What is Clinical Play Therapy?

Clinical Play Therapy helps children and their families work through emotional and behavioural issues that are negatively impacting a child's development. Clinical Play Therapy engages children and their families in cycles of positive behavioural changes, supporting self-esteem, emotional intelligence and positive learning dispositions (NICHED 2002).

Clinical Play Therapy:information leaflet - please click here to download this document if you would like more information regarding private practice Clinical Play Therapy at The Euphelia Clinic.

Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Prevention Programme (MTFC):information leaflet for Local Authorities - please click here to download this document if you would like more information regarding support for children & families in need, and foster care support at The Euphelia Clinic.

Please note, Clinical Play Therapy is scheduled across three intakes each year, in January, May & September.

Clients attend weekly or fortnightly Clinical Play Therapy sessions, for 12 sessions. The January 2010 client intake is now full. There are still a few places available for the May 2010 client intake, & September 2010.

The Retreat ~ Family Play Therapy Retreat

A five day retreat set in luxury five-star accommodation, offering help, expertise & support for children & families to draw upon. Families are supported in working through issues and challenges by our team of experts, in a supportive, nurturing, strengths-based framework.

To arrange your Family Retreat, please drop us an email to The Retreat(retreat@euphelia.com). One of our specialists will contact you to discuss your individual family needs, and to arrange your Retreat date. Each Family Retreat is designed & planned by our experts to meet your family's unique needs. From more information regarding our 2010 activities at The Retreat, please look at our leaflet

Fish swim, birds fly, children play. - Dr. Garry Landreth

Play is the natural language of children and is a metaphor, or symbolic expression, of what is going on in their lives. Play is to children what verbalisation is to adults. Early childhood experts agree that play is essential and facilitates: Expressive language * Communication skills * Emotional development * Social skills * Decision-making skills * Cognitive development

Erik Erikson, an expert in human growth and development, defines play as a situation in which a child can work through experiences by creating model situations and master reality through planning and experimentation. Play offers opportunities for self-expression, mastery, and growth in a way that fits the child's developmental level.

The Challenges in Growing Up

Children benefit from play therapy in many ways. Research findings support the effectiveness of play therapy with an array of social, emotional, educational, and behavioural concerns including but not limited to: * Anxiety/fearfulness * Depression * Aggression * Post-traumatic Stress * ADHD * Reading difficulties * Social withdrawal * Low self-esteem/confidence. Play therapy is also helpful to children experiencing difficult life situations such as divorce, grief, relocation, illness/hospitalisation, natural disasters, and violence/abuse.

The Euphelia Clinic - Clinical Play Therapists

The Euphelia Clinic has a Code of Professional Ethics, an Ethical Committee and adheres to BAPT & BACPT & PTUK standards.

All clients attend regular weekly or fortnightly 12 session cycles of Clinical Play Therapy at The Euphelia Clinic. These cycles start at specific points in the year: January, May, & September. Each client's family also attend regular meetings to understand and help support their child whilst she/he is undergoing Clinical Play Therapy. Clinical Play Therapists work within the Common Assessment Framework, & will link with other related professionals to support each child's unique needs. For example: a Clinical Play Therapist may liaise with school to further support learning & development needs; a Clinical Play Therapist may visit paediatric healthcare settings to support their clients within the hospitalisation process and related emotional issues.