A smile cures the wounding of a frown.
In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.
Everything should be made as simple as posible, but not simpler.
Don't feel stupid if you don't like what everyone else pretends to love.
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
Where there is love there is life.
Children sometimes find it difficult to talk about stressful, traumatic or complicated events in their lives. They often do not comprise of the vocabulary and verbal ability to express their experience or the emotional effect that it has on them in a proper manner. Their cognitive and emotional development are also not on a level where they can make sense of their feelings or difficulties in their lives.
It is however impossible for children to thrive in school..., in
relationships or in managing their own
emotional wellbeing when a stressor or emotional imbalance is at play. Parents or teachers of such a
child will thus be confronted with an emotional, shy, scared or maybe angry, devious and destructive
child. All the emotions they are suppressing have to be channelled somewhere and we therefore see it
in their behaviour, their socio-emotional and academic progress in school and their inability to
achieve and maintain emotional control.
This is where play therapy becomes the solution. Through the
power of play children are able to express
their emotions, play their insecurities without feeling exposed and slowly adapt new methods of
coping,
understanding and re-framing their experience in a non-threatening setting.
- Aggression
- Emotional meltdowns
- Loss and grief
- Divorce related behavioural difficulties
- Feelings of rejection
- Trauma and crisis management
- Academic and social difficulties
- Low self-esteem
- Disciplinary problems
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity (ADHD)
- Eating disorders
- Physical, cognitive and learning deficiency
- Conduct disorders.
Children involved in Play
Therapeutic Enrichment
Therapy they will:
- develop positive self-image through gaining awareness of their strengths and abilities
- recognize their responsibility for their day-to-day behaviour
- obtain positive behavioural strategies and the ability to apply it successfully
...- develop creative problem-solving skills
- build respect and acceptance of themselves with their challenges
- improve on accurate identification, interpretation and expression of emotions
- Empathy and respect for others and their feelings
- learn to foster empathy and respect for others and their emotional needs
- develop new social skills and discover to utilize it in the safety of the therapeutic
environment
I am a registered Social worker with 29 years experience in the field of Child & Family Care Services.
During this period, I have practiced in different roles of caring for children:
• Casework - taking care of vulnerable and underprivileged families in a developmental and preventative
role.
• Statutory work – protection of children and families from physical, emotional and sexual harm.
• Community work – organizing events and campaigns to uplift and enrich the lives and environment of
children and their families.
I now specialize in play therapy with children and adolescents and parental guidance to the parents or
caretakers involved.
I’ve obtained the following qualifications through the University of Pretoria.
- BA (SW) (Hons) - 1992
- MSD (Play therapy) - 2007
- DPhil - 2013
During my service as a social case worker, I was constantly confronted with children in physical and emotional pain and the emotional damage that they suffer. I felt the need to equip myself further on the subject of child development and therapy to bring back the silver lining to those dark clouds that sometimes hang over children.
- To be a means of communication between children and their unresolved difficulties.
- To teach kids how to believe in themselves and their abilities
- To develop emotional awareness in every child involved in therapy
- To assist parents to understand their children's behaviour and act with confidence in their parental
skills, while raising their children.
- To create households and parental approaches that builds the child and the parent and develops and
maintains healthy and close relationships
To enroll your child for assessment or therapy follow these steps.
1. Intake form
Complete the online intake
form (by clicking the button below), to register your child on the appointments database.
2. Other Forms
2.1. General information: This gives you a clear explanation of what to expect and why and how things are
done.
2.2. Parental consent: I am legally obligated to have the written consent of both biological parents to see your
child. In the case of a deceased parent where his/her whereabouts are unknown please indicate that on the
form.
2.3. Parent questionnaire: Complete what is applicable to your situation but do take time to thoroughly explain
your concern or need for enrolling your child for play therapy.
2.4. School report: Please supply your child’s teacher with this form to complete before your child’s assessment.
This report is not compulsory but gives a very clear picture of the child’s process outside of his home. The
educator’s opinion and view of the child’s behaviour and manner of operating within the school setting often
adds valuable content to the whole process.