Yangennanock: Child Play Therapy
Humanistic Child Play Therapy
What is humanistic child play therapy?
Humanistic child play therapy is a specialised form of psychotherapy designed to support children’s emotional, social, and developmental needs. Unlike adults, children often lack the words to explain what they are feeling or experiencing. Play therapy provides them with a safe and developmentally appropriate way to communicate, process experiences, and heal.
A trained play therapist uses carefully chosen toys, art materials, games, and creative activities as therapeutic tools. These are not used for entertainment, but as a medium through which children express their inner world, practice new skills, and explore challenges in a way that feels safe and natural.
​How Does it Work?
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The Therapeutic Relationship: At the core of play therapy is a warm, trusting relationship between the child and therapist. This connection creates safety and promotes healing.
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Play as Communication: Through play, children show themes, feelings, and experiences they might not be able to express verbally. The therapist observes, tracks, and reflects these patterns to support understanding and growth.
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Non-directive Exploration: In non-directive play therapy, the child leads the play while the therapist provides a safe and supportive space. The therapist follows the child’s choices, offering acceptance and understanding, which allows the child to express feelings, build confidence, and work through experiences at their own pace.
Benefits and Outcomes of Play Therapy
Clinical child play therapy has been shown to:
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Reduce anxiety, stress, and symptoms of trauma
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Improve emotional regulation and coping strategies
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Support social skills, empathy, and relationship-building
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Enhance confidence, self-esteem, and resilience
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Provide safe ways to process grief, loss, or change
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Support developmental milestones for children with diverse needs (including neurodiversity)
The Role of Toys in Play Therapy
In play therapy, toys are not used for entertainment but serve as purposeful therapeutic tools. They function as the “language” through which children communicate experiences, thoughts, and emotions that may be difficult to express verbally. Each item in the playroom is intentionally selected to support specific therapeutic goals:
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Emotional Expression – Dolls, puppets, and figurines provide children with opportunities to externalise and act out feelings or experiences in a symbolic way.
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Thematic Exploration – Materials such as sand trays, blocks, and role-play props enable children to explore personal narratives, relationships, fears, and challenges.
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Skill Development – Games, art supplies, and imaginative activities foster problem-solving, self-regulation, cooperation, and creative thinking.
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Sense of Safety – A consistent and predictable set of toys in the therapy environment helps create security, familiarity, and trust.
Through engagement with these materials, children are able to process emotions, rehearse new ways of coping, and strengthen their confidence, supporting growth and resilience in developmentally appropriate ways.
Why Toys and Play?
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Play is the child’s natural language: Toys are the words, and play is the way children communicate complex feelings and experiences.
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Safe Distance: Using toys, children can work through scary or confusing experiences at a safe distance, rather than talking about them directly.
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Creative Problem-Solving: Play allows children to “try out” solutions, practice new roles, and experiment with different outcomes in a low-stakes environment.
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Integration: Play engages both the emotional and cognitive parts of the brain, helping children connect feelings, thoughts, and actions.
Impact on Children’s Lives
Children who engage in play therapy often show:
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Greater emotional safety – feeling calmer and more secure in themselves
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Improved relationships – with peers, parents, professionals and educators
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Stronger problem-solving skills – being able to face challenges with resilience
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Better communication – expressing their needs and feelings more effectively
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Long-term growth – developing a foundation for lifelong mental health and wellbeing
Trauma-Informed Practice in Play Therapy
Trauma practice care in play therapy recognises the profound impact that trauma can have on a child’s development, behaviour, and sense of safety. It ensures that every aspect of therapy is guided by an understanding of how trauma shapes the brain, body, emotions, and relationships. In this approach, the therapy space is designed to feel safe and predictable, the child’s pace is respected, and interventions are sensitive to potential triggers. The focus is not only on addressing symptoms but on rebuilding trust, fostering resilience, and helping children regulate and heal through play.
For Madison, trauma-informed practice is not an optional lens — it is central to every therapeutic interaction. Madison is deeply committed to creating environments where children feel seen, protected, and empowered. By combining evidence-based play therapy techniques with trauma-sensitive care, Madison ensures each child’s unique experiences are acknowledged and respected, while also supporting families to understand and respond to the effects of trauma with compassion.
Referral Process for Play Therapy
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Self-Referral
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Parents, carers, or guardians can make direct contact to request play therapy services for their child.
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Initial contact can be made via phone, email, or the service’s contact form via the above contact tab.
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The service will provide an online referral form to gather background information, the reason for referral, and any relevant history.
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Once the completed form is received, the therapist will arrange an initial consultation with the parent/carer to discuss needs, goals, and suitability for play therapy.
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Professional Referral
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Referrals can also be made by professionals involved in the child’s care, such as:
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General Practitioners (GPs)
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Paediatricians
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Psychologists or Mental Health Clinicians
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Child Protection or Family Services workers
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Early Childhood Educators and Teachers
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Referring professionals will be asked to complete an online referral form outlining
the presenting concerns, relevant history, and current supports in place.
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With consent from the parent/carer, the therapist may request
further information or reports to ensure therapy is well-informed.
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Please reach out to Madison with any further questions or enquiries.