It’s the start of the holiday season and for many of us that means packed calendars and busy schedules. To help you navigate this busy time, I sat down with the Play Therapy Connection team and posed a question: “What are your top picks for games that families on-the-go can use to enhance the progress their little ones are making in the playroom?” Our dedicated clinicians compiled a collection of games, each thoughtfully designed to foster a deeper understanding of your child and strengthen the bond between you, while boosting their confidence in everyday life. What makes these games even be ..read more

Games and activities can be powerful tools for helping children process their feelings, develop essential life skills, and build stronger connections. There is no better way than to learn together! Here are a few game recommendations from Kelly Miller, owner and founder of Play Therapy Connection, that can assist you in supporting your child as they journey through the world of emotions and relationships. Jenga: Conquering Anxiety You may think of Jenga as a party game, but it is also one of the most helpful games in addressing anxiety. In Jenga, you’ve got this wobbly tower, and you know it’s ..read more

Matt Canale, LPC and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, specializes in helping children regulate through and understand their anger. I’ve ask him to highlight some strategies for parents to help their kiddos who are struggling with anger to connect, redirect and be authentic with their responses. This creates a more regulated and peaceful environment before, during and after the “storm.” Connect.  “I hear you screaming, I can see your fist are balled up, your face looks angry” Name their emotion: “I can see/hear/feel you are angry or frustrated or mad” Get curious about what is making ..read more

If you have been with Play Therapy Connection for a while, you may be familiar with the term “co-regulation.” This means as a parent/caregiver, you let your child ‘borrow’ your nervous system in order for them to move from dysregulation back to regulation (over and over and over again!) Sounds fairly simple in theory but, as anyone who has cared for a child knows, it is often much more complicated in practice. It can be very challenging to provide coregulation for your child when their emotions or behavior bring up complex and sometimes overwhelming internal experiences. One tip for increasing ..read more

Rest assured: parent favoritism is actually really common, and developmentally normal.  Preferring one parent over another doesn’t always mean they love that parent more than the other or that one parent is “better” than the other. It often means that a particular parent is what they are focused on in the “here and now.” This can be just one stage of life that they are working through. In addition, kids don’t cover up their feelings or thoughts: kids are infamous for “telling it like it is” without holding back. They also can be exploring their own boundaries and autonomy and wh ..read more

To say that we are in the midst of challenging times as a country and world might be the understatement of the year…or the last several years. Even if we may not feel impacted by a specific event or circumstance personally, challenges we face as a collective have a way of trickling down and impacting us on an individual level in ways of which we may not even be consciously aware (although our nervous systems are!). When the news seems to inform us of one crisis after another, how do we connect to ourselves and not numb out or become overwhelmed by anxiety, worry, or anger? And how do we teach ..read more

Aimee Hartwell, LCSW & Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, talks about what setting boundaries can look like in light of meeting your child’s needs in this 4 minute video. Here are the highlights:  Children are often told ‘no’ or shut down in a variety of ways for lots of different reasons, sometimes for valid reasons like safety or environment. However, over time, if most needs are perceived to be shut down by the child, they eventually learn to distrust themselves and not advocate to get their needs met since children advocate for themselves through sometimes undesirable behavior ..read more

My all-time favorite holiday movie is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. It so brilliantly sums up how chaotic and stressful the holidays can be, especially when Mrs. Ellen Griswold responds to her teenage daughter who has to share a bedroom with her younger brother, “I don’t know what to say but it’s Christmas and we are all in misery.” The holidays are supposed to be fun right? So then why aren’t we having fun? Holidays are full of unpredictability and uncertainty. They can be a time of high emotions and sensory overload. We can be sick. Being sick in general around the holidays can be m ..read more

We are adding a part-time or full-time therapist! Why: We have so many referrals coming into our office, we are looking to add another passionate therapist who is excited about serving our community. Who: Therapists must be SPT Certified or seeking SPT certification; therapists can serve clients across the lifespan (children, teens, families, adults). What’s Included: We have space available for 2-5 days a week at our beautiful Littleton location. We also offer a dedicated marketing and intake coordinator who answers all incoming calls to ensure you receive every referral. We also send ou ..read more

Is it dangerous? How dangerous? How much is okay? What limits do I set? Of course, I’m talking about navigating technology use as a parent/caregiver. It can feel overwhelming to know what to do around technology. At Play Therapy Connection, we wanted to put together a quick list of resources you can use to decide what is right for your family and help you answer questions like: Is my family addicted to technology?  How can I better guide my children around the use of technology?  How can I set limits? How do I model better technology behavior?  First, we’ll start with the obvi ..read more