• Children and young people receive weekly, term time sessions lasting between 35 and 50 minutes. Depending on age and session type.

• The sessions are held at the same time, in the same place each week. It’s important to think carefully about when sessions will take place to ensure that the schedule can be maintained throughout as consistency is vital to the process.

• Play and Creative Arts Therapy is best taken place at a neutral location, for example my private practice.

• Client’s sessions are treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

• All precautions will be taken to protect information held about the families that are using the counselling service. You will recieve a copy of my Record Keeping Practice before our Initial Meeting.

• Parental/Guardian permission is required for all children and young people to attend Play and Creative Arts Therapy. 

• Play and Creative Art Therapy sessions involve the client and the therapist, so you will be unable to attend your child or young person’s sessions.

• I will liaise with parents/guardians, either in person, by email or by phone.

• Play and Creative Art Therapy sessions are a chance for children to explore their inner world in a safe space. This means we need to respect their space and privacy.

• The child is free to share any information they want to about their session with whoever they would like to.

• I will not share any information regarding the child’s sessions with parents, however I am happy to share overall progress.

• Parents can feel free to contact me  in between sessions, by email, if they have any questions or concerns.

• I will email you following my first session with your child to touch base on how we both feel the session went. For self-funded sessions, I will let you know by the third session if I and/or Play and Creative Arts Therapy is the right thing for your child or young person.

• You can schedule a check in phone call with me termly to discuss the sessions. Remember, I will only share overall progress during this check in

• I am also able to provide an End of Play Therapy report upon request for an additional fee. A report is usually agreed before school funded sessions begin.

• I have a data protection policy which can be seen on request. Data is kept securely and anonymised with a client code. Client session information is always confidential.

• Basic information such as what tools were used in a session are recorded on Play Therapy UK’s (PTUK) secure database, Fortuna. This is used to inform research into Play and Creative Arts Therapy. No client can be identified from it.

• For younger children explain that therapy is a safe place where they can play with or talk to a new friend to explore and learn about their big feelings. A therapist will help them to look at times when they have felt sad or angry, but also things that they like to do and are good at doing, as well as times when they feel happy or playful.
• For older children, start the conversation by asking them what they know about therapy already and what their expectations may be. Explain that the therapist’s job is to find out about them, to help them to figure out what they want and how to get there. As well as exploring and learning about their big feelings in a safe place.
• During our initial session, I will also explain my role to the child or young person as well as initiating “Getting to Know Each other’ activities or games. I am extremely open to letting children know me and am happy for my clients to ask questions they may have about me during this stage.
• I am a child-centred therapist. I usually start my work non-directively giving myself and the child or young person a chance to get to know each other. I will also use this stage to find out what mediums they like to use as well as what they would like to explore in their sessions. Once I can see a clear theme of what the child is wanting to explore and I feel that we have created a trusting, working relationship I will begin to be more directive in our sessions. Although my sessions may become more directive I will still work at the child’s pace and switch back to being non-directive when if it seems to be more beneficial to the child and their session.

• Clients are provided with a box or folder to contain their work during their therapy which will be held by the therapist until the work has come to an end.
• Clients will have a choice in bringing this box or folder home with them, please could parents be mindful of this and allow their children to show them their work; if they want too; at their own pace.

Unfortunately, Play and Creative Arts Therapy is not recognized by health insurance to be registered as a provider. However, if you wanted your chlild or young person to work with me, you can put a special request into your insurance and they may fund the work.

If you have any further questions please Contact us.