Play Therapy

At River Forest Therapy, we use play, warmth, and trust to help kids express, heal, and thrive.

Children learn to:

Develop self-efficacy and increased trust in their abilities
Express and identify their emotions
Foster deeper social connections
Improve acceptance of self and others
Build self-control and self-awareness
Heal and process difficult or scary situations, including trauma

Areas of Focus

Major Life Transitions

Changes—both big and small, including shifts in family structure—can have a significant impact on a child’s emotional world. By expressing their experiences through play, they can make sense of what’s changing, feel more grounded, and develop the tools to navigate uncertainty with greater resilience and emotional stability.

Anxiety

Anxiety in children can show up in many ways, including sensory overwhelm, being away from a loved one, fear in social situations, avoidance of new things, etc. Through play, they learn to build coping skills, increase their tolerance for uncomfortable feelings, and develop a greater sense of confidence in their ability to handle what feels uncertain or overwhelming.

Self-Esteem & Identity

Children who feel different, isolated, or misunderstood often begin to carry painful beliefs about themselves and their place in relationships. Through play therapy, children can strengthen their sense of self, increase emotional expression, build connection, and begin to experience themselves as valued and important.

Depression

Depression in children can look like feeling worthless, believing they don’t matter, or that trying is pointless. Play therapy supports children in rebuilding a sense of meaning, emotional connection, and trust in themselves and others.

Elements of Play Therapy

"Children are people. They are capable of experiencing deep emotional pain and joy. Play is the concrete expression of the child and is the child’s way of coping with her world."
-Gary Landreth

Therapeutic Relationship

My hope within the therapeutic relationship is that each child feels heard, understood, and truly seen. I view every child as unique, with their own strengths, experiences, and capacity for growth. Through a strong therapeutic relationship, your child is supported in building inner resources to work through challenges, express themselves, and build self-trust.

Play

Play is a child’s natural language. It may seem like just playing to adults, but is how they explore, build, and make sense of their world.

Toys

Children are provided an array of carefully selected toys that allow for freedom of expression and connection with their inner emotional world. Toys can vary from medical kit, puppets, to art.

Developmentally Appropriate

Play therapy is the most developmentally appropriate approach because it aligns with the child's natural way of processing and communicating.