Services
Play therapy
For children 4 to 9 who are sensitive to sound, light, touch and change.
A session is 50 minutes in a quiet room with shelves your child can reach. Your child chooses what to do: build, draw, pour, pretend or sit and watch. The clinician follows, says what she notices and keeps to the same shape each week. Afterward she shares a few words with you at the door.
The details
The method
Child-centered play therapy: the child leads and the clinician follows. Alana's training is listed on her page.
What this is not
It is not an evaluation or a diagnosis, and it is not a place where a child is told to sit still or talk.
How long and how often
Fifty minutes, usually weekly. Your clinician sets the pace with you and changes it as your child changes.
How it is paid
Your fee is given in writing before you start. We bill some commercial plans, or you pay yourself and get a monthly receipt.
How fees work
Three questions about this
What if my child will not go into the room?
That is a normal first day, and it is not a setback. Your child can stand at the door, sit in the waiting area with you, or bring a favorite object. The clinician follows their pace, and nothing is asked of them that they are not ready for.
Do I stay in the room?
Most children 4 and 5 start with a parent in the room or just outside, and move toward coming in alone when they are ready. Older children usually come in on their own. The plan is made with you before the first play session.
Do we need a diagnosis or an evaluation first?
No. Many children who come to us have not had one. If your child has been evaluated by a school or a doctor, you are welcome to share it, and nothing is required before the first parent visit.
Start with a call for the grown-ups
The first visit is for you, without your child, so we can plan the first play session together.