Children will sometimes face emotional or behavioural challenges that affect their lives and those around them. Parents and carers may worry when a child seems sad, disruptive, rebellious, unable to cope, or inattentive. Concerns might also arise about a child’s growth, eating and sleeping habits, or their relationships at home, with friends, and at school.

Play therapy supports children in making sense of complex feelings and difficult experiences. Unlike adult therapy, which often relies on verbal explanations, children can use play to express themselves in a way that is developmentally appropriate.

Play Therapy supports a child’s capacity to regulate, to understand their inner world, and to develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. Practitioners trained to IAPTP standards integrate play-based methods within a robust psychotherapeutic framework that is grounded in clinical training, ethical practice and ongoing supervision.