.

® International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

18/11/2025

🤩British Play Therapy Week 2025🤩

At our initial parent meeting we will talk about your child, your family background and any support you’ve had before. It is helpful to know about any assessments or diagnoses, but my focus will be on getting to know the child I meet😊 In play therapy, every child is welcome and valued just as they are👍In time, the sense of acceptance helps ease any anxiety and reduce any defensiveness, allowing the child to explore what matters to them in a way that supports their overall growth 👏

The child is always more than their diagnosis. In play therapy, we meet them exactly where they are with presence, acceptance and playfulness. So their true self can lead the way.

® International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

17/11/2025

🤩British Play Therapy Week 2025🤩

What better time than now to give a huge SHOUT OUT to all the play therapists out there for the incredible work they share with the children who come to the playroom! 🫶

I am passionate about raising awareness of play therapy- an evidence-informed, developmentally attuned approach that offers children a safe and meaningful way to express themselves.

Many still don’t realise this support exists 🤷‍♀️ so if you’re curious about whether play therapy could be helpful for your child, please get in touch ☺️

As play therapy continues to globalise, it’s crucial for practitioners to understand their role within the broader professional context, recognising how each of us contributes to shaping the field itself.

Every interaction, every moment of attunement and every advocacy effort adds to a growing international dialogue about the power of play to heal, connect and transform.

Together, we are not only supporting individual children and families, but also strengthening the global voice of play therapy as an essential component of mental health care.

® International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

16/11/2025

🤩 Something NEW IS COMING to Mixed Emotions in 2026! 🤩

INDIVIDUAL PLAY THERAPY sessions are suitable for children from around 4 years of age. Our LITTLE ONES are best supported when their PARENT/CARER joins in with the sessions. I'm thrilled to be offering parent and child sessions for little ones, under 4 years, in early 2026!

This approach NURTURES CONNECTION by supporting ATTUNEMENT and CURIOSITY between PARENT/CARER and their CHILD. Through PLAY, we will explore new ways of being to help STRENGTHEN your connection, build TRUST and develop your child's SENSE OF SELF.

If your are interested in this type of support, please get in touch via the website or send me a message on here and we can arrange an initial call! 😊

03/11/2025

Healing doesn't happen in a straight line, sometimes things get messier before they settle 🫶

During the play therapy process you may notice a 'shift'- your child may suddenly resist sessions, have more challenging behaviours at home or even say “I don’t want to go anymore!” This can feel worrying, but is often a sign of progress 🌱

When children start to explore deep feelings, memories or fears, we call this the “working stage” which can stir up emotions they just don’t know how to manage yet. The 'shifts' can be their way of saying, “This feels hard right now” 😔

Your support between sessions makes a huge difference- patience, routine and reassurance that you are there and that they are safe 🥰

27/10/2025

During the initial intake meeting we talk about the importance of respecting the child's pace, recognising that each child has their own unique rhythm and way of being. By following the child’s lead, we show that their feelings and needs are respected. This approach creates a safe and trusting environment, laying the foundations for the creation of a therapeutic relationship 😊

In Play Therapy, we understand that meaningful change unfolds gradually, within the safety of a consistent and trusting therapeutic relationship.

Children need to go at their own pace. When we follow the child, we honour their readiness and create the safety they need to explore their inner world. Going at the child’s pace allows them to process experiences — including trauma — while maintaining a safe psychological distance.

Real growth doesn’t happen under pressure; it happens when a child feels safe enough to take small, manageable steps towards healing.

A Play Therapist’s role is to hold space, to wait, and to trust the process. 🌿

20/10/2025

📱Please provide a contact number 📞

I’ve replied to all enquiries. If you emailed me directly (rather than via the website) and you didn’t include your contact number, please check your junk/ spam folder in case my email has ended up there.

Thanks so much- I cant wait to speak with you!

15/10/2025

Play Therapy: A Family Story, Not Just a Child’s 🥰

When a child comes to play therapy, it might look like it’s all about them- their feelings, their play, their world. But every child’s story is deeply woven into their family’s story. It’s a parallel process- as your child grows and heals through play, you too are making sense of your own experiences. Together we explore these connections with care and curiosity 🙌

The magic really does happen when we see play therapy as a collaborative process that nurtures connection, understanding and growth for the whole family 🌱

06/10/2025

I have to thank for this one...

Children’s behaviour is often labeled as “naughty” or “on purpose” but behind every action is a reason- whether it’s frustration, fatigue, needing attention or their way of communicating something they can’t yet put into words. Behavior = Clues. Be the detective 🕵️‍♀️

29/09/2025

Play isn't 'just' play! 🙌

Dr Judi Parson has significantly contributed to the field of play therapy; identifying 20 fundamental agents of change. This work highlights how play supports emotional and psychological growth in children, especially in child therapy 🫶

26/09/2025

When a child makes statements like, “I’m bad at this,” it can feel tough to hear 😔But it’s also an opportunity to encourage a growth mindset 😀 When we acknowledging their feelings and remind them that learning takes time, we help them see that EFFORT matters more than perfection- little by little, that’s how confidence and resilience grow 🌱