Juniper Play Therapy

12/01/2026

“They’re fine at school… but everything falls apart at home.”

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.
Many children work incredibly hard all day to cope; following rules, masking worries, holding emotions in.

When they get home to the place they feel safest, all of that built-up emotion finally comes out.

💚 This isn’t bad behaviour.
💚 It’s not poor parenting.
💚 It’s a sign your child feels SAFE with you.

Children often release their biggest feelings where they know they’ll be held, understood, and loved, even when it looks messy.

At Juniper Play Therapy, we support children to:

• express feelings safely
• reduce emotional overload
• feel understood and contained
• build confidence and regulation over time

If your child seems to cope all day but struggles once they’re home, Play Therapy may help.

You’re welcome to get in touch to find out more or discuss whether support might be right for your child.

12/01/2026

This week we’re exploring the roots of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic play therapy, and one of the most influential figures in this field was Melanie Klein.

Rather than seeing play as “just play,” Klein understood it as meaningful communication. Through observing themes, repetition, and symbolism in play, she believed therapists could gain insight into a child’s emotional experiences and support them to process anxiety, fear, and relationships in a safe, contained way.

Her work laid important foundations for many therapeutic approaches used today and continues to influence how play therapists think about symbolic expression, emotional meaning, and the therapeutic relationship.

✨ Play isn’t an add-on — it’s a child’s voice.

10/01/2026

🥰

For us all 💞

10/01/2026

This foundational quote captures the very heart of Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT).

CCPT is grounded in the belief that children communicate their inner world through play long before they can access words. Rather than directing or interpreting, the therapist offers a safe, accepting and attuned relationship in which the child is free to lead.

Within CCPT:
🧸 Play is meaningful communication
🧸 Behaviour is understood as expression, not defiance
🧸 The child sets the pace and direction
🧸 Healing emerges through relationship, not instruction

Rooted in Axline’s principles, CCPT trusts that when children experience unconditional positive regard, consistency and emotional safety, they naturally move towards growth, integration and emotional regulation.

Within British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) practice, CCPT remains a core, evidence-based and trauma-informed approach — honouring the child as the expert in their own experience.

💚 Play is not “just play.”
💚 Play is how children tell their story.
💚 Play is the work.

08/01/2026

Her seminal book, Dibs in Search of Self, offers a powerful and compassionate illustration of what happens when a child is met with unconditional acceptance, safety and trust. Through Dibs’ journey, Axline showed the world that children do not need fixing, directing, or correcting – they need to be understood.

Child-Centred Play Therapy rests on key principles demonstrated so clearly in Dibs’ story:
🧸 The child leads; the therapist follows
🧸 Play is the child’s natural language
🧸 Behaviour is communication
🧸 Given the right relational conditions, children move towards healing and growth

Within British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) practice, these principles remain central. Play Therapy provides a protected relational space where children can explore their inner world, make sense of experiences, and develop a stronger sense of self – at their own pace, in their own way.

Dibs in Search of Self reminds us that profound change does not come from control or instruction, but from relationship, attunement and trust in the child’s innate capacity to heal.

💚 Play is not “just play.”
💚 Play is therapeutic work.
💚 Play is how children tell their story.

05/01/2026

🌿 Could your child benefit from Play Therapy?

Children don’t always have the words to explain how they’re feeling — but they do communicate through play.

Play Therapy offers a safe, supportive space where children can: • express big feelings

• make sense of changes or worries
• feel emotionally held and understood
• build confidence and coping skills
• be accepted just as they are

At Juniper Play Therapy, we work in a child-centred, trauma-informed way, supporting emotional wellbeing at a pace that feels right for each child.

If you’re wondering whether Play Therapy might be helpful for your child, you’re very welcome to get in touch or complete a referral via our website.

🌱 www.juniperplaytherapy.co.uk
📧 juniperplaytherapy@outlook.com
📞 07544 744153

Spaces are limited due to the weekly commitment required.

03/01/2026

🌿 New Play Therapy Spaces – Limited Availability 🌿

We are pleased to share that a small number of new Play Therapy slots are becoming available this month with our new Associate Play Therapist Ella. Due to ongoing demand, these spaces are expected to fill quickly.

Play Therapy provides children with a safe, supportive, and child-led space to explore their feelings, make sense of their experiences, and develop healthier ways of coping—without pressure to talk before they are ready.

Play Therapy may be particularly helpful for children who are experiencing:

- Big or overwhelming emotions
- Anxiety or persistent worries
- Low confidence or self-esteem
- Emotional regulation or behavioural difficulties
- Changes or transitions (such as starting school or family changes)
- Difficulties expressing thoughts and feelings
- Experiences of trauma, loss, or attachment-related challenges

If you feel your child may benefit, we encourage you to make contact as soon as possible. These spaces are limited and are offered on a first-come basis following referral and assessment.

