What happens in a therapy session?

It depends! If you are an adult or teen you will likely want to talk through your thoughts, feelings, needs, etc. Within the safe, warm relationship you build with your therapist you may expand your capacity to be with your distress, learn new ways of coping, identify patterns that are no longer serving you and more. You and your therapist will design the ideal therapy for you! For kids, their language is play so their therapy will often involve play based approaches.

What Is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is a dynamic interpersonal relationship between an individual and a trained therapist who provides play materials and the space for a secure, safe relationship where the individual can fully express themself through play (Landreth, 2002). Most individuals in play therapy are children as children’s natural form of communication is play (Landreth, 2002). Children navigate our world in a unique way that adults can hardly understand (Landreth, 2002). Play therapy uses the medium of toys to bridge the gap of understanding between children and adults (Landreth, 2002). 

Children’s toys are words, and play is their language (Landreth, 2002).

What will the first session look like?

The first session, known as an intake, is a time where you can get to know your therapist and your therapist can get to know you/ your family. Prior to the intake your therapist will send you paperwork on the online platform using your provided email to obtain consent to work with you. This paperwork must be completed 24 hours prior to the initial appointment to allow time to process all of your information and check insurance when applicable.

If you are seeking services for a child, your therapist will likely meet only with the parents for this initial appointment and your child will NOT attend this initial meeting. (This is especially true for any child under the age of 13.) This allows you and your therapist to explore your concerns from your perspective, discuss your family dynamics, explore treatment goals, and explain the process of therapy. This also allows the initial meeting between therapist and child to be focused on beginning to build the therapeutic relationship. 

What is Synergetic Play Therapy?

Synergetic Play Therapists get to the root of the struggle, helping transform the child (and the family) from the inside out. As human beings, we are given a marvelous coping mechanism in our biology called the nervous system. This system acts like a “honing mechanism,” constantly trying to keep us in an optimal state of regulation. When we perceive any form of challenge in our lives, our nervous system gets activated to either rev us up or slow us down–whatever we perceive is necessary to take on the challenge. Every symptom a child struggles with is rooted in an inability for the nervous system to get them back to a state of regulation. When we have an experience that we have labeled as “challenging” in our perceptions, we will attempt to move away from the physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts related to that experience. Neurobiology now shows us that for integration to occur, we must move towards the physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts rather than away from them. 

Is everything I say in therapy confidential?

Yes, confidentiality is a cornerstone of therapy. Information shared is private, with some legal exceptions.

• If you are at imminent risk of harming yourself for someone else your therapist must ensure the safety of yourself and others.

• If you disclose any child abuse, elder abuse, or abuse of a dependent person all therapists are mandated reporters and must report this to the proper authorities

• If your therapist receives a subpoena to court your therapist might be required to disclose information

• Tide Pool Counseling does not provide custody evaluations and will not testify for or against any parent in court. All divorced or separated parents will be required to sign an agreement regarding this inability to determine custody.