New children’s play therapy centre opens in Downpatrick

New children’s play therapy centre opens in Downpatrick

29 January 2020

A NEW children’s play therapy facility has opened in Downpatrick.

Run by Laura Downey, the new service is located above the Life Change, Changes Lives base in Market Street.

Laura — who volunteers with the charity’s hugely popular Pop Up Art initiative which upscales old furniture — is delighted to be working locally, providing a service which can help children with emotional behavioural problems.

She operates in a dedicated room which includes a range of furniture she purchased from Life Change, Changes Lives which is designed to help children feel at home. In addition to her work with children, Laura is also keen to show her support for the work carried out by the charity.

Explaining the nature of her work, Laura said that it centres around helping children deal with emotional behavioural problems through play.

She has a dedicated toolkit to help which includes sand trays, miniature toys, stuffed toys, hand puppets and books containing therapeutic stories to help deliver the so-called Play & Grow project.

A qualified play therapist who is registered with Play Therapy UK, Laura has been working with children since 2012 and previously spent time working in Downpatrick where she did her voluntary placement with Action for Children based at the Ballymote Centre.

She explained that the opportunity to set up her new service came about as a result of her volunteering work with Life Change Changes Lives, with her work focusing on children aged between four and 12.

“I work with children who have emotional behavioural problems, those dealing with bereavement and loss or who have separated or divorced parents,” Laura continued. 

“I also work with those who have anger of anxiety issues, those who may have become withdrawn, have communication problems or have suffered forms of abuse or nightmares. I also work with those who are being bullied or who are bullies themselves.”

Laura, who offers a free consultation with parents, said children can release their inner feelings through play.

She explained that play is a child’s natural medium of self expression, highlighting the number of times children ask their parents to play with them and have a chat. Laura said children feel most comfortable in this environment.

“As play is what children are comfortable with, it makes sense that you would use this method to help them through a difficult time. This is particularly effective for children who cannot or who do not want to talk about their problems.

“They can play out their feelings and problems and if a child wants to talk to me here of course they can do that. Some children say that they do not want to talk about whatever trauma is in their lives and I say to them that is great because they do not have to.

“However, they will still express those feelings through play and may in fact not be aware that this is what they are doing. The metaphor is very powerful in the play therapy room and children can hide behind a mask to demonstrate their feelings and using a puppet is a very good example of that.”

Laura said her work is a method of helping children with behavioural and emotional problems to help themselves, explaining that is the children do all the work.

“I am just here as a facilitator,” she said. “Play therapy is not always fun and sometimes the children will encounter difficult feelings. I adopt a child-centred approach where the child leads the way and the therapist follows which is non directive.

“One of the most important aspects of play therapy is the element of control. For some children when something has happened in their life or environment it is a thing which they cannot control which causes trauma. When they come here, this is the one place they can come in and say ‘right we are doing this my way’ and it can take back control.”

Laura described play therapy is “non judgemental” and said children know they are in a safe environment and can express themselves in any way in which they will be accepted or who they are.

She added: “The children will learn that while here they can be themselves and they will feel comfortable to be themselves.”

Laura can be contacted on 07934 754350 or via her social media page.