Laura Van Camp, LMFT, RPT-S

02/05/2026

Play is how children communicate.
Play is how they heal.
I sometimes can’t even believe I am so blessed to be able to do this work.
And it is an honor to protect, teach, and pass on this work to the next generation of therapists.

Happy Play Therapy Week! 💛

02/04/2026

It’s International Play Therapy Week and we are celebrating!! 🥳

To an adult, this looks like play.
To a child’s nervous system, this is where healing happens.

In play therapy, children don’t have to explain what they feel before they’re ready.
They show us—through stories, symbols, movement, and connection.

🧠 The dollhouse becomes a way to process experiences
🌊 The sand tray helps regulate the nervous system
🗣️ Puppet play metaphor helps a child find their voice
🫟 Creating develops perseverance, problem solving, and frustration tolerance
✨ Play builds confidence, safety, and emotional resilience

This isn’t “just playing.”
It’s developmentally appropriate therapy—meeting children where they are, not where we wish they could be.

If your child struggles with big emotions, anxiety, aggression, or shutting down… this is why play therapy works.

06/20/2024

This!! 🗣️

There's a very important difference between "surprises" (like a birthday party or holiday gift) and the "don't tell your mom/dad" secret. The latter triangulates/confuses a child's loyalty and contributes to grooming. Know the difference.

There are seemingly small and simple phrases we use as parents that either empower or disempower children. Our words matter, and this is one of many reasons why shifting from punishment to positive parenting is so impactful.

To learn 14 other common parenting phrases to avoid, and why, join our email list here:

https://genmindful.com/pages/join-our-community

02/16/2024

Your kids trigger you too?? Watch this!!! 🙌🏼

02/05/2024

Meet Andrew!

It would be nice if kids came this easy to understand ..

But since they communicate through behavior, we know that play is the best way to access their brains!

Happy Play Therapy Week!

10/31/2023

10/25/2023

Children are not miniature adults... And their therapy works best when it’s tailored to their specific needs. 🤗

06/27/2023

So Good! ❤️👏

05/22/2023

A Dozen Ways to Co-Regulate With Your Child 💕

CREDIT

♡ If you would like to be kept in the loop on everything Synergetic Play Therapy or get resources to support you on your therapist or parent journey, join us here: https://linktr.ee/synergeticplaytherapy ♡

09/12/2022

Four of the most important words.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

07/07/2022

You may hear a lot of hype around the word “resilience” in the parenting field these days.

Why is it so important?

Resilience is the way we sit with and handle emotions. Life is a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. Our job as parents isn’t to “fix” every down for our children, because that actually leaves them feeling unheard, or even powerless— like they just can’t handle it. But when we help them sit with the hard things, and feel validated in their experiences, they feel capable to keep moving forward.

Instead of “Oh no! This is too much for you to handle! Lets make it all better!” We want to convey the message “I see how hard this is for you... I’m here with you... and we will get through this together.”