Family First Play Therapy

Children and youth are facing unprecedented level of mental health challenges. It's important to have compassionate conversations about mental health and increase access to mental health care more easily.

Discover how play therapy can support mental health 🟡 https://canadianplaytherapy.com

www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net Burlington and Barrie locations have immediate openings to complete children's PsychEd Assessments this summer. Comprehensive reports provided with diagnosis and recommendations. (usually completed within 4-6 weeks) Benefits apply - call today to book.

Family First Play Therapy Helping Kids & Families, Together We are now available to serve you inTWO LOCATIONS BARRIE 206 Saunders Rd, Unit 2Barrie, ON L4N 9A3 BURLINGTON920 Brant Street, Unit 8Burlington, ON L7R 4J1 Request Information Meet Our Incredible Team Our team of caring professionals provides services for children ...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/XjSVAtUsxV44tMmv/?mibextid=WC7FNe

We all know the importance of physical safety, but what about feeling safe on an emotional level? This concept, called felt safety, is crucial for our psychological wellbeing.

Imagine a child who feels constantly judged or criticized. Their nervous system is likely on high alert, making it difficult to relax, learn, or connect with others. Now, consider a child who feels loved, supported, and understood. They're free to explore, take risks, and bounce back from setbacks.

Felt safety isn't just about children. It's a fundamental human need for adults as well. When we feel safe, we can:

* Relax and de-stress
* Build healthy relationships
* Take on challenges
* Learn and grow

The post image is from an incredible 3-page PDF handout by Robyn Gobbel. You can access it (and other amazing resources) here: https://robyngobbel.com/course/feltsafetyinfographic/

Just as the physical body heals from the inside out, mental health thrives when our inner landscape is nurtured. Children benefit from the support primary caregivers can offer especially when the child experiences anxiety or stress.  Coregulation helps the child learn how to manage difficult emotions in healthy ways. There are many ways to provide co-regulation through nurture, but here is one effective way: Often kids come home from school grumpy, tired and hungry. Greet your child after school with a surprise picnic in the living room (put blanket down on the floor and have a favourite snack waiting and ready.) Sit with your child on the blanket to eat snack and tell your child “I missed your sweet smile today”, then chat with them about anything EXCEPT school difficulties – (unless they proactively share with you). 😊 Even if there is a lot going on, taking a few minutes of togetherness in this way can really help.

Naps Crucial For Brain Development and Memory in Kids

Two new studies aimed at uncovering the impacts of napping on brain development in infants and preschoolers.

These studies seek to establish a direct correlation between napping and enhanced brain functions, particularly focusing on the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory processing.

By examining changes over time in the brain's response to napping, the research aims to inform future educational policies and provide guidance for both neurotypical and neurodiverse children's caregiving practices.

The results could redefine the scientific understanding of sleep's role in early cognitive development, emphasizing the importance of naps in daily routines for young children.

New article alert! From our founder Lorie Walton, M.Ed, CPT/S; CTT/ST, RP, “The Pairing of Two Diverse Models Within a Play Therapy Session” is up on the website now! 
Click the link in bio to check it out!

Check out this article written by Lorie Walton about combining two therapy modals within a play therapy session. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/644af6d4b1f48e70f3e322e0/t/6627d40331bd0a3c2bfa1e2b/1713886213224/LW+article+Combining+Two+Play+Therapy+Models+-+April+2024.pdf

Military kids are amazing! Join us in celebrating military kids everywhere this month!

www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net specializes in working with children to support positive mental health. Two locations: Barrie and Burlington Ontario.

One of the best ways to help children with behavioural and emotional problems is through an approach known as play therapy. But, what is play therapy? 🧸 See below for a quote from Katy Eugster's article that was published in CAPT's Playground Magazine.

Play Therapy is not just for children and can be used to support a variety of populations and presenting concerns.

How do you use Play Therapy? What populations of people do you support with Play Therapy?

Learn more about play therapy ➡️ https://canadianplaytherapy.com

Until Next Time—School | FASD & Me: For Teens video series FASD & Me: For TeensCaring for someone with FASD doesn’t come with a manual—but we’ve got the next best thing!We’ve partnered with 6 remarkable teens with FA...

Co-regulation was once thought to just be beneficial to infants and young children, but what we now know is that co-regulation works and benefits people of all ages. 

Regulation or being in a “regulated state” is having the right amount of energy and emotional levels for the situation that person is in. Dysregulation can be caused by a number of circumstances, but the most common are overstimulation of the senses, and big emotions (sadness, anger, fear, etc).

