Play Therapy Experience

At A Southern Utah Counseling Experience, your child will feel security, understanding and growth through counseling that fits their developmental needs and style of communication.  They will learn skills for improving the quality of their life and for coping with difficulties. We understand that children communicate and learn differently than adults; they are more comfortable expressing themselves by showing and doing, rather than finding the right words. Their counseling will use techniques like play therapy and experiential activities to foster expression, learning, and growth. We also believe in the strength of your family and will include you, as their parent, in the counseling experience.

We Offer:

• Individual, sibling, and family counseling
• Assessment and treatment for mental health and behavioral disorders commonly affecting children, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, abuse/ trauma, and relational issues.
• Support and coaching through significant life events, such as divorce or loss
• Play therapy and unique experiential activities, such as outdoor adventure therapy
• Parent coaching
• In-home counseling services
• Comprehensive behavior plans and coordination with your child’s other supports, such as their physician, psychiatrist, and school personnel
• Supervised parent-time/ visitation
• Tracking: monitoring and supervision for acting out children and teens
• Life skills and independent living skills

Play Therapy
Play therapy is used to facilitate a child’s expression of their feelings, attitudes, wishes, and perceptions. Play is a child’s most natural form of communication, and they often get more out of the play experience than traditional talk therapy, which is more suited for adults. Play therapy also helps your child facilitate a strong relationship with the counselor, which is anchors them to security and growth.

Children’s Experiential Activities
Your child’s therapist can provide unique themed activities that facilitate learning, expression, and growth. Children learn best by doing, showing, and engaging themselves in multiple ways. These activities are wonderful for family counseling as well!

Family Therapy and Parent Coaching
Your child’s growth and progress are optimized when they have a strong support system and reinforcement at home of principles and techniques used in therapy. You play the most significant role in your child’s life, and we want to support you. We understand that pain and stress can be experienced by the entire family when a child is struggling, so it is important to include parents (and siblings, when applicable) in the child’s counseling.