02/04/2026
Not all healing happens through words.
Especially for children.
At the Family Center at the GIA Institute, we offer developmentally attuned care for kids and their families: meeting children where they are, not where they’re expected to be.
Through art therapy and play therapy, children are given safe, supportive ways to express themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and make sense of their inner worlds.
This is a space designed for imagination, safety, and relationship.
A space where families feel supported.
And where children are free to be exactly who they are.
Children who often benefit from art & play therapy include kids who:
• Have big feelings but limited words
(Kids who feel deeply but don’t yet have the language to explain what’s going on inside.)
• Experience anxiety, worry, or overwhelm
(This might show up as stomach aches, meltdowns, shutdowns, perfectionism, or trouble sleeping.)
• Have difficulty with emotional regulation
(Big reactions, quick frustration, or trouble calming once upset.)
• Are navigating change or transition
(Divorce, moves, school changes, new siblings, illness, or loss- especially when adults notice “something feels off.”)
• Have experienced stress, trauma, or grief
(Including medical experiences, family stress, community violence, or events that disrupted a sense of safety.)
• Struggle socially or relationally
Difficulty making or keeping friends, conflict with peers, or challenges reading social cues.
Express themselves more through play, art, or movement than conversation. Kids who draw, build, act things out, or communicate through imagination rather than talking.
• Are sensitive, intuitive, or deeply empathetic
(Children who feel everything - sometimes more than they can manage on their own.)
Art and play therapy can be especially supportive when:
• Talking feels hard or overwhelming
• Emotions come out in behavior instead of words
• A child seems “okay” on the surface but something doesn’t quite feel settled
This work isn’t about fixing children. It’s about giving them developmentally appropriate tools to feel safe, understood, and supported as they grow. Let’s play… Let’s chat!
📞 609-788-0771
