What can I do about the concerns I have about my child?

Take the first step and seek support and advice from a professional Play and Creative Arts therapist, who will work with you in facilitating a therapeutic intervention to meet your child’s needs.

What is Play and Creative Arts Therapy and how can it help support my child?

Play and Creative Arts therapy is a non-directive child-led form of therapeutic intervention, where age-appropriate toys and creative mediums act as the child’s words and play and activity is the language through which they speak. This approach supports your child in making sense and managing difficult feelings and/or any upsetting events in their lives. Whilst the referral concerns will be the main focus of the therapeutic intervention, Play and Creative Arts Therapy can also improve:

• Self-compassion

• Emotional expression

• Communication and relationships

What happens during a therapy session?

The Play/Creative Arts room is a completely non-judgemental space for your child to bring all their hopes, fears, thoughts and behaviours. During each weekly 40-minute session, they decide what creative medium or activity to engage in or not. They direct the session and instinctively know what they need to do in order to process what is going on for them, this can be deep work, working from the unconscious to the conscious but always at the child’s pace.

What is the role of the Play and Creative Arts therapist?

The role of the therapist is to provide a trusting relationship in which the child feels ‘emotionally held and safe’. This makes it easier for the child to express themselves and seek out a solution to their problems. Through this support children gain insight and become aware of their mental well being and what is needed to stay on track now and in the long term.

How long does a therapeutic intervention last?

The proverbial, ‘how long is a piece of string’ comes to mind. Each child is unique and will respond to the intervention in different ways. The recommended initial contract is a 12-week duration with a review meeting around week 10 where we will discuss your child’s progress, if referral concerns have improved, it is time to end, if not enough of a shift has occurred, we may agree to recontract and continue the intervention until you are happy your child has made appropriate progress with their emotional wellbeing.

What is the importance of the therapeutic relationship for my child?

The importance of the therapeutic relationship is paramount in order for any therapeutic benefit in your child to occur. The child must trust the therapist and know they are in a safe space, that is non-judgemental and totally accepting.

Why is the session confidential and what are the limits to that?

Just like if an adult attended a counselling session, when a child attends, they too need to know ‘I won’t tell anyone what we do in here’. However, I do update you on how the sessions are progressing generally. The only limitation to this confidentiality is, if your child tells me someone has hurt them. I then inform your child; we will talk to someone who can help them. As parents, you are their guardians and will be informed of any concerns or disclosures in advance of appropriate action being taking.

What is the best way to inform my child they are going to attend therapy?

Honesty is the best policy! Using age-appropriate language, explain to your child that I/we have found a lady named Eimear who has a lovely space with lots of things that you can use to help you with your…. ‘Anger, sadness, worries, grief or confused feelings, intrusive thoughts - etc.’, whatever is most relevant to your child’s referral concerns.

What can I do to help and support my child outside of the intervention?

As parents, be consistent and encouraging to your child about attending sessions regularly. Be there to listen, reflect on what you hear and connect with them in positive ways, this will help support them to know they are safe and understood. Resist the urge to ask them about their sessions, as this may put pressure on the child to comment on something that they have difficulty verbalising/ understanding themselves. Please don’t insist your child talks about certain things, this is their time and they need to express themselves at their own pace. It is important to note that things may get worse before they get better, please keep in regular contact with me and we can navigate this process together.