Play Therapy

Play Therapy with Sara at InsideOutside Therapy...

Sara has worked as a BAPT registered Play Therapist since 2009. Play Therapy is a way of working with people who might have had upsetting and traumatic things happen to them. Play is a child’s first language for expressing themselves and their feelings as well as how they explore relationships and feel good about themselves. Neurobiological research confirms that traumatic events are habitually processed non-verbally, therefore trauma is often beyond words and stored deeply in our bodies. Play Therapy gives an opportunity for children and their families to engage, understand and connect all areas of the emotional brain and body. Play Therapy offers children a safe way to explore, express and play out their traumatic experiences, relationships and muddled feelings through creative play, art and stories. Play Therapy can give a deep understanding of the child’s voice as well as children’s attachment, emotional and developmental needs. Play Therapy follows the child’s need, at the child’s pace and with strong boundaries to ensure emotional and physical safety.

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Within her Play Therapy practice Sara also utilises Theraplay based attachment activities and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy jointly with children and their families to enhance connection, nurture, trust and bonding. Through many years of working alongside families who have experienced complex and multi generational trauma, Sara has understood that the physical body holds the trauma of the client. This has led Sara to explore somatic experiencing and movement based therapies to augment her therapeutic practice. Sara is a qualified Mother & Baby Yoga Massage practitioner and has also completed Level 1 Trauma informed Yoga teacher training.  

InsideOutside Therapy is committed to creating braver spaces informed by the principles of social justice and equality. 

Sara strives to use trauma informed, concrete, choice based and invitational language and commits to growing and deepening her own knowledge and understanding at all times.  

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Guided by a trauma informed approach Sara integrates the following ideas into her Play Therapy practice: 

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Pre-Therapy and Assessment Stage –  

Sara seeks to gain an understanding of the child and their family, working closely with those around the child, reaching a deep understanding of developmental trauma and the consequent impact on family life. Sara ensures that the child and their family hold a strong understanding of Play Therapy, it’s purpose and the reasons for referral to InsideOutside Therapy alongside collaborating with the child and their family to prepare for and plan what the Play Therapy sessions might look like. This may include a welcome letter, playroom photos, psychoeducation and reflective reviews throughout the therapeutic work together. 

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Safety and Stabilisation –  

Sara will collaborate with the child and their family to ensure healthy boundaries are maintained throughout our therapeutic work together. Sara will work together with the child and their family to co-create a safe and sacred place within the Play Therapy sessions that can be internalised and is meaningful to the child and their family.  Learning how to safely and comfortably connect, communicate and be together, Sara will offer child and family led activities which might include trauma informed breathing, grounding exercises, embodiment, yoga and movement, safe touch and massage, visualisation, den building, tension release, story making and Theraplay based attachment games. 

InsideOutside Therapy sessions are predictable and will happen in the same place, at the same time and on the same day as far as possible. Sara also works to create meaningful rituals to begin and end the Play Therapy sessions to create a feeling of safety, trust and connection. If a Play Therapy session needs to be rearranged or cancelled for any reason as much notice as possible will be given to inform the child and their family.  

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Onwards

Sara will seek to get to know the child and their family's strengths and support curiosity in noticing and learning what they are feeling and what they need to live their life in a way that feels good and in connection to the important people in their lives. Sara will offer thoughtful further referrals  as required, to support the child and their family in feeling safe, understood and fully alive in their life together. 

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A Healthy Professional -  

Based on the idea that: ‘Every time I invite you into a session, I invite myself as well,’ Sara’s therapeutic practice is underpinned by her commitment to her own wellbeing. This includes: clinical supervision, professional membership with BAPT as well as ongoing learning, reading and training. Sara also prioritises strength and relaxation through fun and laughter with her family and friends; concentration and mindfulness through creativity, knitting and sewing; and freedom and exploration through yoga, outdoor swimming, paddle boarding and spending time with nature. 

These activities also deeply inform Sara’s adherence to the concept of respecting all life at all times.