Helping Children heal – Play Therapy & Child Counseling in Katy, TX
(For children ages 0-12)
At Katy Counseling, we specialize in play therapy and child counseling in Katy, TX for children ages 0–12. Whether your child is experiencing anxiety, behavioral challenges, emotional struggles, or difficulty adjusting to life changes, our compassionate therapists are here to help. Through evidence-based methods and child-friendly techniques, we provide a safe, nurturing space where kids can express themselves, build confidence, and heal.
You are worried about your child & unsure how to help?
We know how hard it is to watch your child struggle and feel helpless to do anything about it. When you became a parent, you never imagined your child would struggle with sadness or loneliness, behavioral issues, anxiety, or experience trauma.
Perhaps you recently divorced, and your child is having difficulty coping. Nothing prepared you for the role of handling your child’s big emotions while also trying to show up as your best self as a parent. It can be exhausting, frustrating, and downright scary. At Katy Counseling, we get it, and we can help!
Child Counseling can help
Young children can have difficult emotions just like adults and benefit from child counseling in the same way. With a therapist trained in child counseling, your child can learn new skills and overcome problems just like adults.
Play Therapy Meets the Unique Needs of Young Children
Play therapy is a specific type of counseling designed for the unique needs of young children. Young children have difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings due to their age and development. In play therapy, children use their language (play) and words (toys) to express themselves.
A trained play therapist can use play therapy to help children learn healthier behaviors and attitudes.
Specially Trained Play Therapists & Child Therapists in Katy, TX
Our therapists are specifically trained in play therapy, with many of them achieving or working toward the Registered Play Therapist™ Credential. You can learn more about the benefits of play therapy, training, and certification requirements, at the Association For Play Therapy.
Our play therapists offer a variety of different therapeutic approaches just like our adult therapists. Some examples include:
Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy (CBT)
-In Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy, your child’s therapist will focus on thoughts and behaviors that are not working well for your child and work with them to learn new thinking patterns and use more effective behaviors to get their needs met.
Adlerian Play Therapy
Adlerian play therapy helps parents understand their child’s behavior and the purpose it serves, as well as areas of crucial development where a child needs additional support and skills to thrive. The focus on this therapy is to help children thrive at home, school, and with family and friends.
Theraplay (an attachment focused play therapy)
Theraplay is a beneficial form of play therapy for children who come from hard places, such as foster care or have an adoption story. Some children may have difficulty with attachment figures and caregivers due to difficult early-life experiences. This therapy aims to help children learn to trust safe caregivers and develop healthy relationships.
Dialectical Behavioral Play Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Play therapy combines as evidenced based therapy for out of control behaviors with the power of play therapy. This treatment helps children and teens with harmful behaviors identify their triggers and feelings, learn how to regulate big feelings, handle distress and communicate effectively.
Child Centered Play Therapy
Child-centered play therapy is similar to person-centered therapy for adults. This therapy aims to provide a safe, judgment-free place for children to safely express their feelings in a developmentally sensitive way. Through this powerful environment, children can confront difficult feelings and learn and practice new behaviors. Parents also receive additional support through monthly parent consultations.
EMDR & Play Therapy
Many of our play therapists are trained in EMDR and have learned powerful tools for integrating this evidence-based trauma therapy with play therapy in order to help even our youngest clients heal from traumatic wounds. Visit our EMDR page for more information on this powerful trauma therapy.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another powerful evidence-based treatment for child survivors of sexual abuse. This modality has a high degree of parent involvement and includes education and support for families, coping strategies for children, and treatment for the residual impacts of trauma on children.
Sand Tray Therapy for Children
Similar to play therapy, the sand tray is an effective tool in our child therapists’ toolkit to help children process difficult emotions, practice new behaviors, and untangle unhelpful thinking patterns. Many of our therapists have advanced training in sand tray as a healing modality for children and teens.
Common signs your child may need therapy:
This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list of reasons parents seek child counseling. If you have questions, please contact us to learn if therapy is right for your child.
Do you have Questions about what to Expect When your Child starts counseling?
Here are some frequently asked questions parents often have:
What happens at the first counseling session in child counseling?
We know starting counseling for your child can be a scary process and our goal is to make it as comfortable as possible from start to finish. Your first session will likely be a parent session. This session may include one or both parents or additional caregivers/guardians of the child.
Getting to Know Your Family in child Counseling
Your therapist will take time to learn about your family, your child, and the challenges that bring you to therapy. At this meeting, you will learn more about play therapy, what to expect, how you will be involved in your child’s therapy, and get any important questions you may have answered.
We know your child is important to you and want to take as much time as possible to address your concerns and make sure we provide the help your child needs.
How will I be involved in my child’s therapy?
At Katy Counseling we believe that parents are the most important part of a child’s life. While your child may meet alone with their counselor for all or part of an appointment, your child’s therapist will make sure you know exactly what the treatment plan is and work with you regularly to provide information and skills to you as the parent as well as to receive feedback from you that may help your little one gets better faster!
We Believe in a Collaborative Approach at Katy counseling
We believe in a collaborative approach with parents. This means you may also join in for all or part of some play therapy sessions depending on the unique needs of your child. We find that when parents play a big part in their child’s therapy, children benefit and learn to handle big emotions better, feel more connected, and learn to control behaviors faster.
What Can Play Therapy & Child Counseling Help with?
Counseling for children can help with a variety of issues from adjusting to transitions to severe mood and behavioral issues. Here are just a few things we successfully treat:
- ADHD Treatment for children,
- Behavioral Issues and emotional regulation
- Child Sexual Abuse, Neglect, Trauma
- Depression and low self-esteem in children
- Childhood Anxiety, OCD, Skin and Hair Picking, Phobias and other fears
- Life transitions such as children coping with divorce, grief, and more
Begin Play Therapy In Katy, TX Today And Help Your Child Thrive
Children may come in small packages, but they have BIG emotions. If you think your child is struggling to process their feelings in a healthy way, seek a qualified mental health professional who treats children, such as a play therapist for a full assessment and treatment. Therapy can help your child learn new skills, overcome their fears and thrive again!
Want more information about child therapy and how it can help your Child? Visit the Parents Corner at The APT). Or follow the steps below to connect with us at Katy Counseling:
- Learn more about our team here.
- Fill out our convenient online contact form for more information.
- Begin the journey to making your family whole.
How Play Therapy Helps Children in Katy, TX – Watch This Video Introduction
This video does a great job demonstrating (in a fun way) why children benefit from play therapy as a tool for communicating their feelings, problems, and difficulties versus the way we, as adults, may communicate. Meet Andrew and see his transformation.
Other Mental Health Services Offered At Katy Counseling
In addition to offering counseling for children, we also offer a wide range of services for adults, teens, and children. These services include Teen Counseling, Adult Counseling, Couples Counseling, Trauma Counseling, Women’s Issues, and Lens Neurofeedback. Our goal is to meet you where you are and help guide you through the issues you are facing in a positive and supportive way.
Learn more about play therapy and some Frequently Asked Questions about it In this Short Video:
In this video, Dr. Nick Cornett helps answer common questions about play therapy, such as “How Does Play Therapy Help?”, “Who Benefits from Play Therapy?” as well as providing resources and research on the benefits of play therapy for children.
