When working with younger children, Ann Mac often incorporates play therapy approaches to counseling. Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate way to communicate with your child and it is an effective way to gain insight into your child’s inner world. Unlike older children and adults, younger children communicate their experiences not by talking about them, but by playing about them. Ann Mac provides children with a safe/child friendly space to process their thoughts, feelings, behavior and experiences.

Ann Mac works with young children on issues including but not limited to:

• Anxiety/worry/fears/phobias
• Grief/loss/sadness
• Adjustment issues (parents divorcing, new school, stressors in the family, etc.)
• Child behavior
• School related issues
• Trauma recovery

Through play therapy, children can learn to :

• Communicate respectfully with others
• Validate and express their feelings
• Accept themselves
• Develop creative solutions to their problems
• Respond to limits/ take responsibility for and modify inappropriate behavior/ make choices and be responsible for their choices
• Increase self esteem

Counseling children is most successful when the parent or caretaker is involved.  Ann Mac works with parents and their children to have a more connected relationship. Through play therapy, cognitive strategies, and working collaboratively with parents, children can process and work through their struggles.