Lotus Play Therapy

Play and Creative Arts Therapy

Parenting Support Services

Play and Creative Workshops for adults

Located in Cranbrook Kent

Victoria Hunter BSc (Hons), MSc, PG Dip PTUK

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy provides an opportunity for children to play out their thought’s feelings and experiences. Children can find it difficult to express and make sense of their world through words, therefore through facilitating alternative playful and creative methods to communicate, children can express themselves through a medium most comfortable to them. Play provides a distance for the child from their difficult feelings, which otherwise may be too overwhelming for them to process. The therapist builds a trusting, warm and accepting relationship with the child, leading them to feel safe enough to explore their difficulties. It is the therapist’s role to contain the difficult feelings explored, and to reflect some of what is seen, heard and felt in order for the child to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Experiencing a relationship based on trust, respect and acceptance can help children to build more positive relationships with those around them. Play Therapy can help the child to work out healthier ways to express themselves, build increased self-esteem, self-acceptance, develop a deeper sense of control in their lives and manage to resolve conflicts more appropriately.

Services Provided

Play Therapy within the School Settings. Providing 1:1 play therapy sessions, 45 minutes long.

Private Practice coming to Cranbrook early 2024

Group Play Therapy with a maximum of 5 children. The groups I can provide explore issues around:

Confidence and Self esteem
Anxiety and worries
Loss/bereavement
Wellbeing and mindfulness

I am happy to discuss the possibility of running other groups to meet the needs of the children.

In addition to Play Therapy sessions I provide a parent/carer and child initial meeting, reviews and post meeting. As well as an end report and liaison with involved professional members.

In addition to Play Therapy I also provide Parent and Child Attachment Play (PCAP) sessions for parents and caregivers. This is a proven programme for strengthening parent-child relationships based on the latest attachment research. The sessions involve sharing skills around child led play, communication and creating physical and emotional safety for the child, working towards a special 'you and me' play time at home where these skills are applied.

I use an Integrative Holistic model of Play Therapy; validated by the PTUK clinical evidence base. It integrates the therapeutic use of a wide range of creative arts media, including arts, crafts, clay, puppets, sand, musical instruments, therapeutic stories, creative visualisation, games and role play. I work with unconscious as well as conscious processes, using non-directive and directive approaches. The sessions are largely non-directive, child lead, meaning the child will choose their own activities. However directive methods are sometimes introduced if thought to be beneficial for the child's processing. Group sessions involve more directed experiential play and creative activities.

Professional Security

I have public liability insurance, enhanced DBS check, data protection policies and abide by child protection policy and procedures. I am on the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists that has been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
https://playtherapyregister.org.uk/
As a member of PTUK I am bound by its ethical framework and guidelines for good practice.