Stephanie Manning

Ages served

Ages 4–12

Therapy approaches

• Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
• Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)

Who I help

I specialize exclusively in children ages 4 to 12. As a Child Centered Play Therapist, I am highly skilled in helping children process their emotions in a way that makes sense to them and leads to lasting change. I know that children are unable to communicate in the same way as adults, therefore, I meet them exactly where they are at...in their child brain.

I also work very closely with the parents and caregivers of the child. Often times parents arrive frustrated, confused, hurting and at times hopeless. There is a parent coaching piece that is essential to the child therapy process. We will work together to stragegize solutions. At the end of the theraputic process you will have a stronger connection with your child and clarity on what they need and how to provide it.

Many children that I work with present with anxious behaviors, big emotions, hyperactivity, low self-confidence, abuse or feelings locked up inside of themselves (internerlizers) to mention a few. Child Centered Play Therapy has decades of research showing it's effectiveness to treat and heal these parts of a child for a lifetime.

How I work

I follow the child's lead. That is what makes Child Centered Play Therapy like no other model of healing. I believe that every child has the solutions deep down within themselves to thrive and become the best version of themself. Because they are not rational "yet" and do not obtain abstract reasoning at their age, they cannot sit on a couch and discuss there situation or explain it with words, but they do explain and show me through play. This is the way children do therapy. This approach is grounded in neuroscience and child development.

A typical session will be directed by the child. They get to be in charge and choose what they play with and how they play. Kids love to be in charge. I will continually let the child know that “I’m here,” “I hear you,” “I understand,” “I care,” and “I delight in you.” This is the bedrock of the beginning of change. No child has to clean up, which is also another exciting part of the play session. I do not take theraputic minutes to have them clean and straighten up. I tell them our time is for you, me and all these toys.

What parents can expect

Once a family has contacted me, the very first step is to schedule an Initial Parent Consultation at no charge. These are in person, 50 min appointments for just the adults/caregivers of the child. This frees us up to speak openly about the child and the concerns. The process of therapy will be explained in detail and a tour of the therapy space is also given.

Parents are the greatest agent of change in a child's life. They hold the strongest influence, therefore, throughout the process I sit down with parents/caregivers every five sessions, at no charge, to discuss where their child is at, answer any questions and offer strategies that can be applied at home that are customized to their child's specific set of needs.