Play Therapy Principles at The Play Pod

At The Play Pod, I believe in incorporating essential principles into the Play Therapy sessions to create a safe and supportive environment for clients.

These principles guide my practice and ensure that individuals of all ages receive the utmost care and attention during their therapeutic journey.

The principles are based on a pioneer in Play Therapy called Virgina Axline and replicate the 8 strands on the Play Pod logo.

The sprigs around the outside represent the following:

🌿 Community connections for the client
🌿 Parents and carers
🌿 Multi agency working including supervision

🍀 The last sprig is different to the rest. This represents the client who remains central to any decision made on their own therapeutic journey.

Building a warm and trusting relationship with clients is crucial to the success of Play Therapy. I aim to create a supportive and accepting atmosphere where individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves.

A crucial part of the Play Therapy process is the reflection of feelings, body language and thoughts for clients to make sense of their inner world.

Establishing a feeling of permission in the relationship so that the child feels free to express his or her feelings completely.

Encouraging individuals to explore and solve their own problems fosters personal growth and empowerment. Play Therapy sessions focus on guiding clients towards finding their own solutions.

Play Therapy can take many forms, to start with sessions remain non directive. The client leads and the therapist follows. As sessions progress, directive work may be necessary after careful consideration in supervision sessions.

Healing and growth take time, which is why I believe in a gradual approach to therapy. Supporting clients through each step of their journey towards emotional wellness.

This means setting those limitations necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of his/her responsibility in the relationship.

Client is accepted fully for who they are in the space.