Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses play to communicate with and support children, to prevent or resolve historical and/or present challenges. It can aid them and their families towards better social integration, growth and development, emotional balance, and trauma resolution. A play therapist observes a client playing with toys (play-houses, pets, dolls, etc.) to determine the cause of the disturbed behavior. The objects and patterns of play, as well as the willingness to interact with the therapist, can be used to understand the underlying causation for behaviour both inside and outside of therapy session. Play therapy can be used as a self-help mechanism to encourage the client to manage their challenges and support themselves more effectively.
Ava Garcia Valls Psychotherapist and Play Therapist
Dip.PlayTherapy, .MSc.Integ.Psych.
Eva holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy for adults. She is a pre-accredited member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), follows its code of ethics and attends regular supervision. Her other qualifications include a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from IICP College, Postgraduate in Brief Strategic and Solution Focused Therapy, Postgraduate in Couple Therapy and Postgraduate in Sexuality. Eva’s qualifications were integrative in approach and trained her in a wide variety of therapeutic orientations including: Person Centred, CBT, Solution Focused Therapy, Gestalt, Family Systems Theory, Transactional Analysis, Art Therapy and Mindfulness, integrating also psychological theories with neuroscience research. Eva’s humanistic-integrative approach has the aim to help, in a non-invasive way, the spiritual, emotional, physical and cognitive aspects (both conscious and unconscious), taking account of the clients’ past, present and future. Accordingly, she uses a wide range of techniques and methods that enable to work with all dimensions of the client, where all difficulties are placed within a larger context of growth, and deeply trusting in the client’s resilience and inner strength. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy, from (APAC) Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy and Leeds Beckett University. She uses creative tools, like drawing, clay, sand, movement, music and therapeutic storytelling, as a way for children to express themselves, and facilitating their emotional, behavioural and mental health well-being. Eva is available for short-term or long-term psychotherapeutic work. She has gained experience working with children and adults in various schools and clinical settings in Spain, Italy and Ireland. She supports her clients in their exploration tailoring the therapy process to suit each client’s individual needs, constructing a strong therapeutic relationship as a core principle to facilitate them to become what they really are.
Psychotherapy Sessional Fee: 70euro
Dip.PlayTherapy, .MSc.Integ.Psych.
Eva holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy for adults. She is a pre-accredited member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), follows its code of ethics and attends regular supervision. Her other qualifications include a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from IICP College, Postgraduate in Brief Strategic and Solution Focused Therapy, Postgraduate in Couple Therapy and Postgraduate in Sexuality. Eva’s qualifications were integrative in approach and trained her in a wide variety of therapeutic orientations including: Person Centred, CBT, Solution Focused Therapy, Gestalt, Family Systems Theory, Transactional Analysis, Art Therapy and Mindfulness, integrating also psychological theories with neuroscience research. Eva’s humanistic-integrative approach has the aim to help, in a non-invasive way, the spiritual, emotional, physical and cognitive aspects (both conscious and unconscious), taking account of the clients’ past, present and future. Accordingly, she uses a wide range of techniques and methods that enable to work with all dimensions of the client, where all difficulties are placed within a larger context of growth, and deeply trusting in the client’s resilience and inner strength. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy, from (APAC) Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy and Leeds Beckett University. She uses creative tools, like drawing, clay, sand, movement, music and therapeutic storytelling, as a way for children to express themselves, and facilitating their emotional, behavioural and mental health well-being. Eva is available for short-term or long-term psychotherapeutic work. She has gained experience working with children and adults in various schools and clinical settings in Spain, Italy and Ireland. She supports her clients in their exploration tailoring the therapy process to suit each client’s individual needs, constructing a strong therapeutic relationship as a core principle to facilitate them to become what they really are.
Psychotherapy Sessional Fee: 70euro
Shauna Maxwell Play Therapist
Dip.PlayTherapy, BA Soc.Pract.
Shauna holds a Post Graduate in Play Therapy and completed her training with Play Therapy Ireland in January 2019. Play Therapy differs from talk therapy as the children utilise the toys as their language to communicate and act out their experiences and emotions. The therapist provides a safe space for the child which allows them to access their unconscious, bringing it to their awareness to be explored deeper and to be resolved. Through play children can make sense of their world and experiences and develop new coping skills. As a Play Therapist, Shauna has worked with children presenting with a range of issues such as anxiety, aggression, family separation/divorce, bereavements, behavioural and emotions problems, domestic violence and trauma and attachment. Shauna also holds a BA in Social Care Practice and has worked therapeutically with children in foster care for over six years. She has worked with numerous of families and teachers developing behavioural support plans and educating them around trauma and brain development to enhance their skill set to manage the presenting behaviours. Shauna has also worked with teenagers in special care and residential care. She is passionate and enthusiastic about working with children and uses a holistic approach with families to achieve better outcomes for the child and family together. Play Therapy Fee: 60euro
Dip.PlayTherapy, BA Soc.Pract.
Shauna holds a Post Graduate in Play Therapy and completed her training with Play Therapy Ireland in January 2019. Play Therapy differs from talk therapy as the children utilise the toys as their language to communicate and act out their experiences and emotions. The therapist provides a safe space for the child which allows them to access their unconscious, bringing it to their awareness to be explored deeper and to be resolved. Through play children can make sense of their world and experiences and develop new coping skills. As a Play Therapist, Shauna has worked with children presenting with a range of issues such as anxiety, aggression, family separation/divorce, bereavements, behavioural and emotions problems, domestic violence and trauma and attachment. Shauna also holds a BA in Social Care Practice and has worked therapeutically with children in foster care for over six years. She has worked with numerous of families and teachers developing behavioural support plans and educating them around trauma and brain development to enhance their skill set to manage the presenting behaviours. Shauna has also worked with teenagers in special care and residential care. She is passionate and enthusiastic about working with children and uses a holistic approach with families to achieve better outcomes for the child and family together. Play Therapy Fee: 60euro
Aisling Mulhern. Play Therapist.
IAPTP., Dip.PlayTherapy, BA.FineArt.
Aisling gained a post-graduate diploma in play therapy from the Children's Therapy Centre in 2018 and is currently completing her MA in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Using the medium of play Aisling works therapeutically with children to help them with a range of issues such as behavioural problems, anxiety, family separation, attachment problems, nightmares and past traumas. Using play, rather than “talk therapy", children can gain access to their unconscious and can renegotiate experiences that they don’t have the language skills to express. Aisling has experience working with children who are non-verbal, or have selective mutism, and she finds that play therapy is an excellent intervention for these children since play is the child's natural language. As well as working directly with children and teens, Aisling also works with parents and teachers to help them find ways to support the child and help things run smoother in a home or school setting. Aisling is preaccreddited with IAPTP. Aisling is available for online therapy also. Play Therapy Sessional Fee: 60euro
IAPTP., Dip.PlayTherapy, BA.FineArt.
Aisling gained a post-graduate diploma in play therapy from the Children's Therapy Centre in 2018 and is currently completing her MA in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Using the medium of play Aisling works therapeutically with children to help them with a range of issues such as behavioural problems, anxiety, family separation, attachment problems, nightmares and past traumas. Using play, rather than “talk therapy", children can gain access to their unconscious and can renegotiate experiences that they don’t have the language skills to express. Aisling has experience working with children who are non-verbal, or have selective mutism, and she finds that play therapy is an excellent intervention for these children since play is the child's natural language. As well as working directly with children and teens, Aisling also works with parents and teachers to help them find ways to support the child and help things run smoother in a home or school setting. Aisling is preaccreddited with IAPTP. Aisling is available for online therapy also. Play Therapy Sessional Fee: 60euro
