What Is RW Play?

RW Play, in partnership with Rivertown Wellness, is a specialized counseling practice catering to the unique emotional and mental health needs of children aged 3 to 12. Recognizing that each child is different and requires individualized support, our programs offer a range of therapeutic services tailored to address specific needs and challenges.

The collaboration between RW Play and Rivertown Wellness brings together expertise in child development, play therapy, and family systems to create a comprehensive approach to children's mental health. Our individualized care plans aim to foster emotional well-being, resilience, and healthy coping skills in children while also providing support and guidance to their families.

Through play-based interventions, individual and group therapy sessions as well as family support, RW Play helps children navigate emotional difficulties, behavioral challenges, and social-emotional development. RW play also offers psychoeducational resources and workshops for parents and caregivers to enhance their understanding of child development and equip them with effective parenting strategies.

Children Ages 3-8
The play therapist will use exclusively child-centered play therapy techniques.

Children Ages 9-11
The play therapist will use an integrated approach, utilizing CCPT techniques, sand tray, art and cognitive behavioral play therapy techniques.

What is play therapy?

Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines play therapy as "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development."

Additional information here.

Our Services

  • Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

    Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is a mental health intervention that uses play to help children express themselves and improve their functioning. It's used to treat social, emotional, behavioral, or relational issues.

  • Child Centered Group Therapy (CCGPT)

    CCGPT is a unique, evidence-based model of care that includes two to three children in a group, twice a week for eight weeks. This therapeutic intervention has been shown to help children achieve individual treatment goals as well as to increase social competencies and improve overall therapeutic outcomes.

  • Theraplay®

    Theraplay® is a therapeutic approach designed to strengthen the emotional bond between children and their caregivers. It is a form of child and family therapy that focuses on engaging, playful, and interactive activities to foster attachment, trust, self-regulation, and emotional security.

  • Integrated and Expressive Arts Care

    "Integrated and expressive arts care" is a therapeutic approach that combines various art forms like music, dance, drama, visual art, writing, and movement to help individuals access and express their emotions, thoughts, and experiences in a holistic way, facilitating personal growth and healing through creative expression.

  • Parenting Services

    RW Play offers consultation services to support both the child’s individual work and parenting, providing a greater understanding of typical development as well as guidance on when to seek therapy,  how play therapy services can benefit children or how to best communicate and support your child through specific challenges such as grief or divorce.

Request an Appointment

What Can Parents and Caregivers Expect from Rivertown Wellness Play Therapy?

At Rivertown Wellness, we believe in the power of family. Regular parent consultation is part of the therapeutic process. The play therapist will work directly with your child for a minimum of 8 weekly sessions. An initial parent consultation will begin treatment and parents will be asked to schedule an additional consultation after 4 to 5 sessions and throughout the counseling process. If beneficial, the play therapist may ask that a parent or family member participate in play therapy sessions with the child. Research also backs this supportive work in certain circumstances.*

Parent consultation includes:

  • Behavioral support

  • Specific attachment-related skills aligned with CCPT

  • Psychoeducation related to child development and social and emotional growth

  • Treatment planning information

  • Progress monitoring, including a worksheet individually designed to track your child’s progress in therapy

  • Regular communication providing an overview of your child’s therapeutic processing as well as any pertinent information

  • If needed, additional collaboration with your child’s school to support academic, social and emotional success (Additional fees may apply for observation or consultation time.)

*You can find additional evidence-based information here.

When Does Play Therapy End?

In order to provide the best care, the length of play therapy treatment is based upon the individual child, family and specific concerns. There are several evidence-based markers demonstrating positive outcomes after 12-16 weekly appointments for short-term intensive treatments, however data supports the most significant positive outcomes after 30-40 weekly sessions.*

The play therapist will actively communicate with parents/caregivers regarding positive therapeutic growth demonstrated in session, balancing parent reports regarding school and home and any relevant assessment measures to determine therapy frequency and termination. To best care for your child, the play therapist asks that if you choose to end treatment for any reason, you communicate this with the therapist and allow for a final session for closure.

Research Supports Play Therapy & CCPT

Rivertown Wellness will be happy to provide additional research to support the treatment of specific childhood concerns upon request.

You can access a summary of findings from a Play Therapy Meta Analysis here.