Child Play Therapy
Located in Vermont. Teletherapy Also Available.
Children communicate differently than adults. When a trained professional watches a kid play, they can learn a lot both to understand the child’s mental and emotional states as well as support healthy development.
Play Therapy For Kids
The most important first step to fix any family issue is to understand which part of the family system is in need of healing and support. Most family therapy fails because the root cause of the issue is not properly diagnosed or treated.
Healthy Development
Watching a child play can tell you a lot about the trajectory of their development. There are certain themes that are common among kids of a particular age group, and children do not explicitly tell parents, “My development is on track!” Therefore, evaluating their progress through the lens of play is one of the best assessment options.
Grief Work
Children process loss differently than adults since their brain has not fully developed to understand the full impact or definition. Just like adults, children can go through stages of grief but at the same time not understand their experience. Giving them a safe space to process their emotions not only helps with the immediate grief but also aids them in developing a healthy process for future experiences in their lives.
Depression
Similar to anxiety, depression and other sad feelings are readily observable through a child’s play and fantasy world. Processing difficult situations in their life through a character often feels safer than having to handle the large emotion themselves.
Anxiety
Children often show signs of anxiety through the characters they create and how they make them interact with each other. Using the metaphor of play, we can teach children how to handle anxiety and stress in healthier ways.
Anna Helfand, LCMHC
Expert Play Therapist
Anna’s gentle yet firm approach to helping clients allows them to immediately feel safe and confident that they are in good hands. She has extensive training in child and family counseling, parent coaching, and conflict resolution.
Serving Vermont & Beyond
In-Person & Teletherapy Available
In order to provide support for as many families as possible, we offer virtual and in-person services. It is important to assess if your child is a candidate for teletherapy beforehand since kids and teens have different needs.
Consider Parental Support
In addition to getting support for your child, consider your own personal needs as a parent. Sometimes a holistic and systemic approach is the best way to create lasting change.
Couples Counseling
The state of the marriage often dictates the wellbeing of the family. Health is a top down phenomenon in most households, so working on the marriage often improves the rest of the home.
Individual Counseling
Sometimes one member of a family needs a little extra love and care. We can help you achieve your personal goals so that your family can feel at ease
Parent Coaching
Life would be easier if children came with an instruction book. Unfortunately, every parent has to figure out their kid themselves. You don’t have to do it alone, however. We can help.
Proven CBT Therapy Skills
I believe that every child has the potential for an amazing life. It is our job as parents to foster their sense of wonder, safety, and healthy development. I have spent years both as an academic student and with my own children learning how to recognize progress and signs of distress so that I can help as many children and families as possible.
Not at this time. Some insurance plans will reimburse you directly, and I would be happy to send you monthly statements.
My general fee is $150 per session, and I accept a limited number of clients on a sliding scale or reduced fee.