Change and adjustment
Divorce, relocation, loss, family transition or changes in routine.
3-12
Therapeutic support for children
Play Therapy
A safe therapeutic space where children can show what words cannot yet explain.
Play therapy supports children who are carrying emotional, behavioural or adjustment difficulties. Through age-appropriate play, the child can express feelings, process experiences and begin building healthier ways to cope.
For many children, play is the language of experience.
Children often do not have the adult words to explain fear, loss, anger, loyalty conflict, anxiety or change. Play creates a developmentally appropriate way for the child's inner world to become visible without forcing the child into adult language.
Ligpunt approaches play therapy with emotional safety, empathy and professional care. Parents are included and supported with practical guidance where this forms part of the therapeutic process.
When play therapy may help.
A child may benefit from play therapy when emotions, behaviour or adjustment begin to show that something needs careful attention.
Anxiety and withdrawal
Worry, fearfulness, emotional overwhelm or pulling away from others.
Anger and behaviour
Aggression, defiance, outbursts or behaviour that feels hard to understand.
Trauma and difficult experiences
Support after painful, confusing or overwhelming events.
School and peer strain
Adjustment difficulties, friendship concerns or school-related stress.
The room matters. Safety, choice and careful observation matter too.
Play therapy is not simply playing with toys. The materials, the rhythm of sessions, the child's choices and the therapist's observations all help create a space where feelings and needs can be understood.
Safety
A steady therapeutic setting where the child can settle and engage.
Expression
Play, drawing, stories and therapeutic tools support emotional expression.
Meaning
The child's play is considered within family, school and developmental context.
Children heal best when the adults around them understand the next steps.
Parents are not treated as outsiders to the process. Where appropriate, parent guidance helps adults understand emotional signals, support the child at home and respond with more confidence.
Understanding behaviour
Making sense of what the child's behaviour may be communicating.
Practical strategies
Supportive responses that can be used at home, school or during transitions.
Emotional connection
Helping the child feel seen, heard and emotionally safer with trusted adults.
A gentle process with clear professional structure.
Initial enquiry
The concern, referral reason and immediate needs are discussed.
Parent intake
Relevant background, family context and developmental information are gathered.
Therapy sessions
The child is supported through age-appropriate play-based therapeutic work.
Guidance and next steps
Parents receive feedback or guidance according to the agreed therapeutic process.
Play therapy can stand alone or form part of a wider support pathway.
Trauma, loss and anxiety support
For children carrying painful, confusing or overwhelming experiences.
Parent-child relationship restorationWhen trust, emotional safety or connection needs careful repair.
School behaviour and adjustment supportWhen emotional or behavioural concerns affect school functioning.
Begin with what you are noticing.
Share the emotional, behavioural or adjustment concern you are seeing. Ligpunt can help clarify whether play therapy is the right next step for your child.