Play to Blossom

06/09/2025

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We don’t need to protect kids from the discomfort of anxiety.

We’ll want to, but as long as they’re safe (including in their bodies with sensory and physiological needs met), we don’t need to - any more than we need to protect them from the discomfort of seatbelts, bike helmets, boundaries, brushing their teeth.

Courage isn’t an absence of anxiety. It’s the anxiety that makes something brave. Courage is about handling the discomfort of anxiety.

When we hold them back from anxiety, we hold them back - from growth, from discovery, and from building their bravery muscles.

The distress and discomfort that come with anxiety won’t hurt them. What hurts them is the same thing that hurts all of us - feeling alone in distress. So this is what we will protect them from - not the anxiety, but feeling alone in it.

To do this, speak to the anxiety AND the courage.

This will also help them feel safer with their anxiety. It puts a story of brave to it rather than a story of deficiency (‘I feel like this because there’s something wrong with me,’) or a story of disaster (‘I feel like this because something bad is about to happen.’).

Normalise, see them, and let them feel you with them. This might sound something like:

‘This feels big doesn’t it. Of course you feel anxious. You’re doing something big/ brave/ important, and that’s how brave feels. It feels scary, stressful, big. It feels like anxiety. It feels like you feel right now. I know you can handle this. We’ll handle it together.’

It doesn’t matter how well they handle it and it doesn’t matter how big the brave thing is. The edges are where the edges are, and anxiety means they are expanding those edges.

We don’t get strong by lifting toothpicks. We get strong by lifting as much as we can, and then a little bit more for a little bit longer. And we do this again and again, until that feels okay. Then we go a little bit further. Brave builds the same way - one brave step after another.

It doesn’t matter how long it takes and it doesn’t matter how big the steps are. If they’ve handled the discomfort of anxiety for a teeny while today, then they’ve been brave today. And tomorrow we’ll go again again.♥️

01/09/2025

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In Child-Centred Play Therapy, the relationship is the therapy.

It’s the trusting connection between child and therapist that creates the foundation for healing and growth.

The Play Therapist nurtures this bond by providing a safe, accepting environment where the child leads through play and change can unfold.

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21/08/2025

Abuse and violence, suffered or endured has an effect on a child emotionally, cognitively, socially and on their connection to self. Play therapy can support children in

* greater capacity to understand, articulate and regulate emotions. With better awareness of positive self expression of their emotions.

* processing their traumatic experiences, integrating these memories into self

* building their self esteem, self awareness and confidence to form identity, increase self efficacy and understand their worth

* gaining the ability to identify their own needs, self expression of those needs in a positive way and learning to rely on caregivers to meet their needs and reduce pseudo independence

* being able to understand and assert healthy boundaries in relationships, especially care givers where violence has been experienced or witnessed.

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09/08/2025

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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.

03/08/2025

Starting school and moving on to high school are big steps for children & young people – and for parents and carers too! ⭐🤗🎒

Which is why Parent Club has tips and advice to help calm any nerves or worries about going back to, or starting, primary school and secondary school, as well as advice on supporting mental health – helping the school years to go more smoothly 💟

Find out more, visit ➡️parentclub.scot/topics/school-education

01/08/2025

Perfect way to connect too ❤️

This Wednesday is Playday, and it's a perfect excuse to unplug and play together as a family!
Play isn’t just for fun — it’s how children learn, grow, and thrive.
No need for fancy plans, whether it's the garden, the local park, or just your street — get out and play!

18/07/2025

Play Therapy normally takes place in a private, child-friendly and confidential setting where the Play Therapist sees the child on a one-to-one basis.

Consistency is key in the development of a trusting therapeutic relationship. There will be practical agreements made to support this. The Play Therapist will meet the child on the same day, at the same time and in the same place each week with the same play materials.

During play, the child has an opportunity to express deeper thoughts, ideas and wishes which allows the Play Therapist to gain valuable insights into how they experience their world. Therefore, through the Play Therapy relationship, the child is able to make sense of their life experiences and to express difficult feelings through their play.

Generally, the specific details of the therapy sessions will remain confidential between the Play Therapist and the child. Parents/carers and professionals will not be given weekly feedback and it is important that the child is not pressured into talking about what they have been doing in the sessions. This promotes the child’s feelings of trust with the therapist and the safety of the therapy space.

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27/06/2025

How Play Therapy Can Help Children with PTSD:

When children experience trauma, their feelings often live in the body and in play—long before they can be put into words. Play therapy provides a safe, consistent space where children can express and process what they have experienced without the pressure to talk.

In child-centred play therapy, we don’t ask children to relive their trauma. Instead, we offer them the freedom to play it out at their own pace, in their own way—helping to restore a sense of safety, choice and connection.

Through the therapeutic relationship and symbolic play, healing begins.

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15/06/2025

🎪 Den spaces in play therapy provide containment, foster imaginative play, and support emotional resilience ❤️

Play helps children feel safe 🧸

Do you remember that feeling of being snug in a den?

Den building is more than just having fun. Children create a world of their own, where they feel secure, in control, and free to explore.

In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, play offers a vital sense of comfort and security. 💚

This image is from Scotland's Play Vision Statement and Action Plan. Read more about Scotland's Play Strategy: https://www.playscotland.org/policy/play-strategy/

07/06/2025

❤️

Let’s bust a few myths!
❌ “They’re just playing”
✅ Complex processes (neurological, physical, and relational) occur in playful moments
❌ “Learning does not happen through playing”
✅ Learning through play has important pedagogical functions
❌ “Playing won’t help you if you’re stressed”
✅ Play is a natural stress reliever
❌ “Play Therapy is not evidence-based”
✅ Play Therapy is evidence-based with substantial empirical research

Repost from Play & Filial Therapy 💕

19/05/2025

Play is how children connect - it's their way of saying "be with me". When we play, we speak their language ❤️

17/05/2025

❤️ Born ready to connect ❤️

Quote of the Day