🔗 Referral forms are available at:
www.juniperplaytherapy.co.uk

📞 07544 744153
📧 juniperplaytherapy@outlook.com

Supporting children early can make a meaningful difference 🌱

01/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year from Juniper Play Therapy ✨

As we step into 2026, we do so with hope, warmth, and a renewed commitment to supporting children and families with care, compassion, and curiosity.

The start of a new year offers a gentle pause — a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and to look ahead with optimism. At Juniper Play Therapy, we’re embracing 2026 with open hearts, ready to continue creating safe, nurturing spaces where children can explore, heal, and grow at their own pace.

Thank you to all the families, schools, and professionals who walk alongside us. We’re so grateful for the trust you place in us and look forward to another year of connection, creativity, and meaningful change.

💚 Here’s to a year of hope, healing, and new beginnings.

#2026

29/12/2025

✨ Please welcome Ella to Juniper Play Therapy ✨

We’re delighted to welcome Ella as our new Associate Play Therapist.

Ella brings experience supporting neurodivergent children and a calm, child-centred approach that helps children feel safe, understood and supported.

We’re so pleased to have her as part of the Juniper Play Therapy team 💚

We still have some spaces with Ella starting in early 2026 if you are looking for therapeutic support for your child.

25/12/2025

🎄 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Juniper Play Therapy 🎄
As the year draws to a close, we want to thank all the children, families, schools, and professionals we’ve worked alongside this year. It’s been a privilege to support so many young people on their therapeutic journeys.
Christmas can be a joyful time – but it can also feel overwhelming, especially for children (and adults!) who find change, noise, expectations, or big emotions tricky. If things feel a little wobbly, you are not alone 🤍
Gentle tips for coping with Christmas overwhelm:
✨ Lower the bar – Christmas doesn’t have to look perfect to be meaningful.
✨ Stick to anchors of routine where possible (regular meals, bedtime cues, familiar activities).
✨ Build in quiet time – even short moments of calm can help reset the nervous system.
✨ Name feelings without fixing them – “It makes sense you’re feeling overwhelmed.”
✨ Offer choices – choice restores a sense of control when things feel too much.
✨ Connection before correction – reassurance, closeness, and play come first.
✨ Step outside if needed – fresh air and movement can be regulating for everyone.
Please be kind to yourselves. Regulation often comes after the holidays, not during them.
We wish you a Christmas filled with moments of safety, connection, and gentleness – and a New Year that brings hope, healing, and growth 🌱

With warmest wishes,

Juniper Play Therapy 💚

10/12/2025

In play therapy, children engage in rich cognitive work that directly supports the development of working memory, the mental space where they hold, organise and manipulate information.

During play, children remember sequences, keep track of roles, follow the unfolding logic of their story and juggle multiple ideas at once. Even simple activities like building, planning, or imaginative storytelling require the child to hold information in mind while also adapting to new possibilities.

Within the therapeutic relationship, this cognitive load is manageable because the child feels safe, supported and free to explore at their own pace. As children repeat, revise and expand their play, they strengthen neural pathways involved in attention, planning and flexible problem-solving.

The play therapist’s attuned presence helps the child tolerate challenge and recover from frustration. All of which reinforce working memory and broader executive functioning.

Through this process, play therapy nurtures the developing brain, enabling children to think more clearly, organise their experiences and approach the world with greater cognitive resilience.

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09/12/2025

Meet the Therapist – Cathryn Hicks

Hello, I’m Cathryn — a BAPT-Registered Play Therapist and the founder of Juniper Play Therapy. With over 25 years’ experience working across education, SEND, and therapeutic support, I bring a calm, compassionate, and deeply child-centred approach to every child and family I work with.

I specialise in supporting children who may be finding life overwhelming: those experiencing big feelings, school-based anxiety or EBSA, neurodiversity, attachment and relational trauma, or the impact of early developmental experiences. My playroom is a safe, nurturing space where children can express themselves freely, make sense of their inner world, and reconnect with their strengths through play, creativity, and attuned relational support.

My practice is grounded in co-regulation, felt safety, and the belief that every child deserves to feel truly seen and understood. I work closely with parents, carers, schools, and multi-agency professionals to create joined-up, trauma-informed support around each child — because meaningful, long-term change happens when everyone is working together.

At the heart of my work is helping children feel safe, confident, and able to navigate their world with greater resilience, connection, and emotional wellbeing.