To the right, is a picture of our play therapy room.

At Step by Step Counseling, for families that are interested in play therapy, the first step is to contact our office for a parent intake. Here, the guardian (parents, foster parents, guardians, caseworkers) would come in for an intake without the child present. During the intake, the therapist will obtain a health and social history, as well as develop a treatment plan for the child. The treatment plan includes goals to work on, as well as the frequency of appointments. 


Why play therapy?

Founder of the Center for Play Therapy at North Texas University, Dr. Gary Landreth, said “Fish swim, birds fly, children play.”   

As adults, we communicate verbally through our language, in particular our words. Unfortunately, children have difficulty expressing themselves in the same way that adults do.  Therefore, when working with children (or those who struggle to communicate verbally)  typical "talk therapy" is not effective.   By providing toys to children, a therapist gives them the tools they need to express their thoughts and feelings and ultimately work through the issues that are causing them difficulty.

The purpose of using play therapy is to empower and strengthen the child.   Play is the language of children, therefore play therapy is typically used when counseling children to provide them an outlet to express their feelings and experiences. Children are provided a safe environment to work through and "play out" his or her feelings or problems.   By doing this, the child is expressing (directly or indirectly) what is going on and allows them to strive towards resolving their issues.   Research shows that over time, presenting behaviors (aggression, withdrawal ,etc) can be decreased when attending play therapy.  If the child (or adult) seems to be acting out or struggling with their life circumstances, play therapy might be helpful for them.   

Our office has a Registered Play Therapist who would love to answer any questions that you might have about play therapy.  If you have any questions about play therapy, or would like to set up an initial parent appointment please feel free to either call the office 636-255-0002 and leave a voice mail or email our staff at info@stepbystepcounselingllc.com. 



Some favorite quotes:
"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."  Diane Ackerman - Contemporary American author

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation"  Plato - 427–347 BC

“The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.” - Pablo Casals