Child Social Skills Post-Pandemic
Play Therapy, Mental Health, Emotional Health Courtney VanDermyden, CMHC Play Therapy, Mental Health, Emotional Health Courtney VanDermyden, CMHC

Child Social Skills Post-Pandemic

As a child therapist, I work with children of all ages who have a range of support needs. One area that almost all of my clients benefit from is social skills development. Social skills are crucial and can be learned through various channels: direct teaching from parents, guidance from teachers, therapeutic interventions, and everyday social interactions or play.

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What Parents Need to Know When Taking Your Child to Play Therapy
Play Therapy, Mental Health, Emotional Health Dr. Julie Hanks, PhD, LCSW Play Therapy, Mental Health, Emotional Health Dr. Julie Hanks, PhD, LCSW

What Parents Need to Know When Taking Your Child to Play Therapy

Deciding to take yourself to therapy can be a vulnerable and scary step for anyone and is filled with lots of unknowns. Bringing your child to therapy can feel just as vulnerable and scary for both you and your child. Here are some things you can expect when you decide to bring your child to therapy for the first time.

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Five Do’s and Don’ts of Separation Anxiety
Adolescents, Anxiety, Attachment, Children, Mental Health, Parenting, Play Therapy Dr. Julie Hanks, PhD, LCSW Adolescents, Anxiety, Attachment, Children, Mental Health, Parenting, Play Therapy Dr. Julie Hanks, PhD, LCSW

Five Do’s and Don’ts of Separation Anxiety

If you have a child who is struggling with separation anxiety you’ve probably been searching for separation anxiety tips to help ease their struggle. Here are five do’s and don’ts for helping your child with separation anxiety.

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Tips & Ideas to Help Your Child Navigate Difficult Times

Tips & Ideas to Help Your Child Navigate Difficult Times

Stressful times can be challenging to navigate, and children do not always have the words to express their feelings. Children are perceptive, and they feel the effects of change. Here are some ways to help your child navigate difficult times.

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How to “Ground” Your Child
Adolescents, Anxiety, Children, Emotional Health, Mental Health, Play Therapy Nathan Watkins, LMFT, RPT™️ Adolescents, Anxiety, Children, Emotional Health, Mental Health, Play Therapy Nathan Watkins, LMFT, RPT™️

How to “Ground” Your Child

While you won’t be getting any discipline tips, the mindfulness and grounding techniques for kids presented here pose many benefits for you and your child, including allowing your child to be more present especially when becoming behaviorally or emotionally dysregulated.

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What Are The Benefits of Play Therapy?
Play Therapy, Mental Health Courtney VanDermyden, CMHC Play Therapy, Mental Health Courtney VanDermyden, CMHC

What Are The Benefits of Play Therapy?

As a child therapist I’m often asked by parents what play therapy even is and what the benefits are. Just like when restaurants offer a children’s menu and an adult’s menu, what children need from therapy will look different to what adults need. As adults we are used to talk therapy where maybe we come in, sit down, talk about what’s going on and leave with ideas and tools. But play therapy can be very different from that. Why? Because play is the language of children.

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Play Therapy for Adults: How Play Therapy Can Help Your Healing Journey
Mental Health, Emotional Health, Play Therapy Olivia Nash, LCSW Mental Health, Emotional Health, Play Therapy Olivia Nash, LCSW

Play Therapy for Adults: How Play Therapy Can Help Your Healing Journey

When people hear that I use play therapy with my clients, frequently I am asked if I ever use play therapy with adults. And the answer is yes! The questions that follow are, “Really? What is that like? And why is that helpful?” Play therapy is an approach that uses play to access emotions and beliefs in order to facilitate change and healing. Though it may look different at each life stage, play is essential for all ages. And play therapy may look different for each life stage as well.

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