After deciding to explore play therapy as a possible support, you may then be stuck as to what support is available in your local area and how the support can be accessed. Here we seek to answer some of those questions and help you sift through to find the option that works for you and your child. Exploring what support is available and where you can find it can be a tricky task.
Where can I find play therapy in Epsom? Lily Pad Play Therapy offers support across Epsom. We have worked closely with schools in Epsom over the past 4 years. Lily Pad Play Therapy currently offers one to one and group sessions for children from the age of 3 either at our base in Ewell, Surrey or at your child’s school.
Private sessions at our base in Ewell can be offered during school hours. These would usually be one to one sessions. Sometimes referrals are made by a parent or carer, but the session takes place in school. We are also able to facilitate sessions using a space in your child’s school outside of school hours, as agreed with the school. Referrals for one to one play therapy sessions with Lily Pad can be made via our website: www.liypadplaytherapy.co.uk/referrals/
Group sessions often take place in school and our referrals for therapy of this nature usually come from schools themselves. Group sessions work with children with a similar presenting concern such as low self-esteem in a small group of 3-4 children. Schools are also able to refer for individual sessions. This too can be done through our website www.lilypadplaytherapy.co.uk/referrals/
We aim to offer a holistic package of support to parents and carers. We are also able to offer parenting support, INSET training to schools and offer advice and guidance on managing complex presentations. Our fees vary depending on the type of session required and the location.
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Where do I find a therapist?
So you’ve decided you want to explore support from a play therapist for your child. Now where do you go?
Play therapists in the UK are registered with one of two professional organisations. Therapists with Play Therapy UK (PTUK) are on the Play Therapy Register (www.playtherapyregister.org.uk ), which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA – https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/). The PSA oversee PTUK’s management of the Play Therapy Register to help protect the public and ensure their health and wellbeing. The PSA assess registers of health and social care professionals to ensure the highest standards are upheld.
Therapists working for Lily Pad Play Therapy will always have the appropriate registration. It is important you seek a therapist who has had the appropriate training and holds current registration with either PTUK or The British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT – https://www.bapt.info/); a register also accredited by the PSA.
I’ve searched the register, but which one do I choose?
Play therapy is an ongoing learning, training and accreditation process. Searching the Play Therapy Register, you will find 40 practitioners in Surrey all at various stages of their career. There are several different ‘titles’ which appear on the search. The table below should help you decipher what this means. Those with more experience are likely to offer their services at a higher fee based on their experience. Each registrant has a partial postcode with their listing and so you may want to choose someone local to you – although often larger geographical areas are covered. Whilst Lily Pad Play Therapy is based in Epsom and Ewell, we will see clients in a much wider locality, for example Farnham or Chertsey and so it is worth enquiring.
| Title | Level of training |
| Trainee | This individual has begun their training in play therapy. They are unlikely to be able to take on any private clients at this stage in their training |
| Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills | Someone who has completed at least 100 hours of therapeutic support to children with mild to moderate presenting difficulties. They are certified to work with individuals with mild-moderate needs on a one to one basis and have completed a Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills. |
| Certified Play Therapist | Someone who has completed a Diploma in Play Therapy with a further 100 hours (at least 200 hours) clinical work. They are trained to work with more complex presenting difficulties as well as with groups. |
| Accredited Play Therapist | This is someone who has completed a further 200 hours clinical work (at least 400 in total) |
| Certified Supervisor of Play and Creative Arts Therapist | This person has additional training to offer supervision to other practising therapists – this is often someone with one of the above practising titles too. |
Are therapists monitored?
All work is ‘supervised practice’ although the frequency of this reduces once qualified.
All therapists on a register will be expected to attend what is called ‘supervision’ monthly. Supervision offers an opportunity for the therapist to explore their thoughts and feelings in relation to their client’s sessions over the time since the last session. Registered therapists are expected to report their supervision hours to PTUK who ensure the appropriate number of hours of supervision have taken place. This ensures safe practice. The supervisor in turn receives their own supervision and so on and so forth to ensure safe practice. There is a responsibility on the supervisor to report any concerns they have to the regulatory body.
Working with other therapists in Surrey
At Lily Pad Play Therapy, we work closely with a network of play therapists in Surrey, meeting with them regularly to share professional practice and ensuring continued learning. This is a great opportunity to share ideas for personal and professional development. We never share details of clients at these meetings, this is a professional space to explore ideas and ensure our practice is safe.
You may contact a therapist on the register who is unable to work with your child for some reason, but they may be able to refer you on to another therapist they have worked with previously. As a play therapy network we seek to support one another and all potential clients to ensure children in need of support are able to access support in a timely manner.
Where does the therapy take place?
At Lily Pad Play Therapy we offer therapy either in your child’s school or at our base in Ewell. Some therapists may offer support in the family home. This is on a rare occasion and is not used as ‘normal practice’. The reason for this is that therapy needs to be offered in a safe, consistent and uninterrupted space; the family living room may not be able to offer these things to a child and so to ensure these factors a ‘neutral’ location is used. Some therapists have a ‘play room’ in their home or garden and will offer support from there.
In schools therapists will be very clear that the space needs to be safe, uninterrupted and consistent, week on week. Whether booked by the school or by a parent the requirements are the same to ensure the best support for your child.
It is important that whoever you chose to see your child both you and your child are happy with the therapist and the space they are offering.
If you have any questions about Play Therapy in Epsom, please contact https://www.lilypadplaytherapy.co.uk/contact/
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