Play therapy is a developmentally sensitive approach that honors the unique emotional and psychological needs of children.

Rather than adapting adult models for use with kids, play therapy is built on the understanding that play is a child’s natural way of communicating.

I’m sure you have noticed a time when your child seemed to be acting out something they saw or experienced. This is a child’s way of making sense of their world and developing an understanding of their circumstances. Play therapy can offer a space for a child to explore these situations in a way that is comfortable for them.

Many children struggle with how to handle difficult emotions or manage and cope with stressful situations.

Play therapy offers a developmentally appropriate type of therapy for children to make sense of those tough moments, build resiliency and a stronger sense of self.

In play therapy, toys serve as words and play as language, allowing me to gain valuable insight into a child’s inner world. This process provides a safe and supportive environment where children can work through emotional challenges, develop healthy coping skills, improve self-regulation, and build stronger relationships. Interventions are carefully tailored to align with the child’s cognitive, emotional, and developmental capacities.

Although the term "play" may suggest something casual or surface level, play therapy is a deeply purposeful and evidence-informed clinical method that has years of research behind it.

It offers meaningful opportunities for therapeutic engagement and emotional healing in a way that recognizes how children naturally process and make sense of their experiences. While your child may describe their session as "playing," please know that each session is carefully guided to support their emotional growth and well-being with a theory and research behind it.

Because children are in a different stage of brain development compared to adults, it’s helpful to meet them where they are to connect and provide therapy.

It’s hard for children to find words for their experiences and feelings. This comes with time and development. Play therapy offers children a chance to transform and work through things from the inside out.

Children can reach a resolution, understand themselves better and start to increase self esteem while playing out struggles and scenarios that they might be dealing with outside of the play room.

Play therapy offers children a chance to play out difficult moments, work through hard emotions and practice different behavior in order to make sense of their situation and gain some mastery over themselves and their actions.

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I primarily utilize Child Centered Play Therapy in my work with children. Child Centered Play Therapy is a non-directive therapeutic approach in which the child leads the way. In this setting, children will find appropriate ways to cope with unresolved feelings and they can learn ways to regulate and increase their ability to tolerate more stressful moments in their day.

Children are still learning to understand their emotions, so it’s completely normal for them to have a hard time putting their feelings into words or expressing them in ways that seem appropriate. Child Centered Play Therapy removes the pressure of finding the right words and allows the trained therapist to communicate and understand the child in their language, which is play.

The playroom is designed and furnished with a variety of carefully selected toys, designed to promote the expression of a wide range of feelings and circumstances.

The play materials are grouped into some categories such as real-life toys, which help children reenact everyday situations; nurturing and role-play toys, which support emotional expression; and creative materials, which encourage open-ended, self-directed expression.

There has been much research done on the appropriate toys and items to have in a play room in order to facilitate play therapy and the different themes that show up in a play therapy session.

For more information about play therapy please feel free to watch this video or visit the Association for Play Therapy website -

https://www.a4pt.org/

The Process of Therapy

Step 1

DISCOVERY CALL

You’ve found play therapy near you! When you reach out through the contact form, we can schedule a free 15-minute consultation phone call to see if we’d be a good fit. In that phone call, you will have a chance to ask any questions and tell me a little bit about why you are seeking play therapy services and I can discuss what you can generally expect from the play therapy process for your child.

Step 2

INITIAL SESSION

We will complete a thorough intake together via telehealth without your child present. This allows you to speak freely and allows me to ask questions about your reason for seeking services. This will allow me to have a greater context and understanding of the situation. We can also discuss what treatment will look like and an overview of the play therapy process.

Step 3

ONGOING SESSIONS

Ideally, I will meet with a child individually, once a week, for 50 minutes at my office. Once a month, I also meet with you via telehealth for a parenting session. This is a chance for me to provide an update about what the child is working through in the playroom, getting an update from you about anything outside the playroom and discuss strategies that might be helpful at home to help with progress.

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All therapy services start with a free 15 minute consultation

Intake session

$200/50 minutes

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ongoing Sessions

$150/50 minutes

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • I am not credentialed with insurances but do offer superbills that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

    Some HSA/FSA accounts allow for you to use the money for therapy but please check with your insurance provider.

  • American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa are all accepted.

  • After we complete the intake, I will meet with your child for a 50 minute session in person at my office.

    For therapeutic reasons, I won’t be able to check in with parent or guardian in front of the child as I’ve found this disrupts the process and rapport.

    Every three to five sessions I offer a parent session. This is a chance for us to meet and to hear from you about any changes or lack thereof you are noticing since starting the process, I can give an update on themes and processes I’m noticing in the playroom and we can decide if we are still moving in the right direction for treatment.

  • A script that I’ve found helpful for parents is “You’re going to meet with Kathryn, she has lots of toys for you to play with and you’ll get to play for about an hour”.

    When you arrive at the office for the first time with your child I’ll introduce myself and let them know it’s time to go to the playroom. Some kids might feel anxious, or might be uncertain because it’s new. I will validate them and wait patienty until they are ready. And it’s natural for it to take a little time!

  • I do not provide play therapy services virtually.

    However, parent coaching and individual therapy can be provided virtually, via telehealth.

  • Sandtray therapy, like art therapy, is a creative and flexible way to explore thoughts and feelings. It can be adapted to fit each person’s unique needs and can work well with many different therapy styles.

    The experiential component of sandtray therapy is one of its most powerful and transformative aspects. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which relies heavily on verbal communication, sandtray therapy engages clients on a sensory, emotional, and physical level—making it a deeply felt, hands-on experience.

    I offer this therapy to children and adults if appropriate.