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Couples Therapy
Kids Playing Tug of War

Play Based Interventions Calgary

By introducing playfulness into emotionally heavy topics, play-based therapeutic techniques can enhance children’s engagement in the therapeutic process. Play is often associated with positive feelings. These feelings can help to buffer children’s distress, allowing them to feel safer when accessing overwhelming emotions.

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Play-based interventions are activities designed to improve socio-emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development through guided interactive play. A therapist that uses play-based interventions may use reinforcement, modeling, verbal redirection, and indirect instruction to support and encourage child play activities. It is developmentally responsive to children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Specifics

  • Specifically for children - preschool age and up

  • Children are internally motivated to play because it is engaging and fun, and when children play, they are focused on the activity itself instead of the outcome. It facilitates the development of the therapeutic connection/relationship between children and the therapist and can increase a child’s ability to explore, interact, and express themselves. 

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  • Play-based interventions can take place in various settings such as small groups, one-on-one, and in family sessions. 

How It Helps

What does it help with?
Play-based interventions within a therapeutic setting contributes to overall well-being and healthy development.

  • Processing grief and loss

  • Social skills/social development

  • Increasing emotional awareness

  • Family life changes/transitions

  • Self-esteem

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Trauma

  • Increasing empathy for others’ thoughts and feelings

  • Development of healthy problem-solving skills 

  • Alleviating internalizing (social withdrawal, physical health complaints, nervousness, etc…),  and externalizing (physical and verbal aggression, defiance, inattention, etc...) behaviour problems

And much more..

Children's Race
  • What are the steps I need to take to begin the couples counselling process?
    If you or your partner are worried about your relationship the first step you need to take is requesting a free 20-minute consultation. From this point we will book an appointment in person or online and then develop goals from there to best meet your needs.
  • What do you cover in couples counselling?
    I will work with you to develop a therapeutic plan designed to address your unique needs, goals, and problems/issues. Together we will prioritize which goals you would like to "target" first.
  • What's your clinical counselling timings?
    At the Thrive Business Centre: Tue & Thurs: 12 pm - 9 pm & Wed: 2 - 8 pm, At the Sunalta location: Monday and Friday from 12 pm - 9 pm. Subsequent sessions focus on your individualized goals. Appointments are between 1 - 3 weeks apart to give you opportunities to work on the skills you have learned from the previous therapy sessions.
  • How can someone outside my relationship really help me?
    Seeing a therapist can help you identify issues that you may not have seen at the time and then equip you with the tools you need to fix these issues and develop a better connection with your partner.
  • How long does the couples counselling process last?
    This process is a little different for everyone. It will depend on how much work you have to do, how often I see you, and how hard you work towards your goals.
  • Will my health insurance cover most of the costs of couples counselling?
    Almost all Extended Health Care Plans cover all or a portion of the costs for a psychologist under "psychologist services", "psychotherapy", or "counselling". Contact your insurance agent for more information on reimbursement procedures and coverage information. Direct Billing can be performed for a number of companies. Direct billing is where the Psychologist will bill your insurance company and you will only be responsible to pay for your portion of the session cost. Click here to see if yours can be directly billed.
  • Will my partner and I always attend couples counselling sessions together?
    Attending couples counselling sessions together works best for the relationship. It will help to see both sides of the story and different perspectives on the issues you wish to tackle. If for whatever reason you or your partner can not make it to the session we can always reschedule up to 24 hours beforehand.
  • Can I come for couples counselling without my partner?
    We recommend coming together, but if one of you can not make it we can reschedule up to 24 hours beforehand. We also offer individual counselling for individual issues outside the relationship: anger management, communication skills, conflict resolution, emotional expression

Get Play Based Interventions in Calgary

If you are unsure whether we can meet your  counselling or assessment needs give us a call or book online to receive a free consultation. You can then decide whether we are a good fit for you or your family.

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