Cheshire Play Therapy Services

17/01/2026

Anna Freud’s words sit at the very heart of play therapy practice.

Children do not always have the language to explain what they feel or why they behave as they do. Instead, their inner world often shows itself through play; in stories, symbols, roles and repetition. Within this play, the unconscious gently finds a voice.

In play therapy, we understand play as a bridge to the unconscious. It is where fears can be expressed safely, wishes can be explored without judgement and experiences can be worked through at the child’s own pace. What may feel confusing or overwhelming internally can be communicated, processed and transformed through play.

By attuning to a child’s play, the play therapist offers containment, curiosity and emotional safety, allowing the unconscious material to emerge naturally rather than be forced into words. This is where healing begins, not by asking children to explain themselves, but by meeting them where they are.

Play is not “just play”.

It is communication, insight and deep emotional work in action.

04/01/2026

Before today’s children even begin school, they have already been exposed to more technology-driven information, media, and sensory input than their grandparents encountered by the time they graduated school.
Think about it. No other generation in history has been exposed to this much information this early in life.
Early brain development depends on learning how to separate signal from noise. Young children are not born with that skill. The systems that regulate attention, filter relevance, and support memory are still forming in the early years.

This generation forms those systems inside constant white noise.

Screens. Background media. Rapid scene changes. Alerts. Endless content. Always on.

Neuroscience and cognitive research show that chronic early stimulation increases cognitive load and overwhelms working memory. When everything feels important, nothing stands out. Research on attention switching shows that frequent novelty trains the brain to scan rather than sustain focus. Developmental studies also show that young children struggle to distinguish meaningful information from irrelevant input when exposed to high levels of media. Sleep research further links early media saturation to reduced sleep quality, which directly affects learning and memory.

No previous generation entered school after years of adapting to this level of informational saturation.

So when children struggle with focus, retention, or persistence, it isn’t effort. It isn’t ability.

It’s a brain that adapted early to constant noise before it ever learned how to filter, prioritize, and hold onto what matters.

We keep labeling attention, motivation, and behavior.
But the real issue is saturation.

Until we account for that reality, we will keep misreading children—and mistaking adaptation for deficiency.

01/01/2026

09/12/2025

In play therapy, we understand that play is a powerful protector for children who have experienced stress or trauma. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, play becomes a language through which children can process and express overwhelming emotions that may be too difficult or confusing to put into words.

As the child re-enacts, symbolises, or gently approaches their experiences through play, their nervous system has opportunities to settle, regulate and regain a sense of calm and control. The consistency, attunement and containment offered by the play therapist create a secure base from which the child can explore at their own pace, restoring feelings of safety and inner strength.

In this way, play therapy offers children a developmentally appropriate pathway to recover, integrate their experiences and move towards emotional well-being.

®

05/12/2025

20/11/2025

🚨 OUT TODAY! 🚨

Our Trauma Informed Parents Magazine is officially out today!

Our November edition is packed with fresh insights, real-life stories, and practical strategies to support trauma-informed parenting.
Whether you're a parent, educator, or professional - this issue is for you. 💛

✨ Read it now: https://issuu.com/coect/docs/tips_issue_18_
Don’t forget to share and help us spread the word! 📣

18/11/2025

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

14/11/2025

In Play Therapy, children often take brave steps of their own — exploring difficult feelings, facing fears, and learning new ways to express themselves through play. Each small moment of trust, connection or creativity is a powerful act of growth. 🎨🧸

As BAPT Registered Play Therapists ®️, we see every day how providing a safe, consistent space helps children meet their own inner challenges — one play session at a time.

This , we celebrate the courage of children everywhere, and all those who work to help them thrive. 🌈

11/11/2025

People-pleasing in children isn’t about being kind or thoughtful - it’s often a survival strategy learned when saying “no” felt unsafe.

When children constantly prioritise others’ needs over their own, agree to things they don’t want to do, or change their preferences to match whoever they’re with, they’re showing us that they don’t trust that they’re valued for who they really are.

These children have often learned that their worth depends on making others happy, that conflict is dangerous, or that expressing their own needs leads to rejection. So they become experts at reading the room, anticipating what others want, and moulding themselves to fit.

The challenge is that while people-pleasing might look like maturity or kindness on the surface, underneath it’s exhausting and prevents children from developing a strong sense of self.

Our role is to help these children learn that they can say “no,” have different preferences, and even disappoint us sometimes - and still be loved and valued.

If your school is working to create environments where children feel safe to express their authentic needs and boundaries, our Emotionally Healthy Schools platform provides training to help staff support children who might be masking their difficulties:

https://clear-sky.org.uk/emotionally_healthy_schools/

09/11/2025

In Play Therapy, we recognise that remembrance is not only about the past, but about helping children make sense of big feelings — grief, courage, safety, and hope — through play and gentle connection.

Let us model empathy and gratitude, creating safe spaces where children can express what remembrance means to them.

🕊️

05/11/2025