Play Therapy
The Power of Play in Counseling Children
A developmentally grounded approach to helping kids process big feelings, build coping skills, and feel understood, through the language they already speak: play.
Play therapy is a way of working with kids that's grounded in research and built around how children actually grow and think. It recognizes play as a child's natural language, the primary way they understand and make sense of the world. Rather than relying only on talking, play therapists use play itself as the main way to connect with a child's world and meet their emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs.
What Is Play for a Child?
For children, play isn't simply for fun. It's their natural language. Children experience the world, and begin to understand and work through it, by playing.
“In play a child says things without uttering a word. You can see how he solves his problems, what's wrong. Young children have enormous creativity, and whatever is in them rises to the surface in play.”
Erik Erikson
How Play Therapy Works
Effective therapy with children rests on two things: the relationship between the child and the therapist, and play itself as the way that relationship does its work. The playroom is intentionally set up with specific toys that help a child express themselves and begin to notice the connections between what they feel, think, and do.
Child-Led
Following their lead
The child directs the play, and the therapist focuses on emotional processing, insight, and helping them find new ways of responding to the world.
Guided
Working toward a goal
The therapist leads a child toward specific goals through therapeutic games, expressive arts, age-appropriate stories, and role play.
A Note from Samantha
"I'm especially passionate about working with kids and teens on anxiety, negative self talk, and self image. So much of what I see in the playroom comes back to a child learning how to be a little kinder to themselves."
Samantha
Mental health counselor who specializes in play therapy
Common Questions
A few things parents often want to know
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Every child and every situation is different, so it's hard to promise a specific timeline or outcome, and we'd be cautious of anyone who does. Many parents notice gradual shifts rather than dramatic overnight change, an easier time naming feelings, fewer or shorter emotional outbursts, more flexibility when things don't go as planned. Change tends to build slowly and becomes more visible over time.
Will therapy look the same for every child?
What are signs my child might need counseling?Why would a parent consider counseling instead of working through things at home?What kinds of counseling services does Samantha offer?How do I get started?
Play is how families stay close.
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No, and it shouldn't. Two children with the same struggle can need very different approaches depending on their personality, family situation, and history. Good counseling is responsive, not one size fits all, and should feel tailored to the specific child and family in the room.
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Look for patterns rather than single hard days: a change in mood, sleep, or appetite lasting more than a couple weeks, withdrawal from friends or family, a drop in school performance, or more frequent meltdowns than usual. Language matters too. Regularly hearing things like "I'm a bad kid" or "why can't I be normal" often points to negative self talk worth addressing.
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Counseling isn't a replacement for the work parents already do, it's a complement to it. A therapist brings an outside perspective and a neutral space where a child can say things they might hold back at home, and gives parents tools to keep using well beyond the therapy room. Needing help is not a sign you've done something wrong.
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Samantha works with kids, teens, and families, drawing on child-led play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and Theraplay-inspired principles depending on what a family needs. She supports families navigating anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, and life transitions like starting school or moving. Looking for free ways to build connection at home? Try the Let's Play app.
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Reach out directly so we can talk through what's going on and figure out if this is the right fit: sagecounselingandconsulting.com/contact. There's no pressure, an initial conversation is just a chance to ask questions.
If you're looking for simple, free ways to build connection with your child between sessions or on your own, the Let's Play app offers games, conversation starters, and reflections designed to support exactly that.