Village Professional Services

Counselling and play therapy are, at their essence, interventions designed to help individuals think, feel, and act at their desired level. These interventions require a strong therapeutic relationship between the client and the counsellor. With adults, the interventions generally occur through talking. With children and youth, however, their verbal skills are less developed and so interventions tend to occur through play. Play therapy is the treatment of choice for children under twelve years old. The main belief in play therapy is that play is not only fun, but also necessary for healthy child development. In play therapy, "toys are the child's words, and play is the child's language" (Landreth, 2002). The therapist meets the child at his or her developmental stage, and structures play to help him or her express and resolve his or her troubles. Monika Gal, M.Ed., C.C.C., provides counselling and play therapy services for children and youth who struggle with various concerns, including: Social skills and peer relationships Family relationships Anxiety Self-Esteem Depression Trauma Grief Aggressive Behaviours Psychological diagnoses Learning disabilities Counselling and play therapy can help the child and his or her parents to better understand their struggles and work through them in a supportive therapeutic relationship.