Where children use play  to express their feelings, 

work through their troubles and grow their self confidence

Kia Ora

My name is Karen Elliott and I will be your play therapist.

I am a Registered Social Worker starting in child protection, moved to Barnardos where I have been the Social Worker in Schools where I stayed for 13 years, moved into programme co-ordination for the safety programmes for victims of domestic violence working with children and women and am now working part time running the programmes whilst I also run my private practice in child centered play therapy.

I have a passion for children and working with them to overcome trauma so they can reach their full potential and this passion has led me to study child centered play therapy through Child Play Works who nationally recognized trainers in child centered play therapy.

I look forward to speaking with you and helping your child/young person to use play to help them deal with the big stuff that is happening/happened to them. I am based in Lower Hutt and cover the Wellington region.

Email:  tamarikiplaythrough@gmail.com

Mobile:  027 216 8491

What is child centered play therapy?

Child Centered Play Therapy is a one to one intervention which is child led.  The therapist watches and comments on what the child is doing in a warm caring manner.  The therapist interacts with the child when the child invites them in either by talking to the therapist or wanting the therapist to interact with them in some way.  This allows the child to learn how to deal with and manage feelings in a healthy way.

In play therapy we use toys for the children to use to express what they are not able to put into words. During the play therapy experience the toys are like the children’s words and play is the children’s language.  They can use dolls, puppets, paints or other toys to say what they think or how they feel.

Therapeutic Stages in Child Centered Play Therapy

Through the sessions they work through four stages – Stage 1 – Developing trust with the therapist and exploring the play room

Stage 2 – Testing limits in the playroom and establishing safe boundaries

Stage 3 – Regressing to an earlier stage of development and working through trauma

Stage 4 – Play will become calmer and more confidence 

Sessions run for around 45 minutes for a minimum of 16 weeks.  This allows for the child to work through the stages

Areas of emotional distress CCPT can help with:

Grief – loss of a grandparent, parent, caregiver, sibling, 

Change – moving school, city, country, moving to live with other family members

Health – could be their own illness, a parent illness or a disability

Anxiety – could be about school, family, outside events e.g. earthquakes, medical

Family Violence – witness to family violence or have been abused, breakdown of the family relationship, dealing with feelings of rejection

Benefits of Child Centered Play Therapy

  1. Develop a more positive sense of self
  2. Assume greater self-responsibility.
  3. Become more self-directing.
  4. Become more self-accepting.
  5. Become more self-reliant.
  6. Engage in self-determined decision making.
  7. Experience a feeling of control.
  8. Become sensitive to the process of coping.
  9. Develop an internal source of evaluation.
  10. Become more trusting of oneself.

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