Welcome to The Power of Play
Why Play Therapy?
My name is Shelley Johnson and I work with children and young people through the medium of creative arts and play to support them to overcome emotional issues, that might be spilling out into their behaviour either at home or in school.
Being creative and playful is how children naturally communicate their internal world, through creative arts and play they bring their unconscious into their conscious. With me along side them, I can support them to begin to create meaning and gain an understanding of what they are experiencing, moving them towards a place of healing and self discovery.
Creative arts and play removes any of the barriers that language presents. If you have ever asked a child to tell you how they are feeling, they struggle to explain because they can't access the words, they might not even exist to them yet.
The experience of being in the play room offers the child a greater insight into themselves; to heal and grow towards accepting themselves in order to move forward.
What to expect in the play room
The play room experience
The Power of Play, recognises how powerful play is for children and the transformation the experience of play can offer. I believe in ensuring the integrity of the play room by offering a safe and secure environment where children can explore and discover through self expression and positive risk taking.
Things that will support your child or young person through their therapeutic journey.:
- Be aware that things might get harder while your child creates order of their feelings.
- Avoid asking questions about how the session was or if they had fun, focus on the transition, of what is happening next.
- Whilst we aim to keep things clean, they may get arts and crafts on them, wearing old clothes can help.
- Consider the hard work a session can be for a child.
Experiencing play aids cognitive development and emotional well-being
Play helps us to make sense of the world around us
Relationships in play help us to build our social skills and refine our emotions
Who is creative arts and play therapy for?
Creative arts and play therapy can help children and young people explore different experiences that they may not have the space for.
I specialise in adoption and children and young people who have experienced the care system, early trauma. loss and bereavement. Other areas that I work with are
- Struggling with changes and transitions,
- Family Unit changes
- Domestic abuse
- Anxiety,
- Self Esteem
- Identity
The list is not exhaustive, make contact to explore how I can support your child's journey.
The play room
The playroom is a safe and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable to express themselves, they are accepted however they enter the room.
The room offers consistent boundaries with the capacity to explore positive risks.
Things they can expect to find are:
- Arts and Crafts
- Clay
- Paint and pens
- Puppets
- Role play and dress up
- Musical instruments
- and Games
Collaboration with Parents
I believe that parents play a crucial role in their child's healing journey, and you should be included in the process. I work closely with parents to offer support, guidance, and strategies to promote positive change at home.
If a parent would like to explore parental sessions, then we would complete a parental assessment and create a plan of sessions. The session uphold the same confidentiality of the child and young persons.
I may recommend parental sessions before therapy with the child or young person begins.