Wonders Counseling Blog
Why Messy Play is Healthy for Children
For some parents anxiety quickly rises when paint, play clay and sand are part of a child's play. Sadly, messy play is something a lot of parents don't allow. What we play therapists know is that getting messy is an essential part of children's healthy development....
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How a Therapist Evolved From Providing Play Therapy to Supporting Mamas
Therapist Spot-Light July 2018 - Andrea Crafton, LPC By Liz Gray, LCSW, RPT Andrea Crafton is not your average therapist! She is trained and experienced with years of providing play therapy as a Licensed Professional Counselor; but she is also a trained birth and...
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Managing Work & Career Stress
You know how fortunate you are to have a job and career that provides for your life and your family. At the same time the demands of the job can throw a lot of stress into the mix. Managing stress on the job is a skill and it can be helpful to have some strategies in...
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Play Therapy Training Resources
So you need play therapy training? When I was training to be a Registered Play Therapist I traveled to attend conferences in 10 different states to be trained in a variety of play therapy modalities. Today, there are so many MORE options. . . the world of play therapy...
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Ethical Considerations in Play Therapy: It’s a 3 Ring Circus!
The phrase "ethical dilemma" is bound to feel overwhelming for any play therapist. Watching for all the ethical considerations in the process of providing play therapy services for children and families can feel like you're watching for everything at once just like...
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Preparing to Move Your College Student into the Dorm
We are making the 5 hour drive to our daughter's university in August to move her into the dorm for the first time (they call them residence halls these days but back when I was a college kid we called them "dorms" short for dormitory so I'm sticking with what I...
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How Play Therapists can Navigate Family Court & High Conflict Divorce Cases
In my career as a therapist, I have worked with many families who were going through divorce or custody battles. It’s often very rewarding to help these families and children through the play therapy process. It also can be quite harrowing when parents are at war,...
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5 Basic Must Haves for the Play Room
Whether you have been practicing play therapy for a long time or you are just starting out, it can be very helpful to have a go-to list of items and supplies to either equip or re-stock your play room so you have everything you need when you need it! But what if you...
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Resources for Helping Parents with Children Who Lie
A common frustration among parents, teachers, and those who work with children is when kids lie. Often, we focus on the problem behavior. However, it is important to look past the actual lie and try to figure out what is underneath the lying. In other words, the why....
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Play Therapy Resources for Aggressive Play
When children exhibit aggression in the play room it can cause therapists to feel uneasy if there is not an understanding of the reasons for the behavior. Without awareness, ability to conceptualize and have the right resources available, therapists might end up...
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Resources for Helping Children with ADHD
Understanding the nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how it manifests for different children is important not only for therapists but also for parents and teachers. According to the American Psychiatric Association's explanation of ADHD, it...
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Self Care Meditation Retreat for Women Therapists & Helping Professionals
We all could use a dose of deep self care in a beautiful mountain setting right? "Come with me to Sautee, Georgia and the tranquil and sacred retreat center called Elohee November 8-11 to learn, renew, relax and restore. . ." - Lynn Louise Wonders If you are a woman...
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Fostering Emotion Awareness in Young Children
As both a child & family therapist and consultant/ trainer, I have had the privilege to work with many play therapists around the world who are growing their play therapy practices. Recently, I asked my colleagues for recommendations for their favorite emotion...
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Resources for Parents of Children with Anxiety
As a therapist for children and families for over 15 years I have seen how anxiety can wreak havoc within a family system. When a child is experiencing anxiety, the parents feel helpless and are often anxiously wanting to know what they can do to help their child....
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Resources for Children Experiencing Grief & Loss
In this article I want to provide you with some of my favorite resources for play therapists that I frequently recommend in my play therapy trainings in order to develop effective interventions in helping children who are experiencing grief and loss. Grief looks...
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Resources for Helping Children During Divorce
As a play therapist, supervisor and trainer I have had vast experience in helping children and families over the years when there is a divorce. Children typically experience a range of symptoms that can cause significant disruption to their ability to function in...
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Resources for Helping Children with Anxiety in Play Therapy
Below are some of my favorite resources for play therapists that I frequently recommend in my play therapy trainings in order to develop effective interventions in helping children who are experiencing anxiety. And be sure to SIGN UP to receive access to FREE...
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Little Children – Great Teachers
When I was starting out my career as a professional counselor years ago, I dove head first into developing a specialty working with preschool age children. I developed a program called P.E.E.P (preschool emotion education program) and implemented the program in two...
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