Prior to your first appointment, you will have a brief telephone consultation with me and I will schedule your appointment or offer suggestions for other resources.  Forms that can be downloaded and brought to the first appointment are:

• Client Data Sheet
• Consent to Use and Disclose Your Health Information (must be signed before treatment)
• Child/Adolescent Developmental History
• Notice of Privacy Practices – Short Version (does not need to be returned)
• Notice of Privacy Practices – Long Version (does not need to be returned)

Common Questions

What can I expect in a therapy session?

A session for adults and adolescents lasts 50 minutes. For children the session is generally 45 minutes. For therapy to “work,” you must be an active participant, both in and outside of the therapy session.

What kinds of people go to a therapist?

All kinds—children, teenagers, adults and families.  The purpose of therapy is to help a person or family improve their overall satisfaction with their life.  For some people, therapy gives them tools to help them deal with specific life changes such as teenagers leaving home, divorce, death, job loss, chronic illness, etc.  For others, therapy is helpful for dealing with more long-term difficulties such as depression, anxiety or a more chronic form of mental illness.

What if I don’t know what my goals are for therapy?

Your therapist will help you to identify appropriate goals. During the course of therapy your goals may change. However, establishing a direction will help you get the most out of the experience.

What kinds of records are kept and how is my privacy protected?

Written records are kept in compliance with federal and state law and professional mandate. Such information includes basic contact information (i.e., name, address, phone numbers, emergency contact information), clerical information related to billing and insurance (i.e., social security number, insurance policy numbers), and progress notes and treatment records.

What is play therapy?

Play Therapy is a specific therapy model that allows the therapist to develop a relationship with clients to help them resolve difficulties through the use of therapeutic play and also to help them achieve successful development.  Research shows that play is essential to a child’s healthy development—mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

All healthy children play, it is the natural language of children.  Play is their form of communication and expression with toys as their words and play as the conversation (Landreth, 2002). Play therapy differs from regular therapy.  Therapists help children address and resolve their own problems.  Play therapy builds on the natural way children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world (Axline, 1947; Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002). Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn new ways of relating.  Play provides a safe psychological distance from their problems and facilitates developmentally appropriate expression of thoughts and feelings (Association for Play Therapy brochure).

Jan is in her final year of training to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) through the Association of Play Therapy.  This training includes 500 hours of supervised play therapy, 35 hours of supervision with a Registered Play Therapist Supervisors and 150 hours of continuing education approved by APT.

My Approach to the Play Therapy Process

1. Initial appointment.  I generally meet with the parents, or the persons who are primary caregivers,  for the first session without their child. This is so they can freely speak about the issues that the child and family are experiencing. If the child is a teen often they can come to this initial appointment since they generally are aware of why they is coming. Prior to the first appointment the parent will have completed a family history and a short description of the problem and behaviors of the child.  At the appointment we will go over this information and determine the goals for change.
2. Generally I meet alone with the child for 4 sessions, each lasting around 45 minutes.  Sometimes during this assessment phase I may schedule a session for the whole family to do a group activity. This helps me see if there are any family dynamics that may be affecting the child.
3. Almost always I let the child “lead the way” after showing them around the play room.  The toys and activities are specially chosen to provide them with the “words” to express their emotions.  Children are generally excited to be able to choose what they want to do.
4. I do not discuss the child’s problems or progress in front of them unless the child and I have already discussed what I am going to say to their parent.
5. After 4 sessions, I meet with the parent without the child to discuss observations, recommendations and progress toward the goals or the revision of the goals.  This process continues until therapy is completed.