About me
Hi, I am Emma, a Certified Play Therapist based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. I have been caring and supporting children for over 20 years and since 2014, in a therapeutic role.In my teens, I struggled with the loss of my grandfather and wrestled with constant disruptions to my childhood caused by frequent relocations due to my dad’s posting in the armed forces; then eventually settling in to a different life with no sense of community.I had nowhere to process difficult feelings and felt I needed support. Thankfully, I found community in a local church and it gave me hope. Since then, I have wanted to help children and young people feel listened to, understood, and provide them with the tools to help them thrive. To show them that having sad feelings is ok and start them on a journey of healing. Pain doesn’t have to define their future!
What I do
I can help by providing individual weekly one-to-one therapy for a child (called ‘special time’). This provides a safe place where a child can feel accepted as they are and explore the healing of play in a safe and secure space. They can use this weekly time to explore their struggles.This can help children who have experienced bullying, bereavement, traumatic experiences, low self-esteem, relationship breakdown, anxiety, shyness, and anything that is causing a child to struggle. It can also be beneficial for children with special needs.The weekly sessions are child led and they can experience healing through many mediums. Some of these are: creative arts, sand, clay and role play.A session can be offered in the child’s school (subject to the school’s consent) or in another safe location.Another way I can help children is to support the parent/child relationship. I can offer parent attachment support on a one-to-one basis with parents or in a series of relaxed workshops with 6-8 parents.Does your child often seem angry and have regular meltdowns? Are they struggling to talk about what upsets them or makes them afraid? Play Therapy could help!Please contact me and we can have a chat about whether I can help.
The Starfish story
A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved
Adapted from ‘The Star Thrower’ by Loren C. Eiseley
5 Things about Play therapy and why it works
Play is the natural language for children through which they explore, express and experience. We are trained in knowing how to meet them there and speak their language so we can understand what is happening for them that they may otherwise not be able to express verbally
Children act out what is bothering them metaphorically in their play. We know how to see these metaphors and we know how to facilitate experiences in the play room that help children naturally resolve what is bothering them
Play therapy has been shown by research to be the most effective way to connect with children therapeutically and provide them a means to heal and grow
Play is a natural stress reliever. When children get to play they are able to release stress and this helps them regulate their emotions
Play is a way for children to bond and connect with others
Contact Emma
Thank you
Emma will be in touch as soon as possible