I am a fully qualified Play Therapist with 13 years of experience working as a therapist. For 6 of these years I worked in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) services in the NHS with 3-17 year olds, as a children’s mental health worker. For the last 7 years I have had my own private practice supporting children, young people and their parents/carers. In 2015 I joined the Adoption Consultancy 360 as an Associate Therapist, where I continue to offer therapeutic support to Adoptive and Foster families.

The British Association of Play Therapy (BAPT) describe Play Therapy as follows, “Play Therapy is a way of helping children express their feelings and deal with their emotional problems, using play as the main communication tool”.

Being qualified to use play to communicate therapeutically means that neither myself nor my client are limited by having to rely on words to communicate. We can use sand trays, play, art, drama, clay, play doh and other creative ways of expressing feelings, fears or desires. With children this is crucial as if they are only supported to communicate through words we severely limit what they are able to communicate to the adults around them. It is also helpful with teenagers who are reluctant to talk, or just can’t find the words to express the depths of what they are feeling. If you need any persuading on this matter watch this short clip from the Association for Play Therapy (an American organization)…

I hold the following qualifications:

• A Post Graduate Diploma in Client-Centred Play Therapy (2005 ). This qualifies me to work as a therapist
• A Primary P.G.C.E (2001)
• A Psychology degree (1996)
• DDP Level One (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy)(2014)
• Certificate in Foundational Theraplay (2016)
• TRE certification(tension and trauma releasing exerecises) (Jan 2018)
• Internal Family Systems Therapy Level One (2020)

I am a full Member of BACP (The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). Registration means that the therapist meets the BACP’s standards for education, training, professional skills, health and behaviour. Please check out The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy for further information on therapy.

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Chrissie is a registered Play Therapist, Certified Foundational Theraplay Practitioner and Internal Family Systems Informed (IFS) therapist. Sessions are held at Seale-Hayne near Newton Abbot. She also offers parent sessions by Zoom and can be contacted on 07840069075 or childtherapysouthdevon@gmail.com.

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