Child Counseling

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“Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” Virginia Axline

We provide play therapy services for children ages 2-10 and kids in early adolescence through individual, group and/or family therapy. We are licensed professionals who have undergone extensive training and education in child development, child therapy, and the therapeutic use of play.

Children do not always have the verbal capacity to express their thoughts and feelings. Play is a child’s most natural form of communication. Children learn through play and they express their feelings and emotions through play. It only makes sense that a child’s therapeutic environment would provide them the opportunity to “talk” about their problems in their language, the language of play.

The play therapy room has several categories of selected materials that aid the child in their communication. The room has real-life toys, aggressive toys, and creative expression toys. Children utilize the toys as their words to express what may be troubling them. The therapist acts as a facilitator for change through the use of reflective listening, feelings identification, setting limits, returning responsibility, and encouraging growth and mastery.

Through the child’s play and choice of materials the therapist is able to gain insight about what is going on in the child’s world. This insight provides the therapist with information to better help the child and the family. In play therapy the child is able to confront their difficult feelings and find healthier ways of coping with their problems.

Is your child experiencing any of these?

• Sadness/depression
• Changes in sleep or appetite
• Worry/anxiety
• Attention deficit and/or hyperactive behaviors
• Anger and disruptive behaviors
• School suspensions
• Social skills impairments
• Academic concerns (ie. academic pressure, retention, poor grades etc.)
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Learning disabilities
• Adjustments to major life changes (ie. move, remarriage, new sibling, new school etc.)
• Death/grief
• Trauma (ie. death, accident)
• Friendship concerns
• Power struggles with caregivers
• Sibling conflict

If so, we are here to help your child with:

• Managing anxiety and stress
• Regulating difficult emotions
• Thinking creatively and solving problems
• Making decisions
• Communicating with others
• Becoming responsible for their behaviors
• Increasing self acceptance and respect for others
• Developing self control and considering consequences
• Increasing positive social interactions
• Learning positive coping strategies
• Managing anger
• Incorporating positive self talk
• Building trust and mastery
• Exhibiting acceptable behaviors
• Processing grief
• Improving school performance

* Information Adapted from the Association for Play Therapy

In addition to in-person services we provide Telehealth counseling services via HIPAA compliant video conferencing to clients located in cities in Louisiana including but not limited to New Orleans, Metairie, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, and Lake Charles.