Child-Centered Play Therapy

Play therapy is evidence-based and has extensive research backing its effectiveness with children in a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties. This style of therapy provides a developmentally appropriate approach that utilizes the child’s language and the therapeutic relationship to provide a safe space for children to express and process their inner experiences and feelings through play.

Our child-centered play therapists in St. Charles help children learn to express emotions, process trauma, and develop social and emotional skills in a safe, nurturing environment—ideal for early emotional or behavioral challenges. 

• Trauma

• Grief and Loss

• Mood and Anxiety Disorders

• ADHD and Behavioral Disorders

• Autism

• Social Skills

Carefully selected toys and materials are utilized to encourage the expression of feelings, promote relationship building and trust, and develop social skills and coping skills. We help facilitate the child’s exploration of their emotions and experiences, and empathically respond to their worldview through reflection of feelings, reflection of behaviors, facilitating decision making, facilitating creativity and problem solving, providing encouragement, limit-setting, and emotion regulation (coping skills).