At Not Easily Broken We Take PLAY...
SERIOUSLY!
Play Therapy is more than just giving a child a sensory toy...
Child play therapy is a way of being with the child that honors their unique developmental level and looks for ways of helping in the “language” of the child – play.
There are so many BENEFITS!
Licensed mental health professionals therapeutically use play to help their clients, most often children ages 3 to 12 years, to better express themselves and resolve their problems.
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Mental health agencies, schools, hospitals, and private practitioners have utilized play therapy as a primary intervention or as supportive therapy for:
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Behavioral problems, such as anger management, grief and loss, divorce and abandonment, and crisis and trauma.
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Behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), and autism.
Research suggests play therapy is an effective mental health approach, regardless of age, gender, or the nature of the problem, and works best when a parent, family member, or caretaker is actively involved in the treatment process.
All this information and more can be found at The Association for Play Therapy
"Children can make healthy choices if we recognize them as the people that they really are."
Donya Johnson
What the people are saying
"Our eight year old daughter began meeting with Donya due to her fear of doctors and the need to have control over her daily routines both at home and school. Over the first few months, Donya took the time to make a connection to our child and us as her parents. In addition to our daughter's weekly individual sessions, we were able to meet with Donya once a month to discuss developing concerns and receive direct support from Donya to implement procedures and different parental strategies at home. This time allotted to us as parents was a pivotal piece to support our daughter, in turn supporting our family unit at home. Donya was readily available to consult with us or add extra sessions for our daughter as needed. We are thankful for the time our daughter and our family worked with Donya and continue to implement the strategies provided to us as needed, even though our daughter's sessions have been completed. Donya has a unique ability to see her patients as a whole and support each case individually. "
"We think of Donya often in our home. I speak her praises both to friends who have kids struggling with behavior and at work. Both my pediatrician and my Child Study Team members have recommended Donya to various families. I can think of two moments in the past year where I have said to husband, "I think we may need to call Donya!". We then took the time to implement the plan and were able to redirect our daughter's behaviors. The dessert consequence is still holding strong!"
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Meghan O'Hara
Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
"As a graduate student who was specializing in play therapy, Donya was placed at one of the local public elementary schools to provide play therapy to the students who were classsified as emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children. This is one of the most dysfunctional schools in the area and those children who are receiving play therapy demonstrate extremely challenging behaviors. However, Ms. Johnson held unwavering belief in those children and paid respect to them. Those children at this school had experienced unthinkable interpersonal traumas but they responded to Ms. Johnson and they looked forward to seeing her every week. They knew that they could trust her. "
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Yumiko Ogawa Ph.D., NCC, LPC, ACS, RPT-S
Former NJPT President