Play Therapy in Odessa, TX
What Is Play Therapy?
At Balance Counseling, we use child-centered Play Therapy when working with children, adolescents, and younger teens. Recognizing that play is the language of children, we believe playful and creative interventions are the best way to connect with these clients. Not only do Play Therapy approaches help the counseling process feel gentler—they are engaging and even fun in ways that make kids excited about therapy.
In Play Therapy sessions, we let our clients lead the way. A therapist may not always fully understand what a child brings into the counseling space, particularly when they lack the language and vocabulary to describe their experiences, so play is the best way to access their emotions and make sense of what’s bothering them. Through games, art, and other child-specific interventions, a therapist can gain insight into their client’s inner world and form a trusted connection.
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How Does Play Therapy Help?
Of course, traditional talk therapy methods can be used with clients of all ages. However, we have found over the years that traditional counseling methods don’t speak a child’s language. As a practice specializing in child development and counseling, we have seen how Play Therapy can create meaningful change where other interventions fall short.
You can read more about our Child Therapy services here, but some of the issues we work with in Play Therapy are:
Anxiety (including separation anxiety)
School struggles
Trouble with relationships, including with parents, siblings, and/or friends
Life transitions—like a divorce or death in the family—that have shifted a child’s mood or daily routine
The outcomes are incredible when children feel meaningfully seen in these struggles, which can often be hard to experience in their relationships with adults.
Whereas so many aspects of a child’s life are under the watchful and sometimes controlling eye of an adult, the therapy space offers them a place where they can explore and become vulnerable—free from the pressures of school and everyday life. The trust a child develops with their therapist through Play Therapy often translates to trusting other adults in their life.
Play Therapy Through Balance Counseling
While we draw from a wide range of aspects of child-centered Play Therapy, this process is entirely individualized to your child based on their unique challenges and objectives for counseling. We always use age-appropriate models for play, so sessions will look different for younger children than they will for adolescents and teens. There are two playrooms for our “Bigs” (clients aged 6 - 12) and one room for our “Littles” (clients 5 and younger). We also offer dedicated space to teens and adults for sand tray therapy and other expressive arts.
Parents regularly comment on the progress they observe in their child following their participation in Play Therapy. Not only does this process deepen trust and vulnerability among their relationships; it enhances their emotional awareness, social skills, and ability to manage distress. Oftentimes, our child clients become so invested in this process that they beg their parents to go back to therapy each week!
We are confident that if you and your child are consistent about scheduling Play Therapy sessions and reinforcing skills at home, this process can be transformational. Through therapeutic play, your child can learn what it takes to heal and gain resilience.
Our practice is run by child development specialists who have extensive experience in the field and a strong passion for working with this population. Our practice owner, Amy Garman, has worked as a school counselor and as a teacher in addition to many years working as a child-centered Play Therapist. She is also certified as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S).
What To Expect
Once you’ve scheduled a session with your child’s therapist, you will join them for the intake so you have a chance to discuss your concerns and goals for treatment. From there, sessions will take place between your child and their therapist. All Play Therapy sessions are done in an in-person format; we do not recommend online counseling when Play Therapy is involved.
Learn To Speak Your Child’s Language
If your child is struggling with their academic performance, social skills, or ability to manage stress and big emotions, child-centered Play Therapy through Balance Counseling can equip them with lifelong skills and insights. Contact us for more information or to schedule a session with our therapists who use Play Therapy.
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