WoodHaven Play Therapy

Play therapy is a method for children facing emotional, social or behavioural difficulties, to express emotions and resolve conflicts through play. Children explore their feelings in a non-directive and non-judgemental environment that requires the therapist to follow the child’s pace, the child’s way and the child’s time.

Children are not cognitive, rational or have abstract reasoning until around age 12. They always live in their emotions and hearts. When we try to pull a child out of their feeling and into their heads, it is not naturally where they are.

Child centred non-directive play therapy honours this truth. It provides a safe, accepting space where children can express themselves freely through play, not pressure. Rather than directing or interpreting their every move, the therapist follows the child’s lead, trusting their inner world to unfold at its own pace.

This gentle, respectful approach supports healing, growth, and resilience from the inside out, right where children live. Child centred play therapy cannot be rushed, because true emotional healing happens at the child’s pace, not the adults. Each child’s journey is unique and trying to hurry the process only risks missing what matters most.