Play Therapy: Learning Through Play

"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child's soul."  - Friedrich Froebel

Play is a child's natural language. Through online play therapy, we utilize age-appropriate toys, games, and activities to help your child express themselves, process emotions, and develop healthy coping mechanisms.

• Benefits: Play therapy can help children improve communication skills, build self-esteem, manage anxiety and anger, and develop problem-solving abilities.
• How it works: At Healing Wolf Therapy, we engage your child in interactive play, observing their interactions and using play as a tool for exploration and healing. We may incorporate virtual sand tray therapy, storytelling, or other creative techniques.
• Here's what a session might look like:Imagine a child who misses their parents when they're away. In a virtual play therapy session, they might use animal puppets to act out saying goodbye and then coming back home. This helps us understand their feelings and find ways to make those times apart a little easier.

Parent Involvement: At Healing Wolf Therapy, we value caregiver  involvement and will collaborate with you to understand your child's needs and provide strategies for supporting them.

Art Therapy: Expressing Through Creativity

Art provides a powerful outlet for children to express their emotions, even when they struggle with words. Through virtual art therapy, your child can explore their feelings and experiences through drawing, painting, sculpting, and other creative mediums.

• Benefits: Art therapy can help children process trauma, manage stress, improve emotional regulation, and enhance self-awareness.
• How it works: at Healing Wolf Therapy, we  guide your child through creative activities, encouraging self-expression and providing a safe space for emotional release. No prior art experience is necessary!
• Here's what a session might be like: A child experiencing anger might be encouraged to use different colors and textures of paint to express their feelings, allowing us to understand the intensity and nature of their anger and guide them towards healthier expression.

Caregiver Collaboration: We will work with you to understand your child's artwork and provide insights into their emotional world.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Building Coping  Skills

While traditional CBT might seem geared towards adults, modified CBT techniques can be incredibly beneficial for children. In a virtual setting, we adapt CBT to be developmentally appropriate and engaging.

• Benefits: CBT helps children identify and change negative thought patterns and develop coping skills for managing difficult emotions and situations. It can be particularly helpful for reframing thinking patterns as well as coping with anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges.
• How it works: Through games, stories, and interactive activities, we help children learn to recognize the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. At Healing Wolf Therapy, we teach them practical strategies, like relaxation techniques and problem-solving skills, to manage challenges more effectively.
• Here’s what a session might look like: A child with social anxiety might work with us to identify negative thoughts they have about social situations (e.g., "Everyone will laugh at me"). They can then practice challenging those thoughts and replacing them with more realistic and positive ones (e.g., "I can try talking to one person"). We can use role-playing in the virtual session to practice these new skills.

Caregiver  Collaboration: We will provide you with strategies to reinforce these skills at home, ensuring consistency and maximizing the benefits of therapy.

How can virtual therapy for children help?

Through creative and effective therapeutic techniques and a compassionate guide by their side, children can have opportunities to process and cope with the following symptoms: 

• Emotional regulation difficulties
• Behavioral outbursts and tantrums
• Difficulty with impulse control
• Problems with attention and concentration
• Challenges with social skills 
• Difficulty making and maintaining friendships
• Bullying including cyber bullying 
• Low self-confidence and self-worth
• Anxiety and worry
• Fears and phobias
• Sadness and depression
• Anger management issues
• Difficulty coping with stress
• Trauma and abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, neglect)
• Grief and loss (including pet loss)
• Adoption and foster care
• School-related problems (academic, social, behavioral)
• ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions 
• Sleep disturbances
• Eating and feeding problems
• Life transitions (moving, changing schools)
• Cultural and identity issues
• Peer pressure

At Healing Wolf Therapy, we believe in the unique strengths and resilience of every child, we are dedicated to walking alongside children on their healing journeys, offering compassionate support and guidance as they navigate life's challenges and build confidence in themselves and their abilities.