Welcome to East Riding Play Therapy
I provide therapeutic support and emotional well -being services to children, families and professionals in The East Riding of Yorkshire.
My name is Louise Howarth and I am a BAPT registered Play Therapist.. Having worked for many years in the North West I relocated back to the East Riding in 2020.
I am passionate about emotional well being for children, their families and the community around them. This is even more pertinent in these times where many of us have experienced feelings of anxiety and loss in response to Covid 19 and the restrictions this brought to our lives ; some may be experiencing complex and debilitating feelings around this.
I have many years of experience in working with children and families in various contexts including post abuse work; with Looked After children, with adoptive families and with bereaved children.
I provide play therapy interventions for children who have had adverse experiences and are now having a difficult time, perhaps regulating their emotions, negative feelings about themselves, or difficulties within relationships. Depending on need this may be on a one to one basis or as a family intervention.
All my work involves parents or carers and sometimes the focus of work is with the adults giving them what they need to support their child, through psycho-education and supporting their emotional well being so they have the resources they need.
Finally, I provide services for professionals working with children such as school staff, social care staff, and foster carers to equip them with what they need through supervision, consultation, training, and supporting their emotional well -being through self -care workshops.
My ethos is one of hopefulness, of recovery and growth, and strength in connection and relationships, respecting the uniqueness and gifts each of us bring.
Services
Children
Parents/Careers
Children are at the centre of my work. Play and playfulness is at the heart of all the work I do with children.
It is through play that children communicate and make sense of the world. Play therapy is a clinical psychotherapy which gives children the space to process difficult experiences and feelings and move towards a more positive and hopeful outlook.
Filial Therapy is a family intervention that enables parents to facilitate therapeutic play sessions with their child.
Theraplay ® is a more directed intervention that works with a parent and child to promote security of attachment within the parent/child relationship, building trust and safety; the foundation of good mental health.
SandStory Therapy ® is suited to older children and young people and combines the therapeutic qualites of sand and symbols with expressive storytelling to allow the client to tell their story.
I work closely with those caring for the child. I don’t underestimate how hard parenting can be at times especially if you are caring for a child that has experienced trauma.
It can be especially tough if you yourself are going through a stressful time. In addition to therapy which may be with your child or with you as a family I can provide parent consultations and parent well being sessions to give you the resources you need to support your child whether this be knowledge and information or emotional support and time for you.
Professionals
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. Having a team around a child that understands their needs and can work together to support them and cheer them on is so important. I work closely with all the professionals involved with a child.
I also offer services that will impact on a wider group of children and community. These include training and supervision to enable those working with children to feel better equipped to support the children in their care.
SandStory skills® training provides a framework and practical skills for practitioners supporting individual children with their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
We cannot pour from an empty cup : I provide self- care and wellbeing workshops for staff groups or teams to support the emotional well being of the wider children’s workforce..