Giving someone the space to work through their feelings and get back to a state of regulation shows care and support in all caring relationships.

Whether it is between parent and child, partner to partner, or between friends, this not only provides the support needed, but it can also build trust and strength in those relationships. 

How do you experience co-regulation in your life? Let’s talk about it in the comments!



Don’t forget we have two exciting workshops coming up! Our virtual Sand Tray Workshop this month and the in-person DDP workshop in May! We hope to see you there! Register ASAP to secure your spot!

Link is in the bio for more information and registration.

Quality Sleep is so important for your growing child’s brain.

If you have to wake your children in the morning, they aren’t getting enough sleep. Every hour of sleep less than they need sets them back a year in access to brain function, meaning they act a year younger.

Did you know this important fact? Learn more by visiting www.peacefulparenthappykids.com
Remember, AHA Parenting is now Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids! Please visit us at www.peacefulparenthappykids.com to learn more!

Parallel play is a stage in child development, where children perform different activities near each other, but not interacting. However, this concept can be beneficial for people of all ages. 

Why parallel play? Parallel play increases connection. It is a great way to spend quality time together, but still do the activities you love. Quality time together also allows for co-regulation and can reduce stressful feelings.

What does this look like? You can work on a project while they complete homework, create art projects together, one can play a game while the other can read, one can do a puzzle while the other builds something with Lego (or something equivalent). Do whatever activity each person loves. The point is to be together!

Family First Play Therapy has two centres located in Ontario for your convenience!
Our Southern Ontario location in Burlington is not far from the QEW Brant exit.
Our Northern Ontario location in Barrie is close to the Mapleview Drive exit on the 400.
Check out our website for more details!

Family First Play Therapy Centres offer child and youth assessments and currently has no wait time!

What kind of assessments are available?
- Psycho-Educational and Psychological Assessments: comprehensive assessments that identify children’s strengths and areas of challenge. Psychological assessments explore cognitive, academic, social, emotional and behavioural concerns to support children’s success across their environments. They offer a formalized report that will provide an overview of the child’s strengths and challenges and recommendations and diagnoses where appropriate. 
- Trauma Assessments for Children & Youth: This clinical child psychotherapy assessment helps identify reactions and change following a traumatic event (i.e. death of a loved one, apprehension from family, multiple family placements, fire, physical, sexual or emotional abuse). 

Visit our website for more information. Two locations in Barrie and Burlington available!

Various techniques used in play therapy include toys, games, sand trays, puppets, art and more which encourage the child to express their life experiences. The trained therapist uses techniques which help to put a child at ease, to build therapeutic rapport and to support communication and healing

Directive play therapy is where the therapist guides the session with the child using the appropriate tools based on the child’s needs and goals.

Non-directive play therapy is where the child is the one guiding the session and the therapist uses various observational tools to make an assessment.

A combination of the two methods is how Family First operates and gives them a unique method to build a plan that works for your child and family.

This is just a basic explanation of what play therapy is. This definition is just the tip of the iceberg. Both directive and non-directive methods have very specific examples and techniques under each of them.

Stay tuned to learn more about Family First Play Therapy, the specific services they offer and for tips that you can use in your daily life!

Hey Theraplay folks: check out P.S. Counseling Matters resources for Theraplay entrance activities. Our own Patti Sutherland is so creative and has some fantastic resources for those of you who work with kids using Play Therapy and Theraplay!
See link in bio for more information!

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is an intervention model developed by Dan Hughes, Clinical Psychologist (U.S.A.). DDP is family-based and is focused on facilitating the child’s readiness and ability to establish a secure attachment with their caregivers. The therapist will create a PACE environment (playful, accepting, curious, empathetic) and will communicate with the child as though telling a story, as well as other methods (art, puppets, etc). There is a lot of work with the parents and the therapist to assist the child through co-regulation and also to create a foundation where the child will then be able to regulate their emotions themselves. 

DDP integrates areas of neurobiology of trauma, early child development and attachment theory, to produce a therapeutic and parenting approach to help the relationship between the child and their parents. Emotions and themes are explored together, rather than through lecture or discipline styles, allowing the child and therapist to be open and curious about experiences in the past and present.

If you want to learn more about DDP and/or want to register for the upcoming in-person workshop, please click the link in bio.

New workshop alert!

In this four-day training, principles and interventions are presented through formal discussion, case examples, videotape of therapy sessions, role-play, and hand-outs.

This course is suitable for parents, social workers, child and youth workers, caregivers or teachers working with children with attachment issues. This training is also relevant for therapists and clinicians who want to increase their skill set of attachment focused treatment. The model is relevant for those working with children aged four through to adult years.

