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Helping Children

Studies indicate that 1 in 5 of our children have some form of psychological problem. The good news is that between 72% and 83% of these children show a positive change as a result of play therapy delivered to PTUK standards, the more severe the problems, the higher the percentage of positive change.

Conditions that therapeutic play and play therapy can help – a short check list – ‘Do you know a child who …….?

Guidelines to help you to decide if your child has problems that could be helped by Play Therapy or Therapeutic Play.

Always consult a doctor if the child has a severe mental health problem.

There are two main ways of accessing a Play Therapist or a Practitioner of Therapeutic play:

  • Using an independent play therapist or practitioner (for which you will have to pay a fee)
  • Using a therapist whose services are fully or partly funded by local authority children’s centres, education, social, or health services, a charity or some other agency.

Using an independent PTUK registered play/creative arts therapist

  • Check the availability of PTUK Registrants using the search facility;
  • when you meet them for the first time check their PTUK photo membership card and the Registrant number which should match that in the on-line register;
  • ask the Therapist to carry out an assessment, then agree the objectives of the therapy, number of sessions and fees.

The assessment, which will be totally confidential, involves completing a simple questionnaire which will take you 10 – 15 minutes to complete. The Therapist will then score this and discuss the results and the suggested way forward. You would not normally take your child with you to this assessment session. In this initial session the therapist will also discuss any other relevant matters or questions that you wish to ask. Before therapy starts you will be invited to bring your child for an introductory session where he/she can see the therapy play room and all the exciting toys, objects and materials that it contains. The Therapist will explain the simple rules:

“When you’re here you can do whatever you like, unless you are likely to hurt yourself, hurt me or damage the things in the room.”

“I will not tell anyone about what you say or do unless I think that someone is hurting you.”