Child and Adolescent Therapy
How to Prepare Your Child for Their First Session
How you introduce therapy to your child sets the tone for their comfort and safety. Here is a simple, pressure-free way to approach the conversation:
Keep it Positive and Simple:
Avoid using terms like "doctor" if they associate it with shots or sickness. Instead, you can say: "We are going to visit Fatemeh. She is a play therapist who has a special room filled with toys, story books, games, and sand tray. Her job is to help kids understand big feelings and make sure they feel happy and safe."
Normalize Their Experience:
Assure them they are not in trouble. You might say: "Just like we see a coach to practice sports, we see Fatemeh to practice handling big emotions like anger, worry, or sadness."
Emphasize Their Control:
Remind them that the room is a safe space just for them. Let them know: "You get to choose what you want to play with, and you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."
Common Reasons a Child May Need Therapy
Children benefit from therapy for a wide variety of reasons. Some of the most common signs that a child could use extra support include:
Navigating Family Transitions: Coping with high-conflict divorce, separation, or family reunification.
Big Behavioral Shifts: Sudden increases in emotional outbursts, aggression, defiance, or intense tantrums.
Anxiety and Fears: Pervasive worries, school refusal, social withdrawal, or trouble sleeping and nightmares.
Processing Trauma: Healing from distressing events, loss, chronic medical stress, or difficult life changes.
Neurodiversity Support: Navigating the unique social and emotional challenges that can come with ADHD, autism, or learning differences.
The Power of Play: Evidence-Based Modalities
Children do not sit on a couch and talk through their problems; “play is a child's language, and toys are their words.”
As a Certified Play Therapist (CPT), I use specialized, evidence-based modalities to help your child process complex emotions naturally and safely. Depending on your child's unique needs, our sessions may integrate:
Sand Tray Therapy: Allowing children to build three-dimensional worlds that mirror their inner feelings and conflicts.
Puppetry & Role-Play: Giving children a safe distance to explore real-life problems through storytelling and characters.
Bibliotherapy: Using carefully selected therapeutic books and stories to normalize their experiences and teach coping skills.
Theraplay®: An attachment-based approach designed to strengthen the parent-child bond through playful, nurturing, and structured activities.
Therapeutic Games: Building emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, and problem-solving skills in an engaging way.
Honouring Your Child’s Agency and Voice
In my practice, the child's sense of agency is fully respected. Children are active participants in their healing journey, not passive subjects. I empower them by giving them choices within the playroom, ensuring they feel in control of their boundaries, their space, and their pacing. When a child feels truly respected and heard, their confidence and capacity for healing grow exponentially.
Collaborative Care: The Role of the Parent
You are the expert on your child, and you are a vital part of this process. Healing happens best when we work as a team.
Parental Participation: While many sessions are one-on-one to build the child's independence, parents are welcome and encouraged to participate in sessions whenever the child needs extra comfort, reassurance, or parental support.
Parallel Support: I meet with parents regularly outside of the child's sessions to share insights, celebrate progress, and equip you with practical tools to support your child at home.
FAQ
How long does a typical play therapy session last?
How do I know what my child is doing in therapy if the sessions are private?
Can you provide an assessment or report for my family court case?
How long will it take before I see changes in my child’s behaviour?
Supporting Your Child’s Inner World
“Meeting Children in Their Own World: Healing, Growing, and Smiling Through Play.”
As parents, we want nothing more than to see our children happy, confident, and thriving. However, children experience big emotions and stress just like adults do, but they rarely have the words to explain what is happening inside. When a child is struggling, it often shows up in their behavior, sleep, or school life.
Seeking therapy for your child is a beautiful act of protective parenting. It provides them with a dedicated, safe space to untangle their feelings, build resilience, and rediscover their joy.