Link in bio for more information.

Sandtray therapy is a branch of Play Therapy under the Directive methods (the therapist guides the child through the session). It is a tool to tap into the client’s creativity to express how they see themselves and how they feel they are understood in their world. This allows the client to express how they are feeling when they may not be able to fully describe their emotions, or even fully understand where the emotions are coming from. The therapist is able to guide the client through the process to get an understanding of the client and assist them in working through their feelings.

Family First Play Therapy Centre includes Sandtray therapy in the various tools and methods in working with their clients. If you would like more information or would like to take part in our upcoming Virtual Sandtray Training, please reach out! Link in bio!

Sandtray therapy has been used since the early 1900's as a projective process in therapy. Therapists who work with children, teens, couples, adults, and families can incorporate Sandtray as a standalone approach or integrate it with other neuro-experiential approaches such as EMDR, Brainspotting or Accelerated Resolution Therapy.

During this virtual workshop, Therapists will learn about the necessary tools for Sandtray therapy, including digital approaches. They will practice how to witness a psychdynamic Sandtray process (doing Sandtray) as well as using Sandtray for specific goals in therapy.

This training supports participants in integrating this approach with their existing verbal and trauma treatment approaches.

Theresa is known internationally for her work in the Sandtray community. She is a regular contributor to the World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals online peer-reviewed journal and is a Co-editor of the book The Embodied Brain and Sandtray Therapy: Stories of Healing and transformation.

Check out the Linktree in bio for more information and registration.

Did you know that Child Play Therapy is an evidence based tool used by trained Psychotherapists to support children heal from a specific traumatic event, overcome generalized anxiety, increase their ability to manage their emotions, improve family dynamics, boost self-esteem and/or address other psychological needs. www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net (Burlington and Barrie) helps children, youth, teens and parents t become the best they can be. Psychological and Psychoeducational Assessments, and psychotherapy services are available without a waitlist. Benefits apply.

Attention PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS: The Canadian Association for Child and Play Therapy are hosting this discussion about how Play Therapy helps. Sign up today! :)

Mental Health professionals this training is for you! May 1- 4, 2024 Live in Barrie Ontario Canada at Family First Play Therapy Centre.
This is an introductory 28-hour training course relevant to
professionals and therapists who have experience in communicating with and working therapeutically with children and young people and their families. It is focused on families and residential care homes when children have experienced past developmental trauma and have associated attachment difficulties.
https://www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net/workshops/event-one-a3299
24 spots available. sign up today😀

DYADIC DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOTHERAPY (DDP)  Level 1 — Family First Play Therapy Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) In person training May 1 - 4, 2024, 9:00am - 4:00pm EST

Don't let the word "PLAY" fool you. Children who erupt in big behaviors often feel shame and guilt after an eruption. With our new understanding of the neurobiology of stress—how stress can originate in the body, be stored in the body, and be given shape in emotions, cognitions, and behaviors—mental health practitioners at Family First Play Therapy Centre (Burlington and Barrie Offices) are specially trained to help children return to regulation more quickly by using Cognitive Behaviour Play Therapy and other age appropriate evidence based interventions. We focus on helping children expand their adaptive coping repertoires to deal with these stress responses without engaging in big behaviors, and ultimately stay more grounded in themselves and build positive connections to those around them. www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net can help.

Family First Play Therapy Helping Kids & Families, Together We are now available to serve you inTWO LOCATIONS BARRIE 206 Saunders Rd, Unit 2Barrie, ON L4N 9A3 BURLINGTON920 Brant Street, Unit 8Burlington, ON L7R 4J1 Request Information Meet Our Incredible Team Our team of caring professionals provides services for children ...

Halton Region. Come in and visit our Burlington location. Meet the therapists, tour the centre and ask your questions. mark your calendars for January 13, 2024 OPEN HOUSE. Hope to see you there!

Now that report cards are out, help your child reach their maximum potential. Book your child's Psycho-Educational Assessment to start BEFORE the end of the year to help you maximize this years and next years benefits. www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net has available spots. Call today to book. Barrie and Burlington offices. 705-737-0146
Child Psychotherapy available at both locations as well. #

Family First new Barrie location has available child's psychotherapy sessions to help your child master their emotional and behavioural challenges. www.familyfirstplaytherapy.net We also conduct PsychEd assessments (children 4 to 16 years of age) and have openings as soon as mid November. Call today for more info. Benefits apply. 705-737-0146 Therapists specialize in working with chidlren specifically using evidence-based methods to support postive healing. 🌟