Play and creative methods

I chose a specialist training route with a focus on play, creativity, story, imagery and metaphor when I decided to retrain as a psychotherapist. While this is often the approach used with children and young people, it is equally valuable in adult work - sometimes even more so, as adults are often short of time, space and permission to play. ​
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Art materials including pens, paints and different paper, playdoh or clay, sand and miniature figures, puppets, bubbles, imaginative play, den building, hide-and-seek... you name it, it is on offer in my sessions. Clients of all ages, and with all presenting difficulties, are very skillful at knowing what they need, and I will gently guide and support where easing beyond a comfort zone feels beneficial. All creative process is confidential and any products of client engagement with the materials will be kept and stored securely. 
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A significant part of my role in sessions is meeting the client where they are and aligning with them on a process of discovery and meaning making. Sometimes our implicit, well-buried knowledge of ourselves and our situations is best expressed and explored through the image or metaphor of play and creativity, and this also provides containment as we can get the feelings 'out there' where they become easier to see as one aspect of life, rather than seeming overwhelming and blotting out other thoughts and feelings.
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