Play Therapy Service
Wellington-based Play Therapy Service for children aged 3-12 years
Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT)
What is Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT)?
The most natural way for children to show us what’s on their minds, is through play. Play helps children to express and process what they are thinking and feeling and toys are like children’s words. Play helps children process their feelings when words are not readily available. It supports children with making sense of the world around them and learn skills through play in a developmentally appropriate way. Play therapy is suitable form of therapy for children of all kinds.
Who is play therapy for?
Kinds offers child-centred play therapy (CCPT) for children between the ages of 3-12 years old who are experiencing behavioural and/or social emotional challenges.
Anxiety and grief
Relationships and social skills
Emotion regulation (anger, defiance, feelings of overwhelm)
Self-esteem and confidence
Significant and impactful life events such as separation, divorce or relocation
Trauma such as abuse or neglect
What can play therapy help with?
Play therapy can foster the development of a variety of social and emotional skills, including the development a positive sense of self and confidence.
Through play therapy children are better able to understand their experiences, emotions and behaviours and find their own resources for healing and growth.
Meet Manon
Manon van Esch has over 25 years of experience working with children in education (ECE and Primary Education), NGO’s, child mental health & disability services and governmental agencies, in both social work and leadership roles.
She was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Aotearoa New Zealand since 2011. Manon is a NZ registered social worker (SWRB) and a NZ trained and certified play therapist.
Her experience and interests range from working with children with (high complex) needs and challenging behaviours, trauma and attachment difficulties and neurodiversity. Manon has extensive experience in working collaboratively with a wide range of professionals, services and teams, providing supervision and facilitating and coordinating social work services.
Manon is considerate and respectful of the difficulties your child and your family may experience and has a gentle and engaging approach when providing therapeutic supports to children.
Utilising 25 years of experience working with children to offer child-led and developmentally appropriate therapy.
Registration/Memberships:
Full registration and practising certificate with New Zealand Social Work Registration Board (SWRB)
Member of Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Work (ANZASW)
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree Social Work (The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2000)
Postgraduate diploma in Education (Hogeschool Inholland University of Applied Sciences, 2004)
CPW ChildPlayWorks New Zealand Postgraduate Certificate in Child Centred Play Therapy (2022)
Training and Professional Development:
Leaders as coaches training programme
Clinical Supervision training programme
Advanced Trauma informed Care training
Relational Learning framework-trauma informed care for children in foster care
Triple P: Stepping Stones Parenting Programme for parenting children with an intellectual disability
The effects of Trauma on children’s attachment relationships
Positive Behaviour Support Training
