Play therapy for children

When your child is struggling, the whole family feels it.

Why Play Therapy Works

Children don’t always have the words to explain what they’re feeling. Instead, they communicate through play, movement, emotions, and behavior. Play therapy gives children their own language to show us what’s really going on inside.

Through play, children can:

• Rehearse overwhelming experiences safely

• Express big feelings without shame

• Explore fears and anxieties in symbolic ways

• Build new templates of safety, trust, and resilience

My Approach: Synergetic Play Therapy®

Play itself is healing — but Synergetic Play Therapy® (SPT) goes deeper.

SPT is rooted in relational neuroscience and the science of nervous system regulation, authenticity of the therapist, and mindfulness. It’s not about “fixing behavior.” It’s about helping children (and their caregivers) understand what’s underneath those behaviors — the nervous system states, emotions, and beliefs driving them.

In our work together, I help children:

• Recognize when they’re dysregulated

• Notice what’s happening in their body

• Practice safe, new ways to come back to balance

• Reconnect to their authentic self

In SPT, the therapist isn’t just “watching play.” I attune closely to your child — modeling regulation, bringing presence, and offering a safe relationship where deep transformation can unfold.

My Approach Online
Even through a screen, the heart of my work doesn’t change. I use Synergetic Play Therapy®, relational neuroscience, and prenatal/perinatal psychology to attune to your child’s nervous system, read the patterns in their play, and support integration of whatever is showing up. Online sessions can be just as powerful as in-person because it’s not about the toys or the setting — it’s about the relationship. And that relationship remains at the center, wherever we meet.

Grief & Loss in Childhood

Children grieve differently than adults. They may not say “I’m sad,” but instead you might notice:

• Aggressive play or acting out

• Withdrawal or curling up alone

• Caretaking play (making food, tending dolls)

• Frequent tummy aches or headaches

• Refusal to talk about the loss

Loss can mean the death of a loved one or pet, but it can also mean a move, divorce, or another major change. If grief isn’t expressed and integrated, it can become “stuck,” shaping identity and self-worth.

Play gives children a safe way to process grief when words won’t come. Together, we can help them release what they’re carrying — so sadness becomes integrated rather than hidden.

Why This Matters

Some struggles children face go back further than most realize — even to birth or early life experiences. Stress during pregnancy, traumatic births, medical procedures, or feeling unwanted at conception can all leave imprints that show up later as anxiety, defiance, or meltdowns.

The good news: early experiences can be integrated. Through play, presence, and safe relationships, children can re-pattern those imprints and grow into resilience.

Online Play Therapy

Not in Missoula? Not a problem.

If you’re in Montana and have an internet connection, play therapy can happen right from your home.

You might wonder how online therapy works with children — especially with play. But it’s not like sitting face-to-face on a screen the way adults do. Kids are naturally creative, and telehealth adapts beautifully to that. Sometimes I’m looking at a ceiling or a toy, sometimes we’re outside on a walk. That’s all part of the process.

With a few simple supplies, play therapy online can be just as powerful as in-person:

• A tray or baking dish filled with rice, beans, gravel, or sand for sensory play

• Natural items like pinecones, sticks, or rocks

• Toys, dolls, or stuffed animals your child already loves

• Paper, markers, or crayons for art activities

We might use scavenger hunts, storytelling, or imaginative play — even online games — to help your child explore feelings, practice new skills, and process difficult experiences, all from the comfort of home.

Why Online Play Therapy Helps:

Makes therapy accessible if you live in rural Montana

• Removes transportation or scheduling barriers

• Offers comfort by working in your child’s own environment

• Creates continuity of care even when travel or health issues make in-person sessions difficult

Whether you’re in a small town with few resources or simply need the flexibility, online play therapy is a way to get the support your child — and your family — deserves.

Ready to Begin?