Child Therapy



"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning."  Fred Rogers

At Wise Heart Therapy LLC, we leverage the transformative power of play. This may be your child’s first experience with therapy—and possibly yours, too. By choosing play therapy, you are giving your child a profound gift: the opportunity to understand and navigate their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and nervous system in a safe and supportive environment. These internal experiences are the true drivers of what we often see and label as “behavior.”

​​

Developmentally, the last area of the brain to mature, around age 25, is responsible for planning, prioritizing, decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. While traditional talk therapy depends on a child’s ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings through conversation, play therapy meets children where they are. It allows the therapist to enter the child’s world, attune to their nervous system, model emotional regulation, and provide the language needed to help the child understand and express their behaviors and emotions.

​​

Alison has extensive training in two play therapy modalities: Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT).

​

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is a non-directive therapeutic approach that emphasizes the importance of a strong, trusting relationship between the child and the therapist. Through this connection, therapists employ evidence-based techniques to help children increase self-awareness, regulate their nervous systems, build independence, and reduce challenging behaviors.

 

Research consistently supports the effectiveness of CCPT across various areas of child development. Studies have shown that CCPT leads to significant improvements in behavior, reductions in anxiety, and enhanced social-emotional well-being. It has been particularly effective in decreasing disruptive behaviors and addressing internalizing issues such as anxiety and depression. Furthermore, CCPT promotes the development of social skills, strengthens interpersonal relationships, and fosters a healthier self-concept and greater sense of competence. It is also a proven intervention for helping children work through trauma-related challenges.

​

In addition to CCPT, Alison integrates strategies and concepts from Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT). These approaches support healing the root causes of behaviors, empowering children to regulate and navigate challenges independently over time.

​

​​Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) has demonstrated positive outcomes in supporting children’s emotional and psychological development. Research indicates that SPT can significantly improve emotional regulation, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and facilitate trauma resolution. Children engaged in SPT often exhibit increased emotional tolerance and improved ability to integrate and express complex emotions.

​

At Wise Heart Therapy, we honor each child's inner wisdom and natural capacity for growth, using play as the bridge to emotional resilience and lasting change.

​