Lavender Play Therapy

15/08/2025

Recipe for a Play Therapist

Ingredients:

2 heaped cups of empathy

1 strong foundation in child development

3 generous scoops of patience

1 cup of creativity (rainbows and puppets optional)

½ cup of humour (to laugh with, never at)

A pinch of therapeutic limits

4 tablespoons of active listening

A splash of imagination

Endless sprinkles of curiosity

Essential: a calming voice and a warm smile

Instructions:

1. Start with empathy as your base — it’s the heart of every good play therapist. Mix in a solid understanding of developmental psychology to give your work structure and depth.

2. Stir in patience and creativity slowly. These will help you connect with children at their own pace, in their own world.

3. Fold in humour to help ease anxiety and build rapport. Just a pinch can bring light to even the most difficult sessions.

4. Add your listening skills, being sure to include both what is said and what is shown through play.

5. Season with imagination and curiosity. Let the child lead — your job is to follow, understand, and reflect their world.

6. Top with a warm, consistent presence. Children thrive on predictability and safety, so your steady, genuine approach is the glue that holds it all together.

7. Let it simmer over time. Progress is slow-cooked, never rushed.

Serves: One child at a time — with care, compassion, and connection.

27/05/2025

Children who visit a Play Therapist are likely to have experienced some form of trauma. This could be a one-off trauma or cumulative.

When the trauma is cumulative in nature, happens early in life and by adults who the child relies upon to survive, it can affect the child's brain development. This disordered brain development can cause a child to expect all adults to be scary and dangerous. This fear impacts their ability to make relationships with others whom they come into contact with.

In Play Therapy, a considerable emphasis is placed upon the therapist's ability to create a safe, permissive environment where children are able to express themselves freely through the play.

It's through this relationship that the therapist shows nurture towards the child, engages and shows interest in what the child does, and enjoys having conversations with the child.

Through these interactions the child begins to learn that some adults are safe and can be trusted to keep them so. These safe adults become like a lighthouse in a storm for the child, until the child can generalise these experiences to other adults in their lives.

21/03/2025

20/12/2024

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08/11/2024

A healthy parent-child relationship creates a secure attachment. This relationship and attachment style helps a child to navigate their world, build other positive and respectful relationships, as well as develop their resilience, self esteem, confidence and self awareness.

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14/10/2024

Play is inherently therapeutic, especially for children. It's through play that children naturally process emotions, work through conflicts, and make sense of their experiences. Play acts as their language—a way to communicate thoughts and feelings they may not yet have words for.

For children, playing isn’t just fun—it’s a vital, organic process that fosters emotional healing, cognitive development, and psychological resilience. In this way, play is a form of therapy in and of itself, helping children heal and grow through their natural mode of expression.

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30/06/2024

Hello, I have availability for new children from September 2024, so get in touch if you are looking for support for your child or a child or family you know or work with!

28/04/2024

I am now offering PCAP sessions for parents and carers.
Contact me for more information!

28/04/2024

I am now offering SandStory Therapy sessions to children aged 8 and over. Contact me for more information!

22/01/2024

Play is a universal language for children, play lowers defenses and unlocks a deeper level of interaction through fantasy, metaphor and symbol for all ages.

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