Hayley Newell Counselling

Play therapy

Play is the primary language of children. During play therapy, children create play that resembles difficult life experiences and emotional states. When facilitated by a trained Synergetic Play Therapist™, the play becomes focused on emotional healing, leading to a reduction of symptoms and the re-establishment of the child’s sense of well-being, and connection to themselves. In addition to helping facilitate the integration of the challenging experiences in their lives, a Synergetic Play Therapist™ also helps a child strengthen their regulatory capacity and re-pattern their nervous system.

Ultimately, we are teaching children how to recognize what emotions feel like in their body, what they can do to support themselves and how to move forward. That they can survive these challenges and thrive.

Play Therapy can help if you child is experiencing any of the following:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Challenges at school including, bullying, isolation, identity and learning issues.

• Trauma (present or past)

• Difficult life transitions like a divorce or death in the family

• Agression

• … and much more.

Working With Me

Your first session is an intake without your child present. Ideally, both parents attend, but separate intakes are possible. Then, I meet with your child up to 3 times one-on-one. After that, I will let you know if working individually with your child will be effective, or if working primarily with parents will be needed.

Most therapy for children under 12 years old is with the parents.

My preference is always to work primarily with the family system, and to have parents involved in play sessions. Part of my work is showing you how to do therapeutic play so that you can be your child’s favourite play mate.

Healing through Jungian sandplay Therapy

Sandplay Therapy brings the depth and breadth of our inner landscape into the tangible realm through the interaction of our hands with sand and water and miniatures.