Therapeutic Support at The New School
At The New School, we offer a range of therapeutic support including therapeutic play and counselling.
Why use play therapy?
Research suggests that 1 in 7 children are experiencing mental health difficulties. Using play in therapy helps young people to express themselves in their own way; especially if they are struggling to understand how they are feeling, or are finding it hard to put their experiences into words. Play Therapy can be a particularly helpful approach for children in need of therapeutic support or finding accessing learning or peer interactions difficult.
How does play therapy work?
‘Using play means that the child can explore their thoughts and feelings in creative and dynamic ways, without having to use words to articulate themselves. In Play Therapy sessions, children explore their own creativity and express themselves using media such as: drawing and painting, water and clay, sand tray and miniatures, guided imagery and relaxation techniques, drama and puppetry, poetry, movement and music.’
‘Talking about problems can be hard for children. A child may not have the words to describe how they are feeling, or why they are behaving as they do. A child may not be able to recognise what they find difficult, or explain it to someone if asked. Play Therapy provides the expertise and time to do this through play. Play Therapy sessions aim to build a child’s ability to develop healthy and resilient relationships, and to work through traumatic experiences which may be preoccupying them. Pre-occupying difficult feelings can make learning at school or managing feelings impossible. Addressing difficult emotions through play provides a layer of story or metaphor to what is being shared and felt. Metaphor can provide a degree of removal from experience for the child. It can feel safer and less intense for a child to express themselves or explore their experiences through play.’
A teacher or the pastoral lead is usually the first person to refer a child to therapeutic play therapy. However, if a parent or carer feels their child would benefit from therapeutic play support they can speak to the teacher or the pastoral to start the process according to need. A child is also able to request this if they would like to take part in the sessions.
Our Therapeutic Staff
Oliver Moreton is a BACP-registered child counsellor with a Postgraduate Diploma from the Institute of Arts in Therapy and Education. He has many years experience working with children and young adults in a variety of both educational and therapeutic environments.
'I started my journey supporting young people with Special Educational Needs and am still very connected to this work. Within this work, I found myself incredibly drawn to the social and emotional needs of the young people I was working with, and this pull led to my training in child psychotherapy. I am deeply passionate about working to help children to feel better about themselves in relation to others and the outside world. As a therapist, I take a person-centred, integrative approach that encourages children to explore and experiment with a variety of creative media. Art making, play and symbolism form a large part of my work, whether to support the expression of feelings and experiences that can't be put into words or to help children relax and open up. It's humbling to be a part of such a transformative process.'